The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic state and country in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres from the Asian continent's mainland. The Maldives' chain of 26 atolls stretches across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south.
In ancient times, Maldives were renowned for cowries, coir rope, dried tuna fish, ambergris (maavaharu) and coco de mer (tavakkaashi). Local and foreign trading ships used to load these products in the Maldives and bring them abroad.
Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 including other districts and an area of 8.30 square kilometres (3.20 sq mi), it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located in the southern edge of North Malé Atoll.
Industry in Maldives centers around fishing and tourism with some overlap between the two with recreational fishing.
The skipjack tuna is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae, and is the only member of the genus Katsuwonus. It is otherwise known as the balaya, bakulan/kayu, tongkol/aya, aku (Hawaii), cakalang (Indonesia), katsuo, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna or victor fish. It grows up to 1 m (3 ft) in length. It is a cosmopolitan pelagic fish found in tropical and warm-temperate waters. It is a very important species for fisheries.
Kendhoo is one of the inhabited islands of Baa Atoll, Maldives. It is located in the northern part of the Baa Atoll.
Maroshi is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division and geographically part of the Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives.
Noomaraa is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division, and geographically part of the North Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives. The Island code is C2.
Velana International Airport (VIA) is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the North Malé Atoll, nearby the capital island Malé. The airport is well connected with major airports around the world, mostly serving as the main gateway into the Maldives for tourists. It is managed financially and administratively by a state owned company known as Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
The Maldives Industrial fisheries company, MIFCO, is a public company engaged in the production, processing and marketing of fish and fishery products. The company was incorporated in 1993.
Qasim Ibrahim, also known as Burumaa Qasim is a Maldivian politician, business magnate and philanthropist. As the chairman and founder of the Villa Group, he is one of the country's wealthiest businessmen, with a net worth of around 9.63 billion MVR
Ilyas Ibrahim is the brother-in-law of the former President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. He was a minister in Maumoon's cabinet for a long time and served as an MP for the capital city Malé from 1980 to 1995. He also served as the MP for Laamu Atoll, & a member of People's Special Majilis, from 2003 to 2008.
India and Maldives are neighbours sharing a maritime border. Relations have been friendly and close in strategic, economic and military cooperation. India continues to contribute to maintaining security on the island nation.
The fishing industry in the Maldives is the island's second main industry. According to national tradition in the words of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, "Fishing is the lifeblood of our nation, it is inborn. From the soil on which we live, to the sea around us, it remains an integral part of our existence. Fishing, and our country and its people, [are] one and shall remain inseparable forever." The Maldives has an abundance of aquatic life and species of fish. Common are tuna, groupers, dolphin fish, barracuda, rainbow runner, trevally and squirrelfish and many more. Aside from being of essential importance to the economy, fishing is also a popular recreational activity in the Maldives, not only among locals but by tourists. The islands have numerous fishing resorts which cater for these activities.
The Villa Group is one of the largest business entities in the Maldives. The holding company Villa Shipping and Trading Company Pvt. Ltd is a private conglomerate which is amongst the largest private business in the Maldives with major operations in Shipping, Import and Export, General Trade and Tourism, fishing, media, communication, transport and education related Businesses. Foundation of Villa Group can be traced back to 1986 when Qasim Ibrahim registered a Shipping and Trading company named 'Villa', the common trade name.
Dhuvaafaru is an inhabited island of Maldives located in the eastern edge of Raa Atoll. Resettlement of the island started on 14 December 2008 to inhabit the displaced residents of Kandholhudhoo who were the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
ADK Enterprises is a health care and health services provider in Malé.
DSI Samson Group is a Sri Lankan family owned conglomerate established in 1962. It has over 29 subsidiaries and is a leading manufacture of footwear and rubber products in Sri Lanka.
LAUGFS Holdings Limited is a diversified conglomerate from Sri Lanka and has since expanded overseas. Laugfs Holdings is mainly engaged in Energy, retail, Industrial and manufacturing, Hospitality, Real estate, logistics, pharmaceuticals and several other sectors.
MVR 1873 million (2020)