The Maldives is a tropical paradise located in the Indian Ocean. This island nation is famous for its beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, and vibrant marine life. The unique geography and culture of the Maldives provide ample material for riddles and puzzles. Here are 48 riddles about the Maldives to challenge your mind:
Geography Riddles
1. I’m made up of over 1,100 islands. I’m the lowest country on Earth, with an average ground level of just 1.5 meters above sea level. What am I?
Answer: The Maldives
2. We are 26 ring-shaped atolls in the Indian Ocean. Our islands form a double chain of coral reefs and islands. What are we?
Answer: The Maldives
3. I’m one of the most geographically dispersed sovereign states and territories. My islands span roughly 115,300 square kilometers but my land area is only 300 square kilometers. What country am I?
Answer: The Maldives
4. We’re 1,190 tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean. Of our many islands, only about 200 are inhabited. We also have hundreds of sandbanks made from coral debris and coral reefs. What are we?
Answer: The Maldives
5. I’m one of the world’s lowest countries in terms of elevation. In fact, my highest natural point is just 2.4 meters above sea level. I’m very vulnerable and at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change. What tropical paradise am I?
Answer: The Maldives
Nature Riddles
6. I’m a national marine mammal of the Maldives. I’m the largest oceanic dolphin and I can reach lengths of over 9 feet long. My name means “whale killer” in Spanish. What am I?
Answer: Orca or killer whale
7. We make up the famous Hanifaru Bay Marine Protected Area in the Maldives. Every year, between May and November, people come to snorkel and dive with us in large numbers. What are we?
Answer: Manta rays
8. I’m one of the most iconic dive sites in the Maldives, located in Ari Atoll. Divers love exploring my swim-throughs formed from ancient coral. I’m also inhabited by moray eels, napoleon wrasse, and white tip reef sharks. What famous Maldivian dive site am I?
Answer: Fish Head dive site
9. I’m a venomous sea snake species found in the warm tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In the Maldives, divers may spot me swimming along coral reefs. My venom is highly potent but I’m generally not aggressive toward humans. What beautiful banded sea snake am I?
Answer: The blue-banded sea snake or Hydrophis cyanocinctus
10. We’re an endangered species of sea turtles that nest on certain protected beaches in the Maldives. Our shells and scales feature breathtaking golden-yellow coloring. What’s our name?
Answer: Hawksbill sea turtles
Culture and Lifestyle Riddles
11. Many people visit me for my world-famous luxury water villas perched over crystal clear lagoons. I offer stunning underwater views from hotel room portholes and glass floor panels. What luxury travel destination am I?
Answer: The Maldives
12. I’m a traditional sport similar to wrestling that has been practiced for over 800 years in the Maldives. Two competitors stand chest to chest, grip each other’s backs, and try to throw their opponent to the ground. What am I called?
Answer: Bodu beru
13. We’re unique instruments crafted by Maldivian craftsmen from coconut wood, goat skin, and cowrie shells. Skilled bodu beru drummers beat rhythms on us during cultural performances. What traditional drums are we?
Answer: Maldivian bodu beru drums
14. I’m a traditional form of Maldivian music and dance performed at festivals and events. Performers like bodu beru drummers beat out captivating rhythms while dancers wearing colorful costumes mesmerize the crowd. What am I?
Answer: Bodu beru music and dance
15. We’re beautiful yet humble mosques made from coral stone reflecting unique ancient architecture. Skilled Maldivian masons construct us without using mortar or cement. What type of mosques are we?
Answer: Coral stone mosques
Food and Drink Riddles
16. I’m a staple starch in the Maldives usually eaten with spicy curry dishes and chutneys at every meal. Maldivians make me from tuna mixed with onion, coconut, and spices, then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. What am I?
Answer: Tuna fish paste or Rihaakuru
17. We’re a beloved Maldivian dessert made by simmering sweetened coconut milk until it thickens, then pouring it into small cups to chill. What’s our name?
Answer: Coconut pudding or Bis hulav
18. I’m a refreshing drink popular across Indian Ocean islands like the Maldives. Maldivians make me by grating the white flesh of a young coconut into shavings then mixing in sweetened condensed milk. What cooling beverage am I?
Answer: Coconut water shake
19. I’m a staple yellow-orange tuber vegetable served often in Maldivian cuisine. Maldivians enjoy me boiled, baked, or fried, and flavored with chili powder or coconut. Many delicious curries also feature me. What am I?
Answer: Taro or ala
20. We’re small tuna fish up to 12 inches long that Maldivians love to eat dried or smoked. Fishermen catch tons of us then dry us on racks before smoking. Our dense flavorful meat makes delicious sandwiches or eaten on its own. What type of fish are we?
Answer: Skipjack tuna/katsuobushi
Career and Livelihood Riddles
21. We’re an iconic symbol of traditional Maldivian livelihoods, sailing the oceans under billowing lateen sails to harvest bounties of fish. Skilled Maldivian craftsmen build us entirely from coconut wood. What are we?
Answer: Maldivian fishing dhonis
22. I dive deep below the surface without any oxygen tank, harvesting sea cucumbers, pearl oysters, and more. Holding my breath for minutes at a time, my people have practiced my dangerous livelihood for centuries. Who am I?
Answer: A Maldivian free diver
23. We’re traditionally-dressed Maldivian ladies who greet tourists with music, dance, flower necklaces, and more. At resorts, we take visitors on cultural excursions like bodu beru drumming sessions. Who are we?
Answer: Maldivian bodu beru cultural performers
24. I’m the intricate artform of braiding designs using palm fronds. My practitioners create beautiful decorations symbolizing nature that adorn homes, resorts, boats, and more across the Maldives. What am I?
Answer: Maldivian palm frond weaving or hunigan’di
History and Myth Riddles
25. My people are said to descend from Southern Indian seafarers like Sinhalese fishermen shipwrecked at sea. Our language Dhivehi reflects Sanskrit influence. We adopted Islam after contact with Arab traders. Who are my people?
Answer: Native Maldivians
26. I’m the mythical first Sultan said to have converted the Maldives population to Islam in 1153 AD after being exiled from Sri Lanka. My name means “saint” in Arabic. Local legends say I miraculously recited the whole Quran perfectly having never studied it. Who am I?
Answer: Sultan Mohammed al Adil
27. My people are an indigenous tribe predating Islam in the Southern Maldives. Our name means “people from other islands.” We still practice folk religion honoring Sufi saints, trees, and more. Isolated for centuries, today our numbers are declining. Who are we?
Answer: Dhivehi beylun/Mahls
28. I’m a mythical sea creature in Maldivian folk tales. With the head of a human female and the body of a fish, I lure sailors to their deaths with an enchanting song. My story is similar to Greek myths. What am I?
Answer: The Maldivian mermaid or Holhuashi
Wildlife Conservation Riddles
29. I’m a famous Maldivian marine biologist who discovered the migration patterns of whale sharks. In 2009, I founded a research organization to promote ocean conservation through research, education and community support. Who am I?
Answer: Dr. Shiham Adam
30. We’re a globally endangered species of ray living in Hanifaru Bay, protected within the Maldives Hanifaru Bay Marine Protected Area. Tourists snorkel with hundreds of us as we feed together in the bay during summertime. What large yet gentle rays are we?
Answer: Manta rays
Environmentalism Riddles
31. I’m a 2009 renewable energy initiative launched by the president of the Maldives. My goal is to make the Maldives carbon-neutral by 2020 using 100% renewable energy. What am I?
Answer: The Carbon Neutral Plan
32. I’m a former president of the Maldives who held an underwater cabinet meeting in 2009 ahead of climate negotiations to dramatize threats from rising seas to low-lying nations. What’s my name?
Answer: Mohamed Nasheed
33. I’m a 2018 documentary about climate change in the Maldives featuring footage of the former president Mohamed Nasheed organizing an underwater cabinet meeting. What am I?
Answer: The Island President documentary
Current Events and Politics Riddles
34. I’m the current president of the Maldives elected in 2018. At just 41 years old, I’m one of the world’s youngest sitting presidents leading a sovereign state. What’s my name?
Answer: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
35. I’m a famous Maldivian democracy activist and blogger who reported on corruption before a past regime had me abducted and detained for 500 days. What’s my name?
Answer: Ahmed Naisham/Moomoo
36. I’m a British woman sentenced to 13 years in jail under the former regime in the Maldives over charges of extramarital sex – a case that prompted international outrage. What’s my name?
Answer: Naomi Coleman
Maritime Industry and Fishing Riddles
37. We’re iconic symbols of Maldivian culture – vessels made entirely from coconut wood traditionally used for tuna fishing. Today tourists enjoy leisurely cruises on us to desert islands. What are we?
Answer: Maldivian dhoni boats
38. I’m one of the two main fishing seasons in the Maldives centered around the migration of skipjack tuna shoals through Maldivian waters. I take place around March and April each year. What’s my name?
Answer: Asdha moru fishing season
39. We’re a special kind of tree cultivated across the Maldives to provide valuable wood for boatbuilding. Skilled craftsmen split our trunks into intricately-shaped planks used to construct traditional Maldivian fishing vessels. What type of palm tree are we?
Answer: Coconut palm/ Dhekunu gas
Surfing Riddles
40. I’m a famous surf break and island resort in the Maldives renowned for perfect waves, crystal waters, andPADI Scuba diving all year round. What Maldives surfing mecca am I?
Answer: Pasta Point in Laamu Atoll
41. We’re another world-famous surfing spot in the Maldives located in Male Atoll. This left-hander reef break offers stunning walls of blue that can get really hollow on bigger swells. What’s our name?
Answer: Honkey’s/Sultans surf break
Marine Sciences Riddles
42. I’m a phenomenon where warming ocean temperatures cause colorful coral reefs to expel their symbiotic algae, turning deathly white. Rising sea temperatures have led to more frequent bleaching events threatening reefs worldwide. What am I?
Answer: Coral bleaching
43. We’re a unique double-chain of coral atolls structurally comprised of coral debris eroded from underlying volcanoes long extinct. Rising seas threaten to submerge us. What famous Indian Ocean island nation are we?
Answer: The Maldives
Geography Riddles Continued
44. My capital Malé is one of the world’s most densely populated cities crammed onto a tiny coral island of just 5.8 square kilometers. My urban population has boomed due to rural-urban migration. What rapidly urbanizing island nation am I?
Answer: The Maldives
45. I’m a famous Maldivian atoll shaped like a bird with wings outspread, comprised of over 1,100 tiny coral islands. What’s my name?
Answer: Haa Alif Atoll
46. We’re stunning bioluminescent Maldivian waters that seem to glow brightly blue-green at night when plankton is disturbed by movement. We result from massive blooms of bioluminescent phytoplankton. What natural phenomenon are we?
Answer: Sea sparkle/bioluminescent plankton blooms
Fun and Games Riddles
47. In this traditional Maldivian game, children stand in a circle passing an object behind their backs while one player stands eyes closed in the center guessing who has the object. It’s similar to “hot potato”. What fun game is this?
Answer: Musichalhu/Blind Man’s Bluff
48. In this traditional Maldivian board game, players race to place their stone game pieces in stone houses marked on a hand-etched wooden board. It’s considered a game of skill, strategy and chance. What’s it called?
Answer: Boldhu barandi/Mancala
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this collection of 48 riddles about the beautiful island nation of the Maldives! From gorgeous coral reefs to traditional culture, this Indian Ocean paradise offers so much intrigue. How did you do with these brain teasers? The Maldives is full of mystery and surprises awaiting discovery. Let us know if you’d like more puzzles and riddles in a future article! Safe travels and happy riddling!
