Scientists have named and cataloged 1.3 million species. How many more species there are left to discover is a question that has hovered like a cloud over the heads of taxonomists for two centuries.
English is commonly spoken in government. In Maldives the national and official language is Dhivehi. English and some Indian languages are also spoken in Maldives. Most languages in South Asia are closely tied to particular nations, and as a result, further divide the people from one another.
The Maldives, an Islamic Republic, is an archipelago of 1,191 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its culture is a blend of influences from southern India, Sri Lanka, East Africa and Arab countries.