Maldives packages provide complete information about vacations packages, tour packages and honeymoon packages to Maldives. The Maldives (formerly called the Maldive Islands) were first settled in the 5th century B.C. by Buddhist seafarers from India and Sri Lanka. According to tradition, Islam was adopted in A.D. 1153. Originally the islands were under the suzerainty of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). They came under British protection in 1887 and were a dependency of then-colony Ceylon until 1948. An independence agreement with Britain was signed July 26, 1965. For centuries a sultanate, the islands adopted a republican form of government in 1952, but the sultanate was restored in 1954. In 1968, however, as the result of a referendum, a republic was again established in the recently independent country. Ibrahim Nasir, the authoritarian president since 1968, was removed from office and replaced by the more progressive Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 1978. Gayoom was elected to a sixth five-year term in 2003.

The Republic of Maldives is a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean about 417 mi (671 km) southwest of Sri Lanka. Its 1,190 coral islets stretch over an area of 35,200 sq mi (90,000 sq km). With concerns over global warming and the shrinking of the polar ice caps, the Maldives is directly threatened, as none of its islands rises more than six feet above sea level.

116 sq mi (300 sq km)

359,008 (growth rate: 2.8%); birth rate: 34.8/1000; infant

Malé, 81,600

Rufiya

Maldivian Dhivehi (official); English spoken by most government officials

South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs

Islam (Sunni)

97% (2003 est.)

coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish.

fish

Free 30 days Visa upon arrival for all visitors
Visitors entering the Republic of Maldives should fulfill the following requirement for the grant of an entry permit into the country.
Possession of a valid international travel document issued by the Government of a Sovereign State. Possession of a valid return air ticket to a destination where the passenger has permission to enter, together with necessary visas for the onward journey to the next destination. Possession of minimum of US$100.00 per person per day or confirmed hotel reservation for the intended period of stay in the Maldives.

All temporary entry visa applications are lodged, processed and decided in Tokyo.
Citizens of Japan are eligible for streamlined processing of visitor visas through ETA. Please see World Index Introduction for details.
416 Special Program applications are lodged and processed at the Hobart Special Program Processing Centre
420 Entertainment sponsorship and visa applications are lodged and processed at the Sydney Entertainment Processing Centre
From 2 April 2005, Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 679) applications must be lodged by the sponsor at a State or Territory office within Australia.