The beautiful

Maldives
About my country

Name
[Company Name]
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

Table of Contents
THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES......................................................................................................................................... 2
HISTORY................................................................................................................................................................. 3
GEOLOGICAL HISTORY.......................................................................................................................................................3
ISLAMIC PERIOD......................................................................................................................................................................4
COLONIAL PERIOD............................................................................................................................................................... 5
INDEPENDENCE AND REPUBLIC..................................................................................................................................................6
GEOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................................................................. 7
CLIMATE...............................................................................................................................................................................8
GOVERNMENT........................................................................................................................................................... 8
BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................................................................... 9

NAME 1
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

Maldives (/ˈmɔːldiːvz/, US: /ˈmɔːldaɪvz/; Dhivehi: ‫ދި ެވހި ރ ްާއ ެޖ‬, romanized:
Dhivehi Raajje IPA: d̪iʋehi ɾaːjje), officially the Republic of Maldives,
is an archipelagic country in the Indian subcontinent of Asia, situated in
the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750
kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent's
mainland. The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll
in the north to Addu Atoll in the south (across the Equator). Comprising
a territory spanning roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi)
including the sea, land area of all the islands comprises 298 square
kilometres (115 sq mi), Maldives is one of the world's most
geographically dispersed sovereign states as well as the smallest Asian
country by land area and, with around 557,751 inhabitants, the 2nd least
populous country in Asia. Malé is the capital and the most populated
city, traditionally called the "King's Island" where the ancient royal
dynasties ruled for its central location.[13]

The Maldivian Archipelago is located on the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge,

a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean; this also forms a
terrestrial ecoregion, together with the Chagos Archipelago and
Lakshadweep.[14] With an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 metres
(4 ft 11 in) above sea level,[15] and a highest natural point of only 5.1
metres (17 ft), it is the world's lowest-lying country.[15]

In the 12th century Islam reached the Maldivian Archipelago, which

was consolidated as a sultanate, developing strong commercial and Figure 1 Maldives
cultural ties with Asia and Africa.
From the mid-16th century, the region came under the increasing
influence of European colonial powers, with the Maldives
becoming a British protectorate in 1887. Independence from the
United Kingdom came in 1965, and a presidential republic was
established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. The ensuing
decades have seen political instability, efforts at democratic
reform,[16] and environmental challenges posed by climate
change.[17]

Maldives became a founding member of the South Asian

Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It is also a
member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations,
the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned
Movement. The World Bank classifies the Maldives as having an
upper-middle income economy.[18] Fishing has historically been
the dominant economic activity, and remains the largest sector by
far, followed by the rapidly growing tourism industry. The
Maldives rates "high" on the Human Development Index,[12]
with per capita income Figure 2 information significantly higher than other
SAARC nations.[19]

NAME 2
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

Maldives was a member of the Commonwealth from July 1982 until withdrawing from the
organisation in October 2016 in protest of allegations by other nations of its human rights abuses and
failing democracy. The Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth on 1 February 2020 after showing
evidence of functioning democratic processes and popular support.[20]

History
Geological history
The Maldives were believed to have been formed around 68
million years ago as a hotspot which spawned the Deccan
Traps in India. As long as 10,000 years ago, coral reefs
started to take growth on Pleistocene foundations.

Ancient history and settlement

Main article: History of the Maldives § Early Age
The Maldives is well over 2,500 years old according to
legends of the southern atolls. Early settlers in the Maldives
were probably Gujaratis, who reached and settled Sri Lanka
about 500 B.C. Evidence of cultural influence from North
India can be deduced from the methods of boat-building and
silver punch-marked coins[34]

According to the book "Kitāb fi āthār Mīdhu al-qādimah (

Figure 3 History
‫"( )كتاب في آثار ميذو القديمة‬On the Ancient Ruins of Meedhoo")"
written in the 17th century in Arabic by Allama Ahmed Shihabuddine (Allama Shihab al-Din) of
Meedhoo in Addu Atoll, the first settlers of the Maldives were people known as Dheyvis.[21] They
came from the Kalibanga in India.[21] The time of their arrival is unknown but it was before
Emperor Asoka's kingdom in 269–232 BC. Shihabuddine's story tallies remarkably well with the
recorded history of South Asia and that of the copperplate document of Maldives known as
Loamaafaanu.[21]

The Maapanansa,[22] the copper plates on which was recorded the history of the first Kings of
Maldives from the Solar Dynasty, were lost quite early on.

A 4th-century notice written by Ammianus Marcellinus (362 AD) speaks of gifts sent to the Roman
emperor Julian by a deputation from the nation of Divi. The name Divi is very similar to Dheyvi who
were the first settlers of Maldives.[22]

The ancient history of Maldives is told in copperplates, ancient scripts carved on coral artifacts,
traditions, language and different ethnicities of Maldivians.[21]

The first Maldivians did not leave any archaeological artifacts. Their buildings were probably built
of wood, palm fronds, and other perishable materials, which would have quickly decayed in the salt
and wind of the tropical climate. Moreover, chiefs or headmen did not reside in elaborate stone
palaces, nor did their religion require the construction of large temples or compounds.[35]

Comparative studies of Maldivian oral, linguistic, and cultural traditions confirm that the first settlers
were people from the southern shores of the neighbouring Indian subcontinent,[36] including the

NAME 3
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

Giraavaru people, mentioned in ancient legends and local folklore about the establishment of the
capital and kingly rule in Malé.[37]

A strong underlying layer of Dravidian and North Indian cultures survives in Maldivian society, with
a clear Elu substratum in the language, which also appears in place names, kinship terms, poetry,
dance, and religious beliefs.[2] The North Indian system was brought by the original Sinhalese from
Sri Lanka. Malabar and Pandya seafaring culture led to the settlement of the Islands by Tamil and
Malabar seafarers.[2]

The Maldive Islands were mentioned in Ancient Sangam Tamil Literature as "Munneer
Pazhantheevam" or "Older Islands of Three Seas".

Islamic period Scholars have posited another scenario where

See also: History of the Maldives § Islamic
Period, Islam in Maldives, and List of sultans
of the Maldives
The importance of the Arabs as traders in the
Indian Ocean by the 12th century may partly
explain why the last Buddhist king of
Maldives, Dhovemi, converted to Islam in the
year 1153 (or 1193). Adopting the Muslim
title of Sultan Muhammad al-Adil, he initiated
a series of six Islamic dynasties that lasted
until 1932 when the sultanate became elective.
The formal title of the sultan up to 1965 was,
Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-
thousand islands and Sultan of the Maldives
which came with the style Highness.
Somali Muslim Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-
Barbari, also known as Aw Barkhadle, is
traditionally credited for this conversion.
According to the story told to Ibn Battutah, a
mosque was built with the inscription: 'The
Sultan Ahmad Shanurazah accepted Islam at
the hand of Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-
Barbari.'[39][40] Some scholars have
suggested the possibility of Ibn Battuta
misreading Maldive texts, and having a bias
towards the North African, Maghrebi narrative
of this Shaykh, instead of the East African
origins account that was known as well at the
time.[41] Even when Ibn Battuta visited the
islands, the governor of the island[which?] at
that time was Abd Aziz Al Mogadishawi, a
Somali[42]
Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari might have
been a native of Barbera, a significant trading
port on the northwestern coast of Somalia.[43]
Barbara or Barbaroi (Berbers), as the ancestors
of the Somalis were referred to by medieval
Arab and ancient Greek geographers,
respectively.[44][45][46] This is also seen
when Ibn Battuta visited Mogadishu, he
mentions that the Sultan at that time, "Abu
Bakr ibn Shaikh Omar", was a Berber
(Somali). According to scholars, Abu al-
Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari was Yusuf bin
Ahmad al-Kawneyn, a famous native Somali
scholar[47] known for establishing the
Walashma dynasty of the Horn of Africa.[48]
After his conversion of the population of
Dogor (now known as Aw Barkhadle), a town
in Somalia, he is also credited to have been
responsible for spreading Islam in the
Maldivian islands, establishing the Hukuru
Miskiy, and converting the Maldivian
population to Islam.[49][50] Ibn Battuta states
the Maldivian king was converted by Abu al-
Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari (Blessed Father of
Somalia).[51]
Others have it he may have been from the
Persian town of Tabriz.[52] The first reference
to an Iranian origin dates to an 18th-century
Persian text.[53]
His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds
of Medhu Ziyaaraiy, across the street from the
Friday Mosque, or Hukuru Miskiy, in Malé.
Built in 1656, this is the oldest mosque in
Maldives. Following the Islamic concept that

NAME 4
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

before Islam there was the time of Jahiliya Buddhism remains, a reality directly
(ignorance), in the history books used by experienced by Ibn Battuta during his nine
Maldivians the introduction of Islam at the end months there sometime between 1341 and
of the 12th century is considered the 1345, serving as a chief judge and marrying
cornerstone of the country's history. into the royal family of Omar I.[54] For he
Nonetheless, the cultural influence of became embroiled
in local politics and left when his strict judgments in the laissez-faire island kingdom began to chafe
with its rulers. In particular, he was dismayed at the local women going about with no clothing above
the waist—a violation of Middle Eastern Islamic standards of modesty—and the locals taking no
notice when he complained.[55]

Compared to the other areas of South Asia, the conversion of the Maldives to Islam happened
relatively late. Arab traders had converted populations in the Malabar Coast since the 7th century,
and Muhammad Bin Qāsim had converted large swathes of Sindh to Islam at about the same time.
The Maldives remained a Buddhist kingdom for another 500 years after the conversion of Malabar
Coast and Sindh—perhaps as the southwesternmost Buddhist country. Arabic became the prime
language of administration (instead of Persian and Urdu), and the Maliki school of jurisprudence was
introduced, both hinting at direct contacts with the core of the Arab world.

Middle Eastern seafarers had just begun to take over the Indian Ocean trade routes in the 10th
century and found Maldives to be an important link in those routes as the first landfall for traders
from Basra sailing to Southeast Asia. Trade involved mainly cowrie shells—widely used as a form of
currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast—and coir fiber. The Bengal Sultanate,
where cowrie shells were used as legal tender, was one of the principal trading partners of the
Maldives. The Bengal–Maldives cowry shell trade was the largest shell currency trade network in
history.[56]

The other essential product of the Maldives was coir, the fibre of the dried coconut husk, resistant to
saltwater. It stitched together and rigged the dhows that plied the Indian Ocean. Maldivian coir was
exported to Sindh, China, Yemen, and the Persian Gulf.

Colonial Period

n 1558 the Portuguese established a small garrison with a

Viador (Viyazoru), or overseer of a factory (trading post) in
the Maldives, which they administered from their main colony
in Goa. Their attempts to impose Christianity provoked a local
revolt led by Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A'uẓam and his
two brothers, that fifteen years later drove the Portuguese out
of Maldives. This event is now commemorated as National
Day.

In the mid-17th century, the Dutch, who had replaced the

Portuguese as the dominant power in Ceylon, established
hegemony over Maldivian affairs without involving
themselves directly in local matters, which were governed
according to centuries-old Islamic customs.

Figure 4 Kings

NAME 5
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

The British expelled the Dutch from Ceylon in 1796 and included Maldives as a British Protectorate.
The status of Maldives as a British protectorate was officially recorded in an 1887 agreement in
which the sultan accepted British influence over Maldivian external relations and defence while
retaining home rule, which continued to be regulated by Muslim traditional institutions in exchange
for an annual tribute. The status of the islands was akin to other British protectorates in the Indian
Ocean region, including Zanzibar and the Trucial States.
Independence and republic
When the British became increasingly unable to continue their colonial hold on Asia and were losing their
colonies to the indigenous populations who wanted freedom, on 26 July 1965 an agreement was signed
on behalf of the Sultan by Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, Prime Minister, and on behalf of the
British government by Sir Michael Walker, British Ambassador-designate to the Maldive Islands, which
formally ended the British authority on the defence and external affairs of the Maldives. The islands thus
achieved independence, with the ceremony taking place at the British High Commissioner's Residence
in Colombo. After this, the sultanate continued for another three years under Sir Muhammad Fareed
Didi, who declared himself King upon independence.

On 15 November 1967, a vote was taken in parliament to decide whether the Maldives should continue
as a constitutional monarchy or become a republic. Of the 44 members of parliament, 40 voted in favour
of a republic. On 15 March 1968, a national referendum was held on the question, and 93.34% of those
taking part voted in favour of establishing a republic. The republic was declared on 11 November 1968,
thus ending the 853-year-old monarchy, which was replaced by a republic under the presidency of
Ibrahim Nasir. As the King had held little real power, this was seen as a cosmetic change and required
few alterations in the structures of government.

Tourism began to be developed on the archipelago by the beginning of the 1970s. The first resort in the
Maldives was Kurumba Maldives which welcomed the first guests on 3 October 1972. The first accurate
census was held in December 1977 and showed 142,832 people living in the Maldives.[59]

Political infighting during the 1970s between Nasir's faction and other political figures led to the 1975
arrest and exile of elected prime minister Ahmed Zaki to a remote atoll. Economic decline followed the
closure of the British airfield at Gan and the collapse of the market for dried fish, an important export.
With support for his administration faltering, Nasir fled to Singapore in 1978, with millions of dollars from
the treasury.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom began his 30-year role as

president in 1978, winning six consecutive elections
without opposition. His election was seen as
ushering in a period of political stability and
economic development in view of Maumoon's
priority to develop the poorer islands. Tourism
flourished and increased foreign contact spurred
development. However, Maumoon's rule was
controversial, with some critics saying Maumoon
was an autocrat who quelled dissent by limiting
freedoms and political favouritism.[60]

A series of coup attempts (in 1980, 1983, and 1988)

by Nasir supporters and business interests tried to
topple the government without success. While the
first two attempts met with little success, the 1988
Figure 5 flag of maldives
coup attempt involved a roughly 80 strong
mercenary force of the PLOTE who seized the airport and caused Maumoon to flee from house to house
until the intervention of 1,600 Indian troops airlifted into Malé restored order.

NAME 6
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

The November 1988 coup d'état was headed by Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee, a businessman. On the
night of 3 November 1988, the Indian Air Force airlifted a parachute battalion group from Agra and flew
them over 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) to the Maldives. The Indian paratroopers landed at Hulhulé and
secured the airfield and restored the government rule at Malé within hours. The brief operation, labelled
Operation Cactus, also involved the Indian Navy.

Geography
The Maldives consists of 1,192 coral islands grouped in a
double chain of 26 atolls, that stretch along a length of 871
kilometres (541 miles) north to south, 130 kilometres (81
miles) east to west, spread over roughly 90,000 square
kilometres (35,000 sq mi), of which only 298 km2 (115 sq
mi) is dry land, making this one of the world's most
dispersed countries. It lies between latitudes 1°S and 8°N,
and longitudes 72° and 74°E. The atolls are composed of
live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine
ridge 960 kilometres (600 mi) long that rises abruptly from
the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs north to south.

Only near the southern end of this natural coral barricade do

two open passages permit safe ship navigation from one side
of the Indian Ocean to the other through the territorial
waters of Maldives. For administrative purposes, the
Maldivian government organised these atolls into 21
administrative divisions. The largest island of Maldives is
that of Gan, which belongs to Laamu Atoll or
Hahdhummathi Maldives. In Addu Atoll, the westernmost
islands are connected by roads over the reef (collectively
called Link Road) and the total length of the road is 14 km
(9 mi).

Maldives is the lowest country in the world, with maximum

and average natural ground levels of only 2.4 metres (7 ft 10
in) and 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, respectively.
In areas where construction exists, however, this has been
increased to several metres. More than 80 per cent of the
country's land is composed of coral islands which rise less
than one metre above sea level.[79] As a result, the
Maldives are at high risk of being submerged due to rising
sea levels. The UN's environmental panel has warned that, at
current rates, sea-level rise would be high enough to make
Figure 6 - Geography
the Maldives uninhabitable by 2100.[80][81]

Climate
The Maldives has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the
Köppen climate classification, which is affected by the large
landmass of South Asia to the north. Because the Maldives has
the lowest elevation of any country in the world, the temperature

NAME 7
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

is constantly hot and often humid. The presence of this landmass causes differential heating of land
and water. These factors set off a rush of moisture-rich air from the Indian Ocean over South Asia,
resulting in the southwest monsoon. Two seasons dominate Maldives' weather: the dry season
associated with the winter northeastern monsoon and the rainy season associated with the southwest
monsoon which brings strong winds and storms.[82]

The shift from the dry northeast monsoon to the moist southwest monsoon occurs during April and
May. During this period, the southwest winds contribute to the formation of the southwest monsoon,
which reaches Maldives at the beginning of June and lasts until the end of November. However, the
weather patterns of Maldives do not always conform to the monsoon patterns of South Asia. The
annual rainfall averages 254 centimetres (100 in) in the north and 381 centimetres (150 in) in the
south.[83][82]

Government
Maldives is a presidential constitutional republic, with extensive influence of the president as head
of government and head of state. The president heads the executive branch, and appoints the
cabinet which is approved by the People's Majlis (Parliament). He leads the armed forces. The
current president as of 19 October 2021 is Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. President and Members of the
unicameral Majlis serve five-year terms, with the total number of members determined by atoll
populations. At the 2014 election, 77 members were elected. The People's Majlis, located in Malé,
houses members from all over the country.[3]

The republican constitution came into force in 1968 and was amended in 1970, 1972, and 1975. On
27 November 1997 it was replaced by another Constitution assented to by then-President
Maumoon. This Constitution came into force on 1 January 1998. The current Constitution of
Maldives was ratified by President Maumoon on 7 August 2008, and came into effect immediately,
replacing and repealing the constitution of 1998. This new constitution includes a judiciary run by
an independent commission, and independent commissions to oversee elections and fight
corruption. It also reduces the executive powers vested under the president and strengthens the
parliament. All state that the president is head of state, head of government and Commander-in-
Chief of the armed forces of the Maldives.

In 2018, the then ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM-Y)'s tensions with opposition parties
and subsequent crackdown was termed as an "assault on democracy" by the UN Human Rights
chief.[106]

NAME 8
 THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES

Bibliography
Wikipedia. (2012). The Maldives. Chicago: wikipedia.

NAME 9