The Maldives are one of the most popular destinations in the world for a beach vacation. The Atolls appear out of nowhere in the middle of the blue Indian Ocean, white sandy beaches, colourful coral reefs, plenty of palm trees make for a holiday dedicated to relaxation and water sports.

The first sensation you feel when you arrive on the islands is that of feeling like a castaway. Beyond these dreamlike settings, what really makes the Maldives special?

1. How many islands make up the territory of the Maldives?
The Maldives are made up of almost 2,000 small islands. They are made up of approximately 1,192 individual islands, grouped into 26 Atolls. The latter are ring-shaped coral reefs that were formed after the lowering of volcanoes and the rise in sea level. Not all of them are inhabited. There are around 200 islands where locals live, in small agricultural towns and fishing villages. Those on which tourist resorts are built are around a hundred. Other islands are uninhabited. Some are artificial, for example, Hulhumalè. It is the island closest to the international airport of Malé and is a “recovered” island that was created in 2004. Until now it is under construction and housing expansion. Due to climate change and rising sea levels, many islands of the Maldives are at risk of coastal erosion and loss of territory.

2. The word Atoll
Very often when talking about the Maldives, the word Atoll is used. But how many people know where this term comes from? The word Atoll originates from the Maldivian term “atholhu”. This is Dhivehi, the national language of the Maldives, and means “Island of the lagoon” or also “islands arranged in a ring”. Atoll is also one of the very few Maldivian words that is commonly used throughout the world. The largest of the Maldivian islands is Gan. It is in the Hadhunmathee Atoll, and measures about 5 square kilometers. The smallest is Maduvvari in the Mulaku Atoll, which measures just 80 meters long by 40 meters wide.

3. How is the value of a Maldivian island established?
The Maldives were once known as the Kingdom of a Thousand Islands. For such a unique country, it also has unusual parameters to establish the value of “a piece of land”. In fact, in the Maldives, the rent for an island is decided based on the number of coconut palms present on it. Coconut trees have many different uses. Food is definitely one of them but also the wood is used to build boats, furniture and buildings, while the leaves are made into mats. Coconut palms typically grow in the center of the islands, while mangroves are along the beaches.

4. More than 200 species of coral
Coral reefs are living structures and compete with rainforests in terms of biological diversity. Contrary to what many people think, corals are not plants. Instead they are colonies of small polyps protected by an external calcareous skeleton that are implanted one on top of the other. The anemone, on the other hand, is a soft-bodied exocoral. It is famous for hosting clownfish among its stinging tentacles. Finally, gorgonians have a characteristic fan shape to filter the water and catch nutritious particles.

5. Over 2000 species of fish
While snorkelling you will see the moorish idol with its yellow and black vertical stripes and elongated dorsal fin. The surgeon fish also known as tangs, the moray eel with its snake like body and the scorpion fish, a poisonous reef predator. The puffer fish and the porcupine fish that swell up with water to fool predators by appearing bigger. Pelagic sightings like manta rays, turtles and sharks are frequent. Most common are the blacktip sharks, small in size swimming near coral reefs. The lemon shark, about two and a half metres in length with its characteristic golden yellow colour. And last but not least the whale shark, recognisable by its impressive size (up to 10m in length) and its grey colour with white spots. It is the largest fish in the world and, despite its imposing appearance, it is a docile and peaceful creature that feeds mainly on plankton.

6. The flattest country in the world
The Maldives are the flattest country in the world, over 99% of the Maldives is made up of water and the total surface area is less than 300 square kilometers. The highest point is only 2.4 meters above mean sea level (excluding palm trees) and there are no freshwater springs or streams, so the water requirement depends exclusively on rainwater collection. The entire surface area of ​​the Maldives is almost as large as Portugal.

7. There are two underwater restaurants in the Maldives
One is in the Lhaviyani Atoll. The “5.8 Undersea Restaurant” is the largest completely transparent underwater restaurant in the world, It has 10 tables for a maximum of 20 diners. “Ithaa Undersea Restaurant” is located at the South Ari Atoll. The roof is entirely made of glass. Access is via a spiral staircase that, from the jetty, descends 5 meters below the ocean level. Both restaurants offer a panoramic views of coral gardens, and colourful fish.

8. Music and dance
The culture of the Maldives is inspired by Africa. It can be seen from the rhythm of their dances and the heroic themes of their songs. According to scholars, the origins of the Maldivians date back to a population from southern India and Ceylon, today’s Sri Lanka. Once arrived on the archipelago, they would have mixed with the peoples from Eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The most famous dance in the country is the “bodu beru” which takes its name from the drum used to accompany the choreography. The dancers perform the bodu beru to find relieve from fatigue after a day’s work. The dancers begin to move their arms slowly and randomly. The dance becomes progressively more lively as the rhythm increases.

9. Hanifaru Bay, unique in the world
Hanifaru Bay is unique in the world for its natural formation that traps plankton, attracting manta rays and whale sharks which gather here during the plankton season (May to November) to feed. The area is protected as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, underlining its ecological importance.

10. Glowing in the dark
In the Maldives, the beaches light up. It is caused by bioluminescence, a phenomenon by which phytoplankton triggers chemical reactions that emit a blue light. The phenomenon is rare, but on some beaches in the Maldives it is possible to admire fish, molluscs and other small sea creatures as they approach the shore with a luminous trail.

Religion, population, currency, climate, made in Maldives – there still is more to learn about the Maldives.