Alee... RE the Maldives

Hi Alee... I've just been looking at the Maldives on Google Earth. It looks like the most fascinating area. Which one of all those little islands are you on?

Simon, go to google and look at Male, Maldives. That is where Alee lives, I think he said that it is the capital and (I could be wrong) 2 miles square. Carole

Simon, Carole is right. I live in Male' the capital of Maldives.

I have gathered some information and Photo's about Maldives below.

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The Maldives or Maldive Islands, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching south of India and about seven hundred kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka in the Laccadive Sea of Indian Ocean. Maldives encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, of which two hundred and fifty islands are inhabited.

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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. Over the last century, sea levels have risen about 20 centimetres (8 in); further rises of the ocean could threaten the existence of Maldives.

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On 26 December 2004, following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the Maldives were devastated by a tsunami. Only nine islands were reported to have escaped any flooding, while fifty-seven islands faced serious damage to critical infrastructure, fourteen islands had to be totally evacuated, and six islands were decimated. A further twenty-one resort islands were forced to shut down due to serious damage. The total damage was estimated at over 400 million dollars or some 62% of the GDP. A total of 108 people, including six foreigners, reportedly died in the tsunami. The destructive impact of the waves on the low-lying islands was mitigated by the fact there was no continental shelf or land mass upon which the waves could gain height. The tallest waves were reported 14 feet (4.3 m) high.

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In ancient times the Maldives were renowned for cowry shells, coir rope, dried tuna fish (Maldive Fish), ambergris and coco de mer. Local and foreign trading ships used to load these products in Sri Lanka and transport them to other harbors in the Indian Ocean. From the 2nd century AD the islands were known as the ‘Money Isles’ by the Arabs who dominated the Indian ocean trade routes.

Today, the Maldives' largest industry is tourism. Tourism accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange
receipts. Fishing is the second leading sector. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a lesser role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labor. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 7% of GDP.

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Male' (about 1.77 square Km, population 104,400)

Male' (Maa-ley) city of Maldives is the hub of commercial trade and this explains the reason why it is the busiest place of the country. Being the capital city, it serves as the seat for the Government of Maldives. Covering an area of about 1.77 square Km, it is one of the most populous islands of Maldives.

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In a nation with less than one percent land and over 99 percent sea, the weather obviously plays a significant role in day-to-day life.The Maldives has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year round and a great deal of sunshine. The warm tropical climate results in relatively minor variations in daily temperature throughout the year. The hottest month on average is April and the coolest, December. The weather is determined largely by the monsoons.

Annual rainfall (mm) 1,818.7
Average daily min. temp. (°C) 25.5
Average daily max. temp. (°C) 31.0
Recorded lowest temp. in the Maldives(Male', 1978) 17.2°C
Recorded highest temp. in the Maldives(Kadhdhoo, 1991) 36.8°C

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The word ‘island’ takes on its full meaning Maldives. Malé International Airport itself is on an island all by itself!

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The sad thing is Maldives is not the place for all those beautiful roses. Only a handful will survive our climate.

This is truly amazing Alee!!! I lived for a few years on a Sth Pacific Island so have a good idea of island life... but this is just amazing. Thanks for putting all of this up. I think you are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

Alee, great pix, there is a guy in India breeding from Tea roses. Perhaps you could find him listed on one of the rose articles on the Web. These would be most suitable roses for your climate. The pix of the Airport would look better with Tea roses growing all around the boundry. Better contact them as they need a gardener like you.

Tasv and Ozeboy, thanks.

Ozeboy, I am already in touch with Girija and Viru the rose breeders from India.

Oh that was really interesting, thanks Alee. You live in a magical place, it must be so idyllic. i hope Global Warming doesn't have the threatened effect that they foresee.
Enjoy it while you can, you lucky man!!!

Wow that an amazing place.
I am afraid to say what I know about maldives come from reading the travels of Ibn Battuta, just a little out dated...LOL
I would love to stay in one of those island resorts..just bliss!
Thaks for ssharing.

Than you Alee for your very informative post describing your homeland. I particularly like the airport!
I googled the Maldives when you first joined this forum because I knew nothing about it. One interesting fact that stays in my memory is that your President(?) has a project of buying land in India and Australia among other countries so that if global warming does its worst then the people of the Maldives will have a place to relocate to instead of being homeless refugees. Very forward thinking in my opinion.

Alee, would like the Email addresses of the Indian breeders by private Email. We have a lot in common regarding climate and roses suitable for both countries.

Just had a walk around the weeds and roses, Mrs B R Cant is covered in blooms and looks extremely healthy. She is so bushy compared to the HT's that have defoliated again and just look like sticks with the occasional flower on top.

Good news!!

Mohamed Nasheed, the newly elected president of the Maldives, said he would allow construction of two- and three-star hotels and cheap guesthouses on islands – including some of the uninhabited ones – to make the country a more affordable holiday destination. He maintained that any construction would be sustainable and new properties would be approved only if the developers were willing to invest in infrastructure and public transport links on the islands.