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