GEOGRAPHY:
Maldives are formed by number of natural atolls with1,192 islands and isolated reefs that today from a necklace of 26 coral atolls streching in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and the equator.It has a total size of 298 km2 which makes it the smallest country in Asia.It is beautifull tropical paradies with white sand beaches and turquoes waters,wich many joyfully visits.The nation attrected a record of 1.7 milion visitors in 2019.The capital of Maldives is Malé .
BASIC INFORMATION ON ATOLS AND MALÉ CITY
The Maldives consits of 1,192 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls.The largest of these atolls is Boduthiladhunmathi,while the atoll contaiining the most islands is Huvadhu.The Maldives is the lowest country in the world with maximum and avarge natural ground levels of only 2.4m and 1.5 m above sea level,respectively.In areas where construction exists,however,this has been increased to several meters.More than 80 percent of the countrie´s land is compoused of coral islinds wich rise less than one meter above sea level.This is not a destination for hiking or highvanatge views.instead the Maldives is for lounging under palms to gawp at the Indian ocean,watching as that solitary sandbar appears and dissapears under the tide.
Atoll located at the northern end is Haa Alifu,the southernmost atoll is Addu (Seenu).The smallest of all Maldives atolls is Gnaviyani atoll. Each atoll constists of viarety of island,including inhabited,private resorts,and uninhabited.Gaafu Alifu is the largest in the Maldives archipelago and the worlds largest atoll.Soth Male and North Male Atolls form the Kaafu atoll wich is the most popular place to stay the Maldives ,because of the large section of accomodation aaand due to easy accesby boat from the Male airport.Other islands require a transfer by seaplane.
NATIONAL ANIMAL
The national animal of Maldives is the Yellowfin Tuna. These fish can be found in plenty of water surrounding the islands and can grow quite large too. It’s a common misconception that whale sharks are the national animal. While you certainly could see whales and dolphins and other sharks around the coral reefs, this is not the true national animal. However, it is a close second.
ENDARGES SPECIES IN MALDIVES
Maldives people work hard to keep animals protected.You can see many rules for protection for indangered species in the island.Even if it doesn’t always seem as if they are indangered, rules are written for a reason.
Some of the protected and endangerous species of the Maldives wildlife are:
Lobster,Dolphin,Whale,Whale shark,Black coral,Sea Turtles like Hawksbill turtle and Green turtle,Humphead Wrasse,Some kinds of anemones and jellyfish,Ornate eagle rays,several species of coral reef and fish.Most are find in the waters of índian oceans.
FISH OF MALDIVES
It would be nearly impossible to tell you about all the fish in Maldives since there are more than 2,000 species of fish. There are a number of colorful tropical fish that take refuge in the coral reefs or stick near the islands as well. The Unesco reserve on Baa atoll has tons of fish that you can get up close to that are common to the Baa atoll area. At any given time, the fish found in the waters can range drastically.
A sure-fire way to see tons of colorful fish diversity is to look around the corals.The numbers include reef fish, tropical fish, feeder fish, and more. Many of the island resorts catch some of their own fish, crabs, lobster, squid, clams, and even mammals to feed their guests.
MALDIVIAN WHALES AND DOLPHINES
Huge whale sharckes as well as other whales and dolphins make up the Maldives wildlife that you are most likely to see in the water or around the island nation from place to place.Sometimes, you can even spot many of these species right from your overwater bungalows. Some of the whales include the beautiful blue whales, melon-headed whales, pilot whales, and a few other whale species too. Blue whales are known for their gorgeous colors that stand out in the Maldivian waters. This mammal is well-known around the islands.
When we talk about dolphins, you will find in Maldives the bottlenose dolphin, spotted dolphins, rough-toothed dolphin, spinner dolphin, and Fraser’s dolphin to be the most common for your island holiday.You will likely see dolphins frolicking all the time around this island nation. In some locations, you can specifically tour or swim with these brilliant animals (open waters, no captivity). It’s an experience certainly worth trying to take advantage of.
MANTA RAYS AND SEA TURTLES
The manta rays and sea turtles are two beloved animals of Maldives. These sea creatures swim through the ocean with grace and many of their species are protected. When it comes to manta rays, you will find most resorts are part of the Manta Trust Fund that supports eagle rays and other at-risk groups.
The rays population includes stingrays, as well as other different types. Stingrays can be dangerous due to the small tail that can be flicked like a whip or sting you. However, most manta ray types are not going to harm you.
When it comes to sea turtles, you will find several different turtle types too. This includes endangered turtle species as well as common types. The green turtle and hawksbill turtle are both on the endangered turtle list and protected. The leatherback turtle is seen often in the sea and around the islands but is not considered to be endangered turtle.
Many of the initiatives around the resorts are designed to protect green turtles, manta rays, and some other species that are in harm’s way.
MALDIVIES BEACHES
Amazing Maldivies are known for cristal clear turquoise water and incredible white,sandy beaches.Some of the things that a guest can expect from every beach are:pristine beaches with white sand,palm trees,greenery and flowers,beautiful beach resort selections,coral reefs,Marine life such as reef sharks,sea turtles,live coral reefs and colorful fish species.Also there are water activities such as jet skiing,scuba diving,snorkeling and sunset cruise.>All of these things will make never wanna leave home. The best known beaches are:COCOA ISLAND BEACHES,LILY BEACH, VELIGANDU ISLAND BEACHES, TAJ EXOTICA BEACH,KANDOLHU ISLAND BEACH,NALAGURAIDHOO ISLAND BEACHES,NORTH ARI ATOLL VABBINFARU ISLAND BEACHES,REETHY BEACH,NICA ISLAND BEACHE,FULHADHOO ISLAND,FIHALHOHI BEACH,KURUMBA BEACH,HULHUMALE BEACH,RASDHOO ISLAND BEACH
Vaadhoo Island-“SEA OF STARS”
While the Vaadhoo Island is the most popular beach of Maldives with the phenomenon glowing effect from plankton that is bioluminescent, it’s actually just part of the island.The Vaadhoo Island is really just a beach, and it rests on the Mudhdhoo Island.
You will hear terms that refer to Vaadhoo island, but it’s just one small part of the Mudhdhoo Island, so the two are closely related. Don’t be confused if you hear of both names associated with that glow-in-the-dark beach style.
The islands are warm and tropical, just like other beaches throughout Maldives. But there is something unique about them that causes the phytoplankton to emit glows like what you see in photos (or in real life). This is one of the top destinations simply to see the stunning marine effect, but it’s also a very small tropical island as well. It’s very close to the capital, but traveling requires creating plans to make it from point A to point B and back again. This tiny little beach is famous as a destination, and often referred to as the Sea of Stars, for quite obvious reasons.
Bioluminescent plankon creats Maldives glowing beach.Its a special kind of plankton found in this area. And it glows because of the friction of the water, waves, and life on the beach. Some say that agitation of the plankton is what causes that bioluminescent effect, or that it comes from a defense mechanism rooted in the plankton. Regardless of the underlying cause, the glowing beach is a spectacular place to visit. The bioluminescent effect causes the plankton to give off a blue light that looks like a tiny glow light, or stars, as the other nickname implies. The shore becomes lit with bioluminescence, especially through the summer months when it is warm. It’s bright like a city, but a tiny little island hidden in the ocean. It’s a bioluminescence phenomenon that you won’t see just anywhere.
While the sight is like nothing else in the world, it’s impossible to predict when the organisms will trigger the bioluminescence glow, so you aren’t guaranteed to see it when you come.There are certain times that you are far more likely to be able to witness the gorgeous effect of nature known as the bioluminescence phenomenon. Remember that it is never guaranteed, but you will most likely see the ocean light up at night with that blue glow primarily through the summer months. These months are the best time to catch that phytoplankton light on Vaadhoo Island at night:June, July,August,September. This is when the waves are most likely to provoke the phytoplankton blue light in the early night hours across the beaches. From June to October, the water is often aglow with the lights, and it does nothing to stop the marine life either. That bioluminescent effect is completely natural and it doesn’t harm you or the beach. The water is safe to be in, and this Maldives beach is safe to be on. However, it is said that the lights are more likely to attract predators than other resort islands out there. It’s not necessarily the light that brings in the predators but rather what happens when marine life eats phytoplankton. It’s gorgeous for us to look at, but the chemical effect will cause any animal that eats it to glow. That glow-in-the-dark night is what sometimes attracts larger animals to look for prey.
INTERESTING ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO IN MALDIVES
SEAPLANE JOURNE, SCUBA DIVING, SNORKELING, SWIMMING WITH WHALE SHARKS AND MANTA RAYS, ENJOY WATER SPORTS, DOLPHING SPOTTING, DEEPFLIGHT ADVENTURE, JET SKI SAFARI, BIG GAME FISHING, INDULGENCE AT UNDERWATER SPA
HISTORICAL SITES
MALE FRIDAY MOSQUE, MEDHU ZIYAARAIY SHRINE, GRAND FRIDAY MOSQUE, THE KONGANNU CEMETRY, THODDOO BUDDHIST TEMPLE, TOMB OF MUHAMMAD THAKURUFAANU, DARUMAVANTA RASGEFANU MOSQUE, ALI RASGEFAANU ZIYAARAIY, ISDHOO BUDDHIST STUPAS, KURUHINNA THARAAGANDU, UTHEEMU GANDUVARU, KALHU VAKARU MOSQUE, KANDU VALU MOSQUE, BRITISH WAR MEMORIAL, AASAARI MISKIIY, TOMB OF SULTAN IBRAHIM III
ITS GOOD TO KNOW:
-SOCIAL CONVENTIONS IN MALDIVES
As the Maldives is a Muslim country, alcohol can only be consumed in resorts. The Maldives is very anti-drugs and punishment can be quite severe. Visitors should try to dress modestly and when entering mosques, bodies must be covered. Nudity is prohibited in all public places. Visitors should always remove shoes before entering a house. When eating, one should always use the right hand as the left hand is considered unhygienic. Also, eating in public during the fasting month of Ramadan is considered very offensive. Finally, public displays of religions other than Islam are prohibited.
-RELIGION
Islam is the official state religion and the open practice of any other religion is forbidden.
LANGUAGE SPOKEN
The official language of Maldives is Dhivehi, a language belonging to the Indo-Iranian group of languages. English is recognized as the second main language and is taught in schools.
Sites that were used:Wikipedia org.;Google images;vacationmaldives.com;
maldives-magazine.com;goway.com;Holidify.com,
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