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Maldives

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Asian Countries;
Countries

   ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމުހޫރިއްޔާ
   Republic of Maldives

   Flag of Maldives Coat of arms of Maldives
   Flag             Coat of arms
   Anthem: Gavmii mi ekuverikan matii tibegen kuriime salaam
   ("In National Unity Do We Salute Our Nation")
   Location of Maldives
   Capital Malé
   4°10′N 73°30′E
   Largest city Malé
   Official languages Dhivehi
   Government Republic
    - President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom
   Independence
    - from UK 26 July 1965
   Area
    - Total 298 km² ( 204th)
   115 sq mi
    - Water (%) negligible
   Population
    - July 2005 estimate 329,000 ( 176th^1)
    - 2006 census 298,842
    - Density 1,105/km² ( 9th)
   2,862/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $2.569 billion ( 162nd)
    - Per capita $7,675 ( 79th)
   HDI  (2003) 0.745 (medium) ( 96th)
   Currency Rufiyaa ( MVR)
   Time zone ( UTC+5)
   Internet TLD .mv
   Calling code +960
   ^1 Rank based on UN estimate for 2005.

   Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation
   consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives are
   located south of India's Lakshadweep islands, and about seven hundred
   kilometers (435  mi) south-west of Sri Lanka. The twenty-six atolls
   encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, roughly two hundred of
   which are inhabited by people. The country's name may stand for
   "Mountain Islands" (malai in Tamil, meaning "mountain" and teevu in
   Tamil meaning "island") or it may mean "a thousand islands". Some
   scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit
   maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands", or from "mahila dvipa",
   meaning "island of women". Others believe the name means "palace" (from
   Mahal in Arabic).

   Following the introduction of Islam in 1153, the islands later became a
   Portuguese ( 1558), Dutch ( 1654), and British ( 1887) colonial
   possession. In 1965, Maldives obtained independence from Britain
   (originally under the name "Maldive Islands"), and in 1968 the
   Sultanate was replaced by a Republic. However, in 38 years, the
   Maldives have had only two Presidents, though political restrictions
   have loosened somewhat recently.

   Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is
   also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.

History

   Western interest in the archaeological remains of early cultures on
   Maldives began with the work of H.C.P. Bell, a British commissioner of
   the Ceylon Civil Service. Bell was shipwrecked on the islands in 1879,
   and returned several times to investigate ancient Buddhist ruins. But
   by the fourth century AD, Theravada Buddhism came from Ceylon
   (present-day Sri Lanka) and became the dominant religion of the people
   of Maldives. Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives
   from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands".Also "Mal" is
   fish "deeb" is land is also a favored suggestion by many islanders.

   In the mid- 1980s, the Maldivian government allowed the noted explorer
   and expert on early marine navigation, Thor Heyerdahl, to excavate
   ancient sites. Heyerdahl studied the ancient mounds, called hawitta (
   Dhivehi: ހަވިއްތަ) by the Maldivians, found on many of the atolls. Some
   of his archaeological discoveries of stone figures and carvings from
   pre-Islamic civilizations are today exhibited in a side room of the
   small National Museum in Male'.

   Heyerdahl's research indicates that as early as 2000 BC, Maldives lay
   on the maritime trading routes of early Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and
   Indus Valley civilizations. Heyerdahl believes that early
   sun-worshipping seafarers, called the Redin, first settled on the
   islands. This was evident then in many mosques facing the sun and not
   Mecca, lending credence to this theory. Because building space and
   materials were scarce, successive cultures constructed their places of
   worship on the foundations of previous buildings. Heyerdahl thus
   surmises that these sun-facing mosques were built on the ancient
   foundations of the Redin culture temples. Heyerdahl's early mosques
   have now in large part been converted to face Mecca, as Islam gained
   solidarity in Maldives, in the earlier half of the modern Republic.

   According to Maldivian legend, a Sinhalese prince named Koimala was
   stranded with his bride — daughter of the king of Sri Lanka — in a
   Maldivian lagoon and stayed on to rule as the first sultan from the
   House of Theemuge. Prior to that Malé had belonged to a group of people
   today known as the Giravaaru who claim ancestry from ancient Tamils
   (Tamilas).

   The Maldivians followed Buddhism before they converted to Islam and the
   conversion is explained in a controversial mythological story about the
   demon Rannamaari.

   Over the centuries, the islands have been visited and their development
   influenced by sailors from countries on the Arabian Sea and the Indian
   Ocean littorals. Mappila pirates from the Malabar Coast — present-day
   Kerala state in India — harassed the islands.

   Although governed as an independent Islamic sultanate for most of its
   history from 1153 to 1968, Maldives was a British protectorate from
   1887 until July 25, 1965. In 1953, there was a brief, abortive attempt
   to form a republic, but the sultanate was re-imposed. In 1959,
   objecting to Nasir's changes, the inhabitants of the three southernmost
   atolls protested against the government. They formed the United
   Suvadive Republic and elected a president, Abdulla Afeef Didi.

   After independence from Britain in 1965, the sultanate continued to
   operate for another three years. On November 11, 1968, it was abolished
   and replaced by a republic, and the country assumed its present name.
   Tourism and fishing are now being developed on the archipelago.

   In November 1988, Tamil mercenaries from Sri Lanka invaded the
   Maldives. After an appeal by the Maldivian government for help, India
   launched a military campaign to throw the mercenaries out of Maldives.
   On the night of November 3, 1988, the Indian Air Force airlifted a
   parachute battalion group from Agra and flew them non-stop over 2,000
   kilometres (1,240 mi) to Maldives. The Indian paratroopers landed at
   Hulule and secured the airfield and restored the Government rule at
   Malé within hours. The brief, bloodless operation, labelled Operation
   Cactus, also involved the Indian Navy.

   On 26 December 2004 the Maldives were devastated by a tsunami following
   the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The absence of land mass against
   which waves could be built up reduced the destructive impact,
   preventing the waves from reaching much more than 1.2 - 1.5 meters
   (4–5  ft) in height . Despite this, the archipelago's low lying nature
   (one of the lowest lying countries on Earth) meant that nearly all of
   the country was swamped. At least seventy-five people perished,
   including six foreigners.

Economy

   Current GDP per capita of Maldives registered a peak growth of 26.5% in
   the 1980s and stabilised around 11.5% in the 1990s.

   Tourism and Fisheries form the two key components of Maldivian economy.
   The country's shipping, banking and manufacturing sectors are also
   growing at a considerable pace. Among the South Asian nations, Maldives
   has the second highest per-capita GDP at 3,900  USD (2002 figure).
   Major trading partners include India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and
   Indonesia.

Fisheries

   The Maldivian economy was entirely dependent on fishing and other
   marine products for many centuries. Fishing remains the main occupation
   of the people and the government gives special priority to the
   development of the fisheries sector.

   The mechanization of the traditional fishing boat called " Dhoni" in
   1974 was a major milestone in the development of the fisheries industry
   and the country's economy in general. A fish canning plant was
   installed in the island of Felivaru in 1977, as a joint venture with a
   Japanese firm. In 1979, a Fisheries Advisory Board was set up with the
   mandate of advising the government on policy guidelines for the overall
   development of the fisheries sector. Manpower development programs were
   begun in the early 1980s, and fisheries education was incorporated into
   the school curriculum. Fish aggregating devices and navigational aids
   were located at various strategic points. Moreover, the opening up of
   the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Maldives for fisheries has further
   enhanced the growth of the fisheries sector. Today, fisheries
   contribute over fifteen percent of the GDP and engage about thirty
   percent of the country's work force. It is also the second-largest
   foreign exchange earner after tourism.

Tourism

   The capital of the Maldives, Malé
   Enlarge
   The capital of the Maldives, Malé

   The development of tourism has fostered the overall growth of the
   country's economy. It has created direct and indirect employment and
   income generation opportunities in other related industries. Today,
   tourism is the country's biggest foreign exchange earner, contributing
   to twenty percent of the GDP. With eighty-six tourist resorts in
   operation, the year 2000 recorded 467,154 tourist arrivals.

Cottage industries

   The development of the tourism sector gave a major boost to the
   country's fledging traditional cottage industries such as mat weaving,
   lacquer work, handicraft, and coir rope making. New industries that
   have since emerged include printing, production of PVC pipes, brick
   making, marine engine repairs, bottling of aerated water, and garment
   production.

Politics

   Politics in the Maldives takes place in the framework of a presidential
   republic, whereby the President is the head of government. The
   President heads the executive branch and appoints the cabinet. The
   President is nominated to a five-year term by a secret ballot of the
   Majlis (parliament), a nomination which must be confirmed by national
   referendum.

   The unicameral Majlis of the Maldives is composed of fifty members
   serving five-year terms. Two male members from each atoll are elected
   directly by universal suffrage. Eight are appointed by the president.
   The Maldivian Peoples Party has seized exclusive control over the
   government; however, opposition parties were legalized in 2005 after
   the elections. The opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party has
   tried hard to achieve its goals in amending the existing constitution,
   which in all major aspects has failed due to the government pressure
   and hesitations to stop the process.

   The current Home Minister is Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

Judiciary

   Ustaz Mohamed Rasheed Ibrahim from Fuvahmulah is the present chief
   justice of Maldives. All judges in the Maldives are appointed by the
   president. Islamic law is the basis of all judicial decisions.

   The Maldives have, in cooperation with the United Nations Development
   Project (UNDP), undertaken to write the first Muslim criminal code in
   the history of the world. This project would formalize the proceedings
   of criminal justice in this tiny nation to one of the most
   comprehensive modern criminal codes in the world. The code has been
   written and awaits action by the parliament.

Maldives and the Indian Ocean Commission

   Since 1996, Maldives has been the official progress monitor of the
   Indian Ocean Commission. In 2002, Maldives applied for full membership,
   but was refused. The first reason they were rejected is that their
   geographical position is different from other member states. Maldives
   are considered in Asia instead of Africa. The other reason was more
   complicated. The official language spoken by the Commission was French
   with Creole used in friendly conversations. Maldives speak English and
   a language totally unrelated to the other members. It was proposed to
   change the language to English, which the people of Reunion, Comoros
   and Mayotte do not speak, and so the idea was dropped. The third reason
   was due to the difference in historic background. However, Maldives
   were given a more important role and semi-membership.

Administrative Divisions

   Satellite Image of the Maldives by NASA. Note that the southern most
   Atoll of the Maldives, Addu Atoll, is not visible on the image
   Enlarge
   Satellite Image of the Maldives by NASA. Note that the southern most
   Atoll of the Maldives, Addu Atoll, is not visible on the image

   Maldives has twenty-six natural atolls which have been divided into
   twenty administrative atolls and one city. The northern most atoll is
   Haa Alif Atoll and the southern most is Seenu Atoll. The smallest atoll
   is Gnaviyani Atoll with only one island ( the largest island in
   Maldives). The largest atoll in both Maldives and the whole world is
   Gaafu Alif Atoll which is just south of the One and a Half Degree
   Channel.

   Each atoll is administered by an Atoll Chief (Atholhu Veriyaa)
   appointed by the President (Maumoon Abdul Gayoom). Atoll chiefs
   administer as directed by the president. The Ministry of Atoll
   Administration and its Northern and Southern Regional Offices, Atoll
   Offices and Island Offices are collectively responsible to the
   President for Atolls Administration. The administrative head of each
   island is the Island Chief (Katheeb), appointed by the President. The
   Island Chief's immediate superior is the Atoll Chief.

Geography

   Maldives holds the record for being the flattest country in the world,
   with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 m (7½ ft), though in
   areas where construction exists this has been increased to several
   metres. Over the last century, sea levels have risen about twenty
   centimeters (8  in). The ocean is likely to continue rising and this
   threatens the existence of Maldives.

   A tsunami in the Indian Ocean caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean
   earthquake caused parts of Maldives to be covered by sea water and left
   many people homeless. After the disaster, cartographers are planning to
   redraw the maps of the islands due to alterations by the tsunami. The
   people and government are worried that Maldives could be wiped from the
   map eventually.

Demographics

   The Maldivian ethnic identity is a blend of the cultures reflecting the
   peoples who settled on the islands, reinforced by religion and
   language. The earliest settlers were probably from Southern India.
   Indo-Aryan speakers followed them from Sri Lanka in the fourth and
   fifth centuries. In the 12th century, sailors from the Malayan
   Archipelago, East Africa and Arab countries inhabited the islands,
   creating the present heterogeneous blend of ethnicity amongst
   Maldivians.

   Originally Buddhist , Maldivians were converted to Sunni Islam in the
   mid-12th century. Islam is the official religion of the entire
   population, as adherence to it is required for citizenship.

   The official and common language is Dhivehi, an Indo-European language
   related to Sinhalese, the language of Sri Lanka. The written script is
   called Thaana and is written from right to left. English is used widely
   in commerce and increasingly as the medium of instruction in government
   schools.

   Some social stratification along lines similar to the Indian caste
   system exists on the islands. It is not rigid, since rank is based on
   varied factors, including occupation, wealth, Islamic virtue, and
   family ties. Members of the social elite are concentrated in Malé.
   Outside of the service industry, this is the only location where the
   foreign and domestic populations are likely to interact. The tourist
   resorts are not on islands where the natives live, and casual contacts
   between the two groups are discouraged.
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