On May 22, Maldives became the first country in the world to open a Virtual Embassy in Second Life, the online virtual world. The Maldives Virtual Embassy is located in the Diplomatic Quarter of Diplomacy Island in Second Life, an online space designed to allow new avenues for diplomatic representation and negotiation, especially for small and developing countries that have limited diplomatic outreach in the “real” world. The official inauguration ceremony took place simultaneously in the real world (Geneva) and in the virtual world (Second Life), with participants in both “place” and “space” able to watch the speeches, interact with each other, and explore the Maldives Embassy and the rest of Diplomacy Island.
