Travel Alert Status
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Time Difference
UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Travel Climate
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Travel Currency
rufiyaa (MVR)
Languages
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Ethnic Groups
South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs
National Holiday
Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Geographic Coordinates
3 15 N, 73 00 E
Location
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Airports
7