Amazing Facts about the Maldives

This is one of the most famous facts about the Maldives islands. Most of them are incredibly small. So small that many a Maldives luxury resort such as the Kandolhu Island Maldives takes up an entire island. This is why a vacation in this iconic island nation is unlike any other, because seclusion is guaranteed. Most of the resort islands are close to smaller islands which you can occupy solely for yourself.

The Maldives is the country that is closest to sea level. The tallest point in the nation is about two and a half metres above sea level, and even that hill was completely man made. In fact, the entire country is dangerously vulnerable to rising sea levels as a result of global warming. Due to this incredible threat, the Maldives have become a completely carbon neutral country. From a statistical viewpoint, the country is 99.990% water and only 0.331% land.

The charismatic and iconic President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed, once held a cabinet meeting on the sea-bed. The goal of this was to discuss the true extent of the issues the country faces in regards to rising sea levels. A total thirteen government officials donned scuba gear and held discussions on desks that have been placed on the bottom of the ocean in order to discuss new plans regarding sustainable development.

Quite unsurprisingly, the Maldives have the smallest capital in the world. The island of Male, measures a size of just less than six square kilometres. As a result of this, the island is also one of the most densely populated capitals in the world as well. The island city is also home to more than a quarter of the population of the entire country.

The magnitude of marine biology to be witnessed is insurmountable. You will find many threatened and endangered species in large numbers within Maldivian waters. If you wish to see whales or dolphins, you will easily find thousands around the islands. The species include sperm whales, killer whales, and even whale sharks. On any given diving tour, you will be able to swim alongside the misunderstood gentle-giants of the shark family. You will also find large groups of Manta Rays as well as around three of the seven endangered species of sea turtle.

The Maldives has a history that goes back thousands of years and archaeologists have found evidence that the islands have been a notable port setting as far back as 256 BC. The islands were said to be truly settled upon due to the actions of a prince who was exiled from his father's kingdom in India. After his arrival, he proceeded to build an entire dynasty that ruled for a significant period of time.