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GENERAL INFORMATION
Area: 298 sq km (115 sq miles).
Population: 269,010 (2000).
Population Density: 902.7 per sq km.
Capital: Male. Population: 74,497 (2000).
GEOGRAPHY: The Maldives Republic is located 500km (300 miles)
southwest of the southern tip of India and consists of about
1190 low-lying coral islands, of which only 200 are inhabited.
Most of the inhabited islands are covered by lush tropical vegetation
and palm trees, while the numerous uninhabited islands, some
of which are mere sand spits or coral tips, are covered in shrubs.
Each island is surrounded by a reef enclosing a shallow lagoon.
Hundreds of these islands together with other coral growth form
an atoll, surrounding a lagoon. All the islands are low-lying,
none more than 2m (7ft) above sea level. The majority of the
indigenous population does not mix with the tourist visitors,
with the exception of those involved with tourism in the resorts
and Male.
Government: Republic since 1965. Gained independence
from the UK in 1965.
Head of State and Government: President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
since 1978.
Language: The national language is Dhivehi. English is
widely used as a business language in government offices and
the commercial sector. Other languages are widely used within
tourist areas.
Religion: The indigenous population is almost entirely
Sunni Muslim.
Time: GMT + 5.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round-pin plugs are
used, although square-pin plugs are now becoming more common.
Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 960. Outgoing
international code: 00.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network operated by Dhiraagu,
the Maldives Telecommunications Company (website: http://www.dhiraagu.com.mv/).
Handsets can by hired by the day.
Fax: Services are available in Male and the resorts.
Internet: The Internet can be accessed from most areas
of the Maldives. Male, the capital, has an Internet cafe and
almost all resorts facilitate the sending and receiving of e-mails.
The islands’ ISP is Dhiraagu (see above).
Telegram: Telecommunications in the Maldives are good
– telegram services are available to and from anywhere in the
world from Dhiraagu in Male and the resorts.
Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes about a week. Post
office hours: Sat-Thurs 0730-1330 and 1600-1750.
Press: The Maldives News Bulletin is published weekly
in English. The other dailies Haveeru Daily, Aafathis and Miadhu
News have English sections. Information about local events is
widely available on all the resort islands3.
Passport/Visa
PASSPORTS: Passport valid for the duration of
stay required by all.
VISAS: 1. Tourist visas for 30 days will be issued on
arrival only and free of charge to all visitors in possession
of valid travel documents.
Note: Foreign visitors who enter the Maldives must be
in possession of return or onward tickets and sufficient funds
to cover duration of stay.
Types of visa and cost: Tourist visas can be extended
for a minimum of three months for a fee of Rf750.
Validity: Three months to one year. 
Application to: Visas are issued on arrival at the immigration
desk at Maldives International Airport. Application Requirements:
(a) Valid passport and travel documents. (b) One passport size
photo. (c) Fee. (d) Return or onward ticket. (e) Proof of sufficient
funds to cover duration of stay.
Working days required: Visa extensions can be requested on arrival
at Maldives International Airport, and will be issued immediately
provided nationals are holding valid travel documents.
Money
Currency: Maldivian Rufiya (Rf) = 100 laari. Notes
are in denominations of Rf500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins
are in denominations of Rf2 and 1, and 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and
1 laari.
Currency exchange: Major currencies can be exchanged
at banks, tourist resort islands, hotels and leading shops.
Payments in hotels can be made in most hard currencies (particularly
US Dollars) in cash, travellers cheques or credit cards.
Credit & debit cards: Most major island resorts will
accept American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard and Diners
Club. Arrangements vary from island to island, and it is advisable
to check with your credit or debit card company for details
of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be
available.
Travellers cheques: These are generally accepted in Sterling
and US Dollars. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers
are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars.
Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on import
or export of either local or foreign currencies. Exchange rate
indicators The following figures are included as a guide to
the movement of the Maldivian Rufiya against Sterling and the
US Dollar:
Social Profile
Food & Drink: Male, the capital, has a few simple
restaurants which serve local and international food. On the
other islands, there are a few restaurants in addition to those
run by the resorts. Cuisine is international, with all foodstuffs
other than seafood imported. The fish is magnificent. Curries
and oriental buffets are widely available. There is a good range
of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink available at the resorts,
reflecting the demands of the visitors. There are a few local
cocktails, including The Maldive Lady, a powerful and delicious
concoction, whose composition varies from bar to bar and island
to island. 
Note: All bars are situated in tourist resorts (no alcohol
is available on Male). All accept cash, but normally add orders
onto the total bill. Locals do not drink at all. During the
month of Ramadan (see Public Holidays), visitors are not allowed
to drink alcohol in public except in the tourist resorts.
Nightlife: There is little or no organised nightlife,
although most resorts have informal discos around the bar areas,
sometimes featuring live bands playing either traditional or
Western music. Beach parties and barbecues are also popular.
On some evenings, many resorts have cultural shows and some
show videos.
Shopping: Local purchases include sea shells (only when
bought in official shops; they may not be removed from the beach
or from the sea), lacquered wooden boxes and reed mats. Jewellery
to purchase includes gold, silver, coral, mother-of-pearl and
turtle-shell items. However, there are strict prohibitions against
the export of coral and turtle-shell.
Shopping hours: Sat-Thurs 0830-2300, Fri 13:30-23:00.
Shops officially shut for 15 minutes five times a day in deference
to Muslim prayer times; however, this rule is not always strictly
adhered to in the tourist areas away from the capital.
Special Events: For further details on special events
and festivals in the Maldives, contact the Maldives Tourism
Promotion Board (see Contact Addresses). The following is a
list of events taking place in 2003:
Jan 1 New Year Celebrations. Jul 26 Independence Day (celebrations
with themed floats). Sep 27 Tourism Day.
Social Conventions: Dress is informal, but locals who
are Muslim will be offended by nudity or scanty clothing in
public places, and the Government rigidly enforces these standards.
Bikinis and other scanty beachwear are not acceptable in Male
or on any other inhabited island. When entering a mosque, the
legs and the body, but not the neck and the face, should be
covered. Handshaking is the most common form of greeting. The
indigenous population not involved in the tourist trade lives
in isolated island communities maintaining almost total privacy.
A large number of locals smoke, but smoking and eating during
Ramadan is discouraged. Tipping: This is officially discouraged.
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