Climate
The climate in the Maldives is tropical, dry weather persists from November to March due to the influence of the northeast monsoons. From June to August, the weather is influenced by the southwest monsoons with rains. The weather is hot all year round, the air temperature ranges from 24*C to 30*C. Tours to the Maldives at any time of the year will bring you the joy of communicating with tropical nature!
According to SAT Test Centers, the best time to take a holiday in the Maldives is from November to the end of April: at this time the sea is calm, the weather is sunny and dry. From May to October, the southwest monsoon can bring short rains, this period is characterized by not too hot weather, high humidity and rough seas. In June there are storms and high waves.
The water temperature is kept at the level of +24*С – +27*С all year round. There are no rivers and lakes in the Maldives, therefore, despite the abundance of precipitation, there is a lack of fresh water. In wells and reservoirs, rain water tastes slightly salty. Coconut palms and bananas grow on the islands. There are few blood-sucking insects, but in the evenings it is better to use repellents. As elsewhere on the equator, the Maldives has very short, only a quarter of an hour, morning and evening, and immediately after them comes a bright day with a hot sun or a dark night.
History
The archipelago was settled more than two thousand years ago by people from modern Sri Lanka and India. In the V-VII centuries. Arabs and Persians came here. Until the 12th century Buddhism prevailed on the islands, in 1153 one of the Arab preachers of Islam landed in the Maldives and very soon the entire population converted to Islam. The preacher himself proclaimed himself a sultan named Muhammad ul-Abdala, and they became the founder of a dynasty that ruled the Maldives for a long time. In 1558, the Portuguese captured Male and built a fort there. In 1573, the Portuguese were expelled, then the Dutch tried to gain a foothold in the archipelago, also unsuccessfully.
In 1887, Britain established its protectorate over the Maldives. In 1932 the first constitution was adopted, in 1939 it was repealed. In 1964 there was an uprising against British rule. The rioters destroyed the airport and besieged the residence of the British administrator. July 26, 1965 Britain granted independence to the Maldives. On November 11, 1968, according to the results of a referendum, the Maldives was proclaimed a republic. Since 1972 the country has been open for tourism.
Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoum has ruled the Maldives for 6 five-year terms in a row. In August 2004, after the riots in Male, Gayoum promised to introduce democratic reforms and expand political freedoms. In 2005, political parties were allowed. In October 2008, after the country’s first multi-candidate elections, Mohamed Nasheed became the first President of the Republic of Maldives to be elected by popular vote.
Customs
There are no restrictions on the import or export of foreign and local currencies. Tours to the Maldives allow you to import duty-free up to 200 pieces. cigarettes and up to 125 ml of perfumes, as well as personal consumption goods (no more than one item per person). The transport of alcohol in any quantity is strictly prohibited, including those bought in duty free shops, salami sausages, pork and products from it, weapons for spearfishing, pornographic publications and drugs.
It is forbidden to export black coral and products from it (except for souvenirs made by officially certified manufacturers), products from the shell of a sea turtle, as well as objects and things found at the bottom of the sea.
Population
Sunnis live in the Maldives – representatives of the largest Islamic movement. In all mosques on all inhabited islands, prayers are held five times a day – at dawn, before noon, at noon, at sunset and after dark. The largest and one of the most beautiful mosques in Asia is the Islamic Center in Male, opened in 1984.
Language
The official language of the Maldives is Dhivehi, which belongs to the Indo-Iranian language branch of the Indo-European language family, the unique Thaana script is used, the words in it are written from left to right. Many words come from other languages - Arabic, Tamil, Urdu, Persian, English, Hindi. There is a version that the name of the Maldives was formed from the words “mahal” (in Arabic palace) and diva (island in Hindi). English is widely spoken in Male and resorts. Outside the tourist area, locals practically do not speak English.
Male, the capital of the state, its commercial and political center. The area of Male is over 1.77 km2, more than 60 thousand people live in the city. Male is the busiest and most popular island in the archipelago. Among the historical and religious attractions of Male – Good Friday Mosque, Massid al-Sultan Mohammed Thakurufanu-al-Az Zam – the largest mosque in the Maldives with a majestic golden dome. The mosque can accommodate more than 5,000 people.
It also includes the Islamic Center. The old Friday Mosque is also interesting with its minaret, tombs of national heroes and members of the royal family and unique paintings in the building of the mosque and on the royal ones. cemeteries. In addition, in Male it is worth visiting the tombs of the legendary saints, Mulee-aga – the Presidential Palace and the National Museum in Sultan Park.
All these attractions are only 10 minutes walk from each other. A very picturesque sight is the fruit, vegetable and wood markets, where residents of other atolls trade their goods. There is a fish market nearby, it is empty in the morning, and only in the afternoon fishermen with their catch begin to flock here. Thanks to the art of the fishermen who skillfully clean and cut the fish right behind the counters, this market is very popular among tourists. Holidays in the Maldives are very measured and calm, but in Male there are several discos and nightclubs.