Joanna James
Maldives boasts of its natural beauty but there are some facts about this country that will blow your mind. Read on to find out facts about this exotic country.
King Kalinga ruled India and he exiled Prince Sro Soorudasaruna Adeettiya to the Maldives. The archipelago was known as Deeva Maari. Sro Soorudasaruna Adeettiya made himself King and that was the first kingdom of Maldives. Later, the Indians invaded the country and made it their colony.
The sand you find in the beaches of Maldives is not formed by quartz like the regular sand. Instead, it is formed by crushed corals. Live corals were broken into small particles by species such as parrotfish and polyps. This special coralline sand doesn't absorb heat like the quartz one. This is why the sand is cool and comfortable to walk on even on the sunniest days.
Being a strict Islamic country, the government has banned using and importing alcohol. This rule not only implies to alcohol but pork too. Maldives island resorts the likes of Dhigali Maldives serve their customers alcohol upon request, but you can't consume liquor in public as it considered as a serious offence.
As per a survey done in January 2018 by the CIA Factbook, the overall literacy rate of Maldives in 99%. The total population of Maldives is 392,709. From that, 99.8% of the male population and 99.8% of the female population is able to write and read. This is a pretty great achievement of the government of Maldives.
Most of the countries in the world consider Saturday and Sunday as the weekend. However, in Maldives things work a little differently. Don't be surprised if you see people leaving to work on a Sunday morning because Maldivians consider Friday and Saturday as the weekend. (That means no Sunday-Funday for them) On Friday none of the government offices is closed and public transportation services are suspended till Saturday. This is important for those travelling to Maldives cause people often face inconveniences.
The world's first underwater cabinet gathering was held in the archipelago. This happened back in 2009 under the rule of President Mohammed Nasheed. 12 other officials along with the president donned SCUBA diving kits and dived underwater. This was done to sign a document that asked other countries to reduce their carbon dioxide emission. The government officials didn't do this for the gags, but they had a serious point to prove. Maldives is the flattest country in the world as so faces the threat of sea level rise. This stunt was a reminder to the rest of the nations that global warming would greatly impact Maldives. Also, it is good to know that the president and cabinet ministers of Maldives are avid divers.
Somehow this doesn't come off as a surprise. There are coconut trees everywhere in the archipelago and most of the food, furniture and other things are based on some part of the coconut tree. For example, the wood of the tree is used to make the iconic dhonis. Also, the coconut trees give the only natural shade on the island. The coconut trees play a significant role in the culture of the country that the green part of the Maldivian flag represents the coconut tree.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
