The Republic of Maldives markets itself to tourists as one of the world's premier luxury destinations, but the island nation faces uncertainty in the wake of recent political turmoil.

Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, a former dissident who was elected in 2008, was forced to resign Tuesday amid the threat of violence and a rising tide of Islamic rhetoric. 

The U.S., Britain, Australia, Germany, and China have all warned nationals against nonessential travel to Malé due to political tension and unrest.

What about the rest of the country?

"As long as you stay out of Malé you should be fine," said a representative from the Embassy of the Republic of Maldives in the U.S., who asked to speak on the condition of anonymity.

"The international airport and luxury resorts are located on separate islands," said the representative. "I recall that some governments are issuing travel advisories, but even they state as long as you avoid Malé you will be fine."

He added that the Maldives are going through a transition and it will "take some time for tempers to calm down."

Regardless of how concentrated the unrest may be, many nations urged travelers heading to the Maldives to check with their travel agents or government departments for the latest advisories.

Open for Business

Since Tuesday, Malé International Airport has remained open and hotels across the nation are operating as usual.

There have been no reports of tourists directly affected by the coup, nor have any of the other islands seen any unrest.

Most of the resorts in the Maldives are self-contained and are usually populated by the tourists and resort staff.