The Ultimate Maldives Gallery.......
Sai Krishnan
The
Ultimate Maldives Gallery
2.
3.
4.
5.
THE MALDIVES
- The Maldives, officially Republic of Maldives, is an island nation in the
Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching in a
north-south direction. It stands in the Laccadive Sea, 402 km (250 mi)
south-west of India
- The chain of islands is an archipelago, which are in reality the tops of a
vast undersea mountain range in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The atolls
of the Maldives encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 square km
(34,750 sq miles), making it one of the most dispersed countries in the world
in geographic terms
- It features 1,192 islands, of which two hundred are inhabited. The Republic
of Maldivess capital and largest city is Mal鬠with a population of 103,693
(as of 2006)
- The Maldives are the smallest Asian country in both population and land area.
With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is
the lowest country on the planet. It is also the country with the lowest
highest point in the world, at 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
THE MALDIVES Continued
- The Indian Ocean has a great effect on the climate of the country by acting
as a heat buffer, absorbing, storing, and slowly releasing the tropical heat.
The temperature of Maldives ranges between 24 C (75 F) and 33 C (91 F)
throughout the year. Although the humidity is relatively high, the constant
cool sea breezes keep the air moving and the heat mitigated
- Two seasons dominate Maldives weather: the dry season associated with the
winter northeastern monsoon and the rainy season which brings strong winds and
storms. The shift from the moist southwest monsoon to the dry northeast monsoon
occurs during April and May
- During this period, the northeast winds contribute to the formation of the
northeast monsoon, which reaches Maldives in the beginning of June and lasts
until the end of August. However, the weather patterns of Maldives do not
always conform to the monsoon patterns of South Asia
- The annual rainfall averages 2,540 millimetres (100 inches) in the north and
3,810 millimetres (150 inches) in the south
- The Maldives蠷aters are home to wide variety of ecosystems, but it is most
noted for their variety of colourful coral reefs, home to some 300 species of
fish
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
THE MALDIVES Continued
- The Maldives is a presidential republic, with the President as head of
government and head of state. The President heads the executive branch and
appoints the cabinet which is approved by the Peoples Majlis (Parliament)
- Following the introduction of a new constitution in 2008, direct elections
for the President take place every five years, with a limit of two terms in
office for any individual. The current President is Mohamed Nasheed
- Members of the unicameral Majlis serve five-year terms, with the total number
of members determined by atoll populations. At the 2009 election, 77 members
were elected. Prior to 2008, Maldives did not have a constitution which
guaranteed fundamental human rights. For 30 years, from 1978 until 2008,
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was president of the country
- As of April 2008, more than 70,000 foreign employees live in the country and
another 33,000 illegal immigrants comprise more than one third of Maldivian
population. They consist mainly of people from the neighboring South Asian
countries of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal
- Islam is the only official religion of The Maldives. The open practice of all
other religions is forbidden and such actions are liable to prosecution under
the law of the country
- Nature has fragmented the archipelago into 1,190 tiny islands that occupy a
mere one per cent of its 90,000 km2 territory. Only 185 islands are home to its
300,000 population, while the other islands are used entirely for economic
purposes of which tourism and agriculture are the most dominant
- Tourism accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives foreign
exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties
and tourism-related taxes
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
THE 2004 EARTHQUAKE/TSUNAMI
On 26 December 2004, following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the Maldives
were devastated by a tsunami. Only nine islands were reported to have escaped
any flooding, while fifty-seven islands faced serious damage to critical
infrastructure, fourteen islands had to be totally evacuated, and six islands
were destroyed
- A further twenty-one resort islands were forced to close because of serious
damage. The total damage was estimated at more than 400 million US dollars, or
some 62% of the GDP. A total of 108 people, including six foreigners,
reportedly died in the tsunami.
- The destructive impact of the waves on the low-lying islands was mitigated by
the fact there was no continental shelf or land mass upon which the waves could
gain height. The tallest waves were reported to be 14 feet (4.3 m) high
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
