Arriving at the Airport:
At Paradise Island Resort:
(On the island of Lankanfinolhu)
Male walking tour:
(The capital of Maldives)
The island of Male is only 2 Km long and 1 Km wide, with a population of slightly > 100,000.
We managed to see the capital within a 2 hour walking tour. 
What we did and saw - walking tour of Male (capital of Maldives)
Fish Market - with sale & auction of fish (quite similar to the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo) 
What we did and saw - walking tour of Male (capital of Maldives)
Fruit Market - we tried out local Mangoes, Bananas, Almond and other fruits & nuts. 
What we did and saw - walking tour of Male (capital of Maldives)
Rewarding ourselves after walking under the sunny skies for > 1 hour, at Seagull Café, enjoying Italian Ice Cream made here in the Maldives using the highest quality Aromitalia range of ingredients from Italy. 
Snorkelling at the house reef at Paradise Island Resort:
Night Fishing:
Night Fishing off the oceans of Maldives:
A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work . . . . . haha !!(We ambitiously hoped to catch some big tunas, like those we saw at the fish market, but managed to catch only small fishes; it was still a great outing though, soaking in the tranquillity of the ocean night).
Submarine Trip:
What we did and saw - Riding in a submarine:
We went down to around 90 feet & saw many corals and fishes. We were also amused by a few divers that visited us underwater.
Sunset Dolphin Cruise:
Saw many wild dolphins swimming & leaping about.
SHARK ENCOUNTER !!
A resort staff feeding a large group of baby Black Tip Reef Sharks that visit the resort every evening for their share of fresh, raw tuna (top row of photos)We encountered a few baby Black Tip Reef Sharks while snorkelling & strolling at the resort (bottom row of photos)
These sharks are friendly and do not bite
History:
The Maldives has been an independent polity for the majority of its history, except for three periods in which it was ruled by outside forces.
In the mid-16th century, for fifteen years, the Maldives was dominated by the Portuguese Empire.
In the mid-17th century, the Dutch Empire (Malabar) dominated Maldives for four months.
Finally, in the late 19th century, on the brink of war, the Maldives became a British protectorate from 1887 until 1965.
The Dutch referred to the islands as the "Maldivische Eilanden", while the British anglicised the local name for the islands first to the "Maldive Islands" and later to the "Maldives". The islands gained independence from the British Empire in 1965, and in 1968 became a republic ruled by a president and an authoritarian government.
Demographics:
The Maldives archipelago is located on top of the Chagos-Maldives-Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean. Maldives also form a terrestrial ecoregion together with the Chagos and the Lakshadweep.
The Maldives atolls encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), making the country one of the world's most geographically dispersed. Its population of 328,536 (2012) inhabits 192 of its 1,192 islands. In 2006, Maldives' capital and largest city Male, located at the southern edge of North Male Atoll, had a population of 103,693. Malé is one of the Maldives' administrative divisions and, traditionally, it was the "King's Island" where the ancient Maldives royal dynasties were enthroned.
The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and land area. With an average ground level elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is the planet's lowest country. It is also the country with the lowest natural highest point in the world, at 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in). Forecasts predicting future inundation of the Maldives due to rising sea levels are of great concern to its people.
Tourism:
The Maldives remained largely unknown to tourists until the early 1970s. Only 185 islands are home to its 300,000 inhabitants. The other islands are used entirely for economic purposes, of which tourism and agriculture are the most dominant.
Tourism accounts for 28% of the 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. The development of tourism fostered the overall growth of the country's economy. It created direct and indirect employment and income generation opportunities in other related industries. The first tourist resorts were opened in 1972 with Bandos island resort and Kurumba Village, which transformed the Maldives economy.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the emergence of tourism in 1972 transformed the economy, moving rapidly from dependence on fisheries to tourism. In just three and a half decades, the industry became the main source of income. Tourism was also the country's biggest foreign currency earner and the single largest contributor to the GDP. As of 2008, 89 resorts in the Maldives offered over 17,000 beds and hosted over 600,000 tourists annually.
The number of resorts increased from 2 to 92 between 1972 and 2007. As of 2007, over 8,380,000 tourists had visited Maldives. Visitors to Maldives do not need to apply for a visa pre-arrival, regardless of their country of origin, provided they have a valid passport, proof of onward travel, and the money to be self-sufficient while in the country.
Most visitors arrive at Male International Airport, on Hulhule Island, adjacent to the capital Malé. The airport is served by flights to India, Sri Lanka, Doha, Dubai, Singapore, Istanbul, and major airports in South-East Asia, as well as charters from Europe. Gan Airport, on the southern atoll of Addu, also serves an international flight to Milan several times a week.
Administrative Divisions:
The Maldives has twenty-six natural atolls and few island groups on isolated reefs, all of which have been divided into twenty-one administrative divisions (twenty administrative atolls and Male city).
Each atoll is administered by an Atoll Chief (Atholhu Veriyaa) appointed by the President. The Ministry of Atoll Administration and its Northern and Southern Regional Offices, Atoll Offices and Island Offices are collectively responsible to the President for Atolls Administration. The administrative head of each island is the Island Chief (Katheeb), appointed by the President. The Island Chief's immediate superior is the Atoll Chief.
The Maldives has 7 provinces each consisting of the following administrative divisions (the capital Malé is its own administrative division):
- Mathi-Uthuru Province; consists of Haa Alif Atoll, Haa Dhaalu Atoll and Shaviyani Atoll.
- Uthuru Province; consists of Noonu Atoll, Raa Atoll, Baa Atoll and Lhaviyani Atoll.
- Medhu-Uthuru Province; consists of Kaafu Atoll, Alifu Alifu Atoll, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll and Vaavu Atoll.
- Medhu Province; consists of Meemu Atoll, Faafu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll.
- Medhu-Dhekunu Province; consists of Thaa Atoll and Laamu Atoll.
- Mathi-Dhekunu Province; consists of Gaafu Alifu Atoll and Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.
- Dhekunu Province; consists of Gnaviyani Atoll and Addu City.