Monday, October 12, 2009

Maldives





       The name "Maldives" may derive from Maale Dhivehi Raajje (The Island Kingdom), the local name for the Maldives. The island nation was synonymous with its capital "Maale" and sometimes called 'Mahaldeeb', and the people were called Maldivian 'Dhivehin'. The word Dheeb/Deeb (archaic Dhivehi, a corruption of Dweep in Sanskrit) means 'island' and Dhives (Dhivehin) means 'islanders' (ie: the Maldivians). During the colonial era, the Dutch referred to the country as Maldivische Eilanden in their documentation, while "Maldive Island" is the anglicized version of the local name used by the British, which later came to be written as Maldives.
    The Maldives holds the record for being the lowest country in the world, with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 m (7½ ft) with the average being only 1.5 m above sea level, though in areas where construction exists this has been increased to several metres.





       Maldives is famous for its natural beauty which includes the blue ocean and white beaches, accompanied by clean air and pleasant temperatures. The climate of the Maldives is ideal for visitors to get engaged in water sports such as swimming, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, water-skiing and windsurfing.
    Due to its extraordinary underwater scenery and clean water, Maldives is ranked among the best recreational diving destinations of the world.





1 comment:

  1. I love Maldives so much, we go there every year with our friends ! we charter our own private wooden vessel . According to me cruising is the most interesting and beautiful way to discover this fantastic country. We always book through a local travel agency ( www.cruise-maldives.com ), they provide us with private vessel with crew, food, drinks , excursions and we cruise around Maldives , visiting deserted islands, local islands, snorkeling in tourists free area, massage on sandbank .... I miss maldives so much !!!!!! Your pictures bring back so many memories, looking forward going back there in March again :-)

    ReplyDelete