I propose you 18 interesting facts about Maldives that you should know : from having the world’s lowest country, fishes that produce 1 ton of sand per year to whale shark sanctuary and volcanoes, I will show you here that the Maldives islands are much more than a picture perfect tropical paradise.
18 Fun Facts about Maldives
The 18 Facts about Maldives everybody should know
- 18 Fun Facts about Maldives
- Maldives Equatorial Sun Light
- Maldives Sandbanks and Islands Shapes
- Maldives Whale Sharks
- Maldives Origins
- Maldives has a World Record : the lowest country on the Planet
- Maldivian Melting Pot
- Maldives Dhoni Shapes
- Maldives Coins and Money
- Maldives Coral Houses
- Maldives Traditional Music : The BODU BERU
- Maldives Desert Islands
- Maldives Flag
- Maldives Coconut Trees
- Maldives have some of the smallest islands in the World
- Maldives Dhoni Captains are Authentic Sailors
- Feeding Fishes in Maldives
- Maldives Sand is Fish Poop
- Maldives Coral Sandy Beaches
Fun Facts about Maldives origins, their people, geography, culture and other things that everybody should know !
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FACT 1
Maldives Equatorial Sun Light
Beware of the sun in Maldives! A very high sun protection is a must-have. Located close to the equator, Maldives receive high amount of Sunrays. Almost direct, they strike at a 90° angle.
FACT 2
Maldives Sandbanks and Islands Shapes
In Maldives, some island shapes can be modified by nature. Their sand is moved away and eventually brought back by seasonal currents during monsoons. Some sandbanks disappear and some new ones emerge.
See also
Photo of a protected natural lagoon pool in Maldives
FACT 3
Maldives Whale Sharks
The World’s biggest fish has its official sanctuaries in Maldives with 3 places along the archipelago. The Maldives are one of the few places on Earth where Whale sharks can be encountered all year round.
FACT 4
Maldives Origins
The Maldives are likely the remnants of a chain of sunken volcanoes formed around 60 million years ago. Recent studies suggest that coral reef atolls have developed over hundreds of thousands of years on their sinking remains.
FACT 5
Maldives has a World Record : the lowest country on the Planet
Maldives owns the title of the lowest country in the World with an average of only 1.5 meters above sea level.
FACT 6
Maldivian Melting Pot
The Maldives were a crossroads of the ancient trading routes. Today’s Maldivian multiple faces are the fruit of a civilization mix : Indian, African, European, Arabian, Asian…
FACT 7
Maldives Dhoni Shapes
The shape of the famous traditional Maldivian boat, the Dhoni, might have been inspired from the ancient Arabian sailing dhow, commonly used as a trading ship in Indian Ocean around the 11th Century.
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FACT 8
Maldives Coins and Money
Cowry shells can be found by millions in Maldives. They were used as units of money during medieval times. This is why nowadays shells commonly ornate Maldivian coins.
FACT 9
Maldives Coral Houses
Maldivian used to build their houses in coral. This traditional housing is now forbidden since Coral Reefs are worldwide protected. Many coral houses still can be seen in Male and local islands.
FACT 10
Maldives Traditional Music : The BODU BERU
The drum-based traditional music, Bodu Beru ( meaning big drum) is a reminder of Maldives long relations with East Africa a few centuries ago. Bodu Beru music is very rhythmic and can be perceived as transcendental.
FACT 11
Maldives Desert Islands
There are approximately 1200 islands in Maldives. Around 800 of them are still uninhabited, 200 islands are populated, about 200 host Hotels and Resorts. The rest of the islands are used for airports, agriculture, picnics, governmental assets, industrial activities and even jails !
The number of islands in Maldives is increasing with the recent development of entirely man-made artificial islands.
FACT 12
Maldives Flag
The Maldives flag has various symbols and symbolic colors : Green for peace and the national Coconut Tree, a White Crescent for Islam and Red for the blood of their fights for independence.
FACT 13
Maldives Coconut Trees
The coconut tree is one of the symbols of the Maldivian emblem. National tree of the islands and only natural shade protection of Maldives beaches, coconut trees can grow up to 30 meters and reach the age of 100 years. Their wood is extremely solid and widely used to build Dhonis.
FACT 14
Maldives have some of the smallest islands in the World
The Maldives have some of the smallest islands in the World with no more than a few square meters size. The largest island barely reaches 6 kms long.
FACT 15
Maldives Dhoni Captains are Authentic Sailors
Some dhoni Captains and crews still do not use compass or GPS to navigate through the islands and atolls. They find their ways throughout the coral labyrinths helping themselves with the bow of their dhoni’s and the stars. During clear nights, some have the rare ability to carefully observe the moves of the lagoon surface to avoid coral reefs.
FACT 16
Feeding Fishes in Maldives
In the Maldives, where more than 2000 fish species live and where snorkeling is a MUST-DO, you will meet countless multicolored sea creatures with various shapes and patterns. Among the most common fishes you will surely meet while snorkeling in Maldives you will see
But feeding fishes during Snorkeling in the Maldives or elsewhere in the world is harmful to them. Our food is not part of their ecosystem and surely not adapted to their digestive system. No Bread ! The sea is NOT a bakery.
See also My complete guides to snorkeling in Maldives
FACT 17
Maldives Sand is Fish Poop
Parrot fishes are huge contributors to the beauty of Maldives beaches. Their fine coral sand is the result of undigested corals they eat. We estimate that an adult parrot fish can produce around 1 ton of sand per year !
FACT 18
Maldives Coral Sandy Beaches
The Maldives islands are of coralline origins. Their amazing sand is white and extremely fine. Coralline beaches are rare, they represent less than 5% of the World beaches, the rest of them are mostly made of quartz. This is why the Maldives have Paradise beaches everywhere !
see also /
Maldives Paradise Beaches.
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1 comment
Beautiful article.