Male

Malé (މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

The city is geographically located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll). Administratively, the city consists of a central island, an airport island, and two other islands governed by the Malé City Council.

Although Malé is geographically located in Kaafu Atoll, administratively it is not considered part of it. The central part of the city is formed by the island of Malé. Four more islands form part of the city which includes Hulhulé, Hulhumalé, Vilimalé and Gulhifalhu.

A commercial harbour is located on the central island and serves as the heart of all commercial activities in the country. Malé International Airport is Located in the Island of Hulhulé.

The central island is heavily urbanized, with the built-up area taking up essentially its entire landmass. Slightly less than one third of the nation's population lives in the capital city.

CLIMATE

Malé has a tropical monsoon climate. The city features a mix of both wet and dry seasons, with the wet season lasting from April through January and the drier season covering the months of February and March.

Unlike a number of cities with this climate, Malé experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of 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 equivalent to many equatorial cities' average year round daily mean.

The city averages slightly more than 1,900 millimetres or 75 inches of precipitation annually. The temperature is constantly high year round due in part to the Maldives having the lowest elevation anywhere in the world.

TOURISM

Tourism is the largest industry in the Maldives, accounting for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.

Malé, the capital, has many tourist attractions and nearby resorts. The central harbour and port of the Maldives is located in Malé, the centre for all commercial activities.

ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Each of the islands of Malé is served by a dense network of paved roads, which are named magu (road or street), hingun and goalhi (small road or alley). Road traffic is heavy, especially on Malé Island.

Malé and Hulhulé Island are linked by the Sinamalé Bridge while Hulhulé and Hulhumalé are linked via a causeway, thus allowing the road networks of the three islands to be connected.

BUSES

Public transport consists of several bus lines within the islands, as well as connecting the three islands.

AIRPORTS

Velana International Airport is located on nearby Hulhulé and is the city's airport as well as the principal airport in Maldives. With the opening of the Sinamalé Bridge, the airport is now accessible from Malé by road.

FERRIES

As Malé, Hulhulé and Hulhumalé are now linked by roads, inter-island travel between the three islands can be done by road. For the other islands, inter-island transport is by ferry.