Vegetation is dominated by coconut palms and breadfruit trees. The climate is tropical and humid. The average rain fall is between May and November. The principal natural resource is the marine life of the sea. Until the arrival of tourism, fishing was the main occupation in this nation of seafarers, which still accounts for about 60 percent of all export trade.
Industrial activity is largely limited to fish processing and garment manufacturing.
The population of Maldives is a mere estimated 248,000. The most populous atolls are Male, the capital and largest city of Maldives. The islands were settled by Buddhist peoples from southern Asia. The people are now ethnically heterogeneous, incorporating Indian, Sinhalese, Arabian, and African elements. Islam is the state religion, introduced in the 12th century, and nearly all the people are Sunni Muslims.