• Bangladesh!

    Bangladesh: Traditional houses. Go Now!


  • Indonesia!

    Indonesia: Lombok. Go Now!


  • Jordan!

    Jordan: Petra. Go Now!


  • Mongolia!

    Mongolia: Desert. Go Now!


  • Kyrgyzstan!

    Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Mountains. Go Now!


Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of the Maldives


Maldivian Geography - An island from the air
An island from the air

The Maldives are an island chain nation that sits between the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The country has no land borders, although just to the country's northeast is India.

The entire country of the Maldives is simply coral reefs and atolls with the country's highest point being only six feet (two meters) above sea level.


Maldivian Geography - Forested island
Forested island

The Maldives has a fairly consistent weather pattern throughout the year. Temperatures rarely get below 75° F (24° C) and rarely get above about 90° F (32° C). What does change though is the humidity and rain. The humidity is always somewhat high, but during the months of October and November it tends to decrease a bit as rain is rare. From about December to March the humidity and rain tends to be the heaviest, although both can arrive or leave at any time during the year.


Maldivian Wildlife - Manta ray
Manta ray

Due to its very geography, the wildlife in the Maldives is limited and that begins with the mammal population, which is scarce at best. Only the flying fox and shrew are native to the islands, although numerous other animals have since been introduced by people. Opposite of this limitation is the sea life. In the surrounding oceans there are mammals, like the whale and dolphin, but also thousands of fish, shellfish and other animals like mollusks and coral. Some of the more common animals in these waters are rays, sharks, eels, tilapia, clams, squid, octopuses, lobsters, crabs, and starfish among others.

The bird life is also impressive, but is primarily limited to water fowls. The heron, frigate bird, and moorhen are all common. The reptile life is, like the mammals, also limited, but there are geckos, lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles. The amphibians are more varied as there are numerous frogs and toads among others. There are also a decent number of insects and other small animals like spiders and scorpions.

This page was last updated: April, 2013