Tourism Malé Capital of Maldives
Malé is the capital city of the Maldives, located on Malé Island. Although geographically located in the Kaafu Atoll, Malé is not part of the administrative atoll. Malé is also one of the most populous cities in the world.
Malé International Airport (now Ibrahim Nasir International Airport) is located on the adjacent Hulhulé Island. Malé has a seaport, which has been expanded due to land reclamation projects.
Geography
Climate
Malé has a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification. The city has a combination of wet and dry seasons, with the wet season lasting from April to January and the dry season covering February and March. Unlike many cities with this climate, Malé experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the year, with an average high of 30 °C or 86 °F and an average low of 26.5 °C or 79.7 °F, which is on par with the year-round average for many equatorial cities. The city averages just over 1,900 millimeters or 75 inches of precipitation annually. The temperatures are consistently high throughout the year because the Maldives has some of the lowest elevations anywhere in the world.
Economy
Tourism is the largest industry in the Maldives, accounting for 28% of GDP and over 60% of Maldives' foreign exchange earnings. GDP per capita increased by 265% in the 1980s and a further 115% in the 1990s. Over 90% of government tax revenues come from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Malé, the capital, has many tourist attractions and resorts nearby. The Maldives' main port and harbour is located in Malé, the hub for all commercial activities. Maldivian, the airline of the Maldives, has its headquarters in Malé, as does the airline FlyMe.
Transportation
Roads
Each of the islands of Malé is served by a dense network of paved roads, named magu (roads or avenues), hingun and goalhi (lanes or alleys). Road traffic is very heavy, especially on Malé Island.
The islands of Malé and Hulhulé are connected by the Sinamale Bridge, which opened to traffic in October 2018, while Hulhulé and Hulhumale are connected by a causeway, allowing the road networks of the three islands to be connected. Public transport consists of several bus lines within the islands, as well as connecting all three islands.
Air
Velana International Airport is located near Hulhulé and is the city airport and the main airport in the Maldives. With the opening of the Sinamale Bridge, the airport is now accessible from Malé by road. Prior to the opening of the bridge, transportation between the airport and Malé was by frequent ferry services. Hulhulé and Hulhumale have been connected by a causeway since the development of Hulhumale, allowing the airport to be accessed by road from the latter.
Inter-island transportation
As Malé, Hulhulé, and Hulhumale are now connected by road, inter-island travel between the three islands can be done by road. For the other islands, inter-island transportation is by ferry.
