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Sunshine and Rainfall:The climate of the Maldives is warm year round, as determined by the monsoons. However, being on the equator, the monsoons are mild and not as well-defined as in neighbouring countries. Of the two monsoons, the southwest monsoon from May to October brings some rain and wind. The northeast monsoon, from November to April, is the dry season, with very little wind. The temperature varies little, with an annual average daily maximum of 30.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 25.9 degrees Celsius. The annual rainfall stood at just over 1,900 millimetres in 1996. In the same year, the country had over 2,800 hours of sunshine, an average of about 8 hrs a day.

Islanders

About 270.000 people live in the Maldives, 1/3 of them in the capital Malé. There are about 20,000 expatriate workers, mainly Sri Lankans, but also Europeans and Indians employed in the tourism and education sector.

Maldivians are of the Indo-Aryan race with Arabic, African influences due to their geographical location.

Nearly 50% of the population is under 15 years, an astonishing number, but easy to believe when one walks down the main road in Malé. Just before the beginning of school thousands of children in white school uniforms swarm the streets eager to go to school.

Maldivians are friendly, hospitable and peace loving people, at the same time reserved and in control of their emotions.

Language

The language of the Maldives is Dhivehi and displays great resemblance to several other languages from Sri Lanka, South East Asia and North India. It also contains many Arabic, Hindi and English words.

Historically speaking, the early people spoke “Elu”, a form of ancient Sinhalese. The language has undergone many transformations, and the present-day Dhivehi is written from left to right, probably to incorporate many of the Arabic words used. Modern ‘Thaana’ script was invented in the 16th century, following the overthrow of the Portuguese. The earliest Dhivehi is inscribed on copper plates known as the “Loamaafaanu”. The script is written with consonants in the middle, and vowels either on top or below the letters, depending on the sound.

Dhivehi is used equivocally in the administration of the country. Until the 1960s, Dhivehi was also the medium of instruction in all schools, but with the need for further education, Dhivehi-medium syllabuses have given way, to a large extent, to English-medium teaching. For this reason, English is widely understood, spoken and written by the locals.