It's not every day that we come across extraordinary places, especially those that are so peculiar that we simply want to pack our bags, catch the nearest flight and go visit them immediately. And today we will introduce you to one of these places that you will certainly be curious to visit in person! With approximately 142 thousand inhabitants, this peculiar territory was once a Portuguese, Dutch and British colony, and in 1965 it gained independence.
I'm Donato de Paula, narrator of Mistérios do Mundo, and today you'll get to know Malé, the incredible city in the middle of the ocean. The Maldives Islands make up an archipelago close to Sri Lanka and India, and this archipelago consists of 1196 islands spread across the Indian Ocean, 203 of which are inhabited. Malé is the capital, and leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to beauty: it has a modern structure, full of buildings, clubs, shopping centers and attractions for almost all tastes.
This place is considered a luxury destination for many: people who travel here can enjoy the tranquility and peace of relaxing by the sea all year round, as the climate is predominantly hot and humid – temperatures range from 26 to 30 degrees, which provides a perfect environment for swimming in the sea - both day and night, the water is always inviting! The warm and clean water makes many people venture out for guided dives, in order to glimpse the beauty of the corals and fish that make up the marine fauna. Those who love extreme water sports will find that Malé is also full of attractions.
Tourism is so strong here that more than 90% of everything the government collects comes from taxes charged on import duties and also from tourist activity. And the place is always full of people: in addition to tourists, did you know that the island is so urbanized that it was considered the most densely populated city in the world? That's right: a densely populated place is a place with many inhabitants per square meter and this city is the world champion in this regard.
Its history is also a great treat for those who appreciate diversity. A million years before the dinosaurs disappeared, the Indic tectonic plate drifted north and this opened a gash in the Earth's crust. Thus, a ridge of volcanic peaks emerged, and over time they eroded to form the coral-encrusted atolls of the Maldives.
Like points where water and land meet and life flourishes, each island has beautiful sandbars over living coral, which grow and shrink, rise and fall, all according to ocean currents. The result is a unique landscape, which makes visitors want to take a boat ride from one island to another to be surprised at every turn! The capital is so small that there are hardly any cars there.
They even have some. But most people ride bicycles, motorbikes or even walk. After all, the islet that concentrates the political and commercial center of the highly coveted archipelago is only 2 square kilometers in length.
The first inhabitants of the Maldives were Buddhists, and in 1153, Muslims invaded the archipelago. For this reason, the official religion is Islam, and you cannot wear bikinis on the beaches, only in very restricted areas. As a general rule, only shorts for men and swimwear for women are permitted.
Alcoholic drinks are also prohibited and, if you want to enter the country carrying something with alcoholic content. . .
well, you will be in big trouble! Customs inspection also does not allow anyone to bring in any food containing pork or any religious article that is not Islamic. Years later, the archipelago passed through the hands of the Portuguese, Dutch and English, and in 1953 there was the first independence movement, in an attempt to establish a republic.
However, it was only in 1968 that the sultanate fell, with Malé being the capital of the archipelago. In addition to religious extremism, the Maldives faces another problem. The country must be the first to sink completely.
Malé is just 2 meters above sea level and, in December 2004, the city was hit by a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, the gradual sea rise poses a huge risk of the city becoming flooded in the coming decades. A sad way to know that not everything that is beautiful lasts forever, right?
So, if this is your dream destination, it's best to plan ahead and make your trip to accumulate good memories in this unparalleled paradise! Today's video ends here. Tell us what you think in the comments!
To the next!
