Fun facts about Maldives

1. The Maldives consists of 1192 coral islands grouped in 26 atolls arranged in a north to south direction.
2. The Maldives atolls are composed of sand bars and live coral reefs. Ninety-nine percent of the Maldives is water.
3. The islands' amazing sand is white and extremely fine as it is coralline in origin and not made from quartz, as beach sand typically is.
4. Two seasons dominate the Maldives' weather: the winter northeastern monsoon season and the rainy southwestern summer monsoon season.
5. People from India were the first to officially colonize these islands, sometime before 269 B.C.
6. The customs and people of the Maldives were greatly influenced by Indians, Sri Lankans, North Africans, Arabs and Europeans traveling through the trade routes.
7. The people of the Maldives converted to Islam in 1153 A.D. and today it is a strictly Muslim nation.
8. Like other Muslim countries, the Maldives take their weekend on Friday and Saturday.
9. The Maldives are ranked the world's third most endangered nation due to flooding from climate change and global warming.
10. At any given time there are 10 to 12 different species of whales and dolphins that call the coral reefs of the Maldives home.
11. In 2011, UNESCO designated an area comprised of 75 islands as the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve.
12. The Maldives is home to five of the world's seven species of marine turtles.
13. The parrot fish makes a huge contribution to the beauty of the Maldives' beaches.
14. The Maldives is one of the world's safest travel destinations.
15. In 2009, The president and 13 other officals held an underwater cabinet meeting was held to bring awareness to climate change and the rising ocean level.
16. Maldives is the lowest country in the world.
17. The highest point on the Maldives is 2.3m
18. The Maldives flag is symbolic. The crescent moon stands for Islam. The green section represents palm trees and the red background symbolises blood shed by Heroes.
19. The Maldives is the smallest Muslim nation in the world.
20. It is The Lowest and Flattest Nation in The World.
21. Some islands on the Maldives are manmade. The Huhulmale island was reclaimed in 2004.
22. Some of the Maldives islands have disappeared due to erosion. Over 100 islands have already disappeared due to erosion and rising water levels.
23. Literacy in Maldivian Adults is 98 Percent.
24. One of the most popular national sports is like tennis crossed with dodgeball, and named after an eggplant.
25. The Maldives has a history with black magic, known locally as fanditha.
26. The Maldives almost became part of Sri Lanka in 1988.