Maldives otherwise known as the Republic of Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean and gained independence on 26 July 1965 from the United Kingdom.
The capital is Male and holds the record for being the flattest country in the world. Over the last century, sea levels have risen about 20 centimeters; further rises could threaten the existence of Maldives.
The Maldives's attractions are the islands themselves as they offer the proverbial white sands, blue skies, clear water and palm trees.
Other than that there is an impressive mosque that has a golden dome inside, snorkeling, deep sea diving, fish market and national museum.
Maldives
About Maldives
National Olympic Committee
Sports
Beach volleyball is a popular sport of the country.
Other sporting activities include badminton, tennis, cricket, football, table tennis and basketball.
Water sports include windsurfing, water skiing, jet skiing, scuba diving, parasailing, sailing and diving.
Climate
Maldives is located at the equator and experiences monsoonal climate. Maldives has two distinct seasons; dry season (northeast monsoon) and wet season (southwest monsoon).
In these two seasons the temperature varies hardly. Hot days are often tempered by cooling sea breezes throughout the year; temperature remains almost same in the Maldives.
The mean daily maximum temperature for Central parts of the Maldives is 30.5 degrees Celsius.
The wet season- southwest monsoon experiences torrential rain.
The highest rainfall ever recorded in the Maldives with in 24 hour period was recorded on 9th July 2002 at Kaadedhdhoo Meteorological Office and amounts to 219.8mm of rainfall.
Religion
Islam is the official religion of the entire population.
Culture
Maldivian culture is derived from a number of sources, the most important of which are its proximity to the shores of Sri Lanka and southern India.
There are also influences from Arabia and Africa in the language and culture.
After the long Buddhist period of Maldivian history, Muslim traders introduced Sunni Islam. Maldivians converted to it by the mid-12th century.