The Maldives is an island nation consisting of a group of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean. The nation is found roughly seven hundred kilometres (435 miles) south-west of Sri Lanka. The Maldives includes almost 1200 small islets but only 250 of them are inhabited.
The Maldives is a popular tourist destination, especially among scuba divers. Today, tourism and fisheries are the two pillars of the nation’s economy. In addition to scuba diving, holiday makers flock to enjoy swimming, snorkelling, windsurfing and water-skiing. The beaches features white sand and the surrounding ocean is of characteristic blue shade.
The official language in the Maldives is Dhivehi, but English is commonly spoken among those working in the tourism sector and it is also increasingly used by teachers in government schools.
To protect this sensitive island country, more and more tourist facilities on the islands promote ecotourism. Eco-tourism facilities emphasize habits such as recycling heat and taking proper care of waste.
The Maldives is the flattest country in the world and is protected from storms and high waves by barrier reefs. Sadly enough, the barrier reefs where not enough to protect the country from the devastating tsunami that followed the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The impact of the waves was however decreased by the fact that there is no continental shelf or land mass near the Maldives upon which the waves could gain height. The tallest wave that hit the Maldives was approximately 14 feet (4.3 meters) high.
