Comprising a territory spanning roughly 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi), the Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed sovereign states as well as the smallest Asian country by land area and population, with around 427,756 inhabitants. Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island" for its central location.
Today the Maldives is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world and with picture-perfect tropical surrounds, sublime beaches, stunning year-round weather, exclusive island resorts and inviting, warm waters that are home to a wealth of vibrant marine life, it’s not difficult to see why.
The Maldives consists of 1,192 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), making this one of the world's most dispersed countries. It lies between latitudes 1°S and 8°N, and longitudes 72° and 74°E. The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine ridge 960 kilometres (600 mi) long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs north to south.
The Maldivian archepilego of some 1,192 islands, naturally grouped into 26 atolls, with around 200 of them being inhabited (and 80 or so being exclusive resort islands). Spread from north to south, these islands span over a 90 000 square kilometre area in the sparkling Indian Ocean, making it one of the world’s most geographically dispersed countries. The 26 atolls that make up the Maldives consist of sandbars and thriving coral reefs, and interestingly, the Maldives technically consists of 99% water.
While the capital city, Malé - traditionally called the "King's Island", is one of the world’s densest cities, despite some occurrences of petty crime, the Maldives in general, which boasts a population of around 373 522 people (which has an outstanding 98% literacy rate), is said to be one of the safest destinations in the world. The islands, while isolated, are well protected and deemed very safe which makes for a carefree holiday in paradise.
To meet the growing demand for land in the capital Male' - land was reclaimed in the near by Hulhumale' - a planned modern city, which is currently home to about 70,0000 people. The new city is connected via a sea-bridge to the capital and the airport at Hulhumale'.
The Maldives remained largely unknown to tourists until the early 1970s. Only 185 islands are home to its 447,137 inhabitants. The other islands are used entirely for economic purposes, of which tourism and agriculture are the most dominant. Tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.
Today Maldives is also home to many of the world's largest tourist brands and tourist arrivals have been growing steadily for many year.
For many centuries the Maldivian economy was entirely dependent on fishing and other marine products. Fishing remains the main occupation of the people and the government gives priority to the fisheries sector.
The mechanisation of the traditional fishing boat called dhoni in 1974 was a major milestone in the development of the fisheries industry. A fish canning plant was installed on Felivaru in 1977, as a joint venture with a Japanese firm. In 1979, a Fisheries Advisory Board was set up with the mandate of advising the government on policy guidelines for the overall development of the fisheries sector. Manpower development programmes began in the early 1980s, and fisheries education was incorporated into the school curriculum. Fish aggregating devices and navigational aids were located at various strategic points. Moreover, the opening up of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Maldives for fisheries has further enhanced the growth of the fisheries sector.
As of 2010, fisheries contributed over 15% of the country's GDP and engaged about 30% of the country's work force. Fisheries were also the second-largest foreign exchange earner after tourism. .