The Maldives is a republic lies south-west of the Indian sub-continent.

It is made up of a
chain of nearly 1,200 islands, most of them uninhabited.
None of the coral islands stand more than 1.8 metres (six feet) above sea level, making
the country vulnerable to any rise in sea levels associated with global warming.
The economy revolves around tourism, and scores of islands have been developed for
the top end of the tourist market.
Its political history has been unsettled since the electoral defeat of long-serving
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 2008

The Maldives

12th century - Islam introduced.

1558-1573 - Portuguese occupation, which ends after expulsion by locals.
17th century - Islands become a protectorate first of the Dutch rulers of Ceylon (Sri
Lanka) and later of the British, who take control of Ceylon in 1796.
1887 - Status formalised as internally self-governing British protectorate.
1965 - Full independence as a sultanate outside Commonwealth.
1968 - Sultan deposed after referendum, Ibrahim Nasir becomes president.
1978 - Nasir retires, replaced by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
1980s - Development of tourist industry fuels economic growth.
2008 - Opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed defeats President Gayoom in elections.
2012 -President Mohamed Nasheed is ousted in a coup.
2018 - Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih defeats President Abdulla Yameen in
a surprise result.

Maldives (/ˈmɔːldiːvs/, US: /ˈmɔːldaɪvz/; Dhivehi: ‫ޖ‬ެ ‫ރ ްއ‬
ާ ‫ދ ެވ ިހ‬, 
ި romanized: Dhivehi Raajje), officially
the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic state in the Indian subcontinent of Asia, situated in
the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 700 kilometres (430 miles; 380
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 557,426 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 cultural ties with Asia and Africa. From the mid-16th-century the
region came under the increasing influence of European colonial powers, with 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. Maldives rate "high" on the Human Development Index,[12] with per
capita income significantly higher than other SAARC nations. [19]
Maldives was a member of the Commonwealth from July 1982 until withdrawing from the
organisation in October 2016 in protest at allegations by the 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]

According to legends, the first settlers of Maldives were people known as Dheyvis. [21] The first
Kingdom of the Maldives was known as Dheeva Maari. In the 3rd century BC during the visit of
emissaries sent by Emperor Asoka, Maldives was known as Dheeva Mahal. [22]
During c. 1100 - 1166, Maldives was also referred to as Diva Kudha and the Laccadive archipelago
which was a part of Maldives was then referred to as Diva Khanbar by the scholar and polymath al-
Biruni (973-1048).[23]
The name Maldives may also derive from Sanskrit mālā (garland) and dvīpa (island),[24] or මාල
දිවයින Maala Divaina ("Necklace Islands") in Sinhala.[25] The Maldivian people are called Dhivehin.
The word Dheeb/Deeb (archaic Dhivehi, related to Sanskrit द्वीप, dvīpa) means "island",
and Dhives (Dhivehin) means "islanders" (i.e., Maldivians). [26]
The ancient Sri Lankan chronicle Mahawamsa refers to an island called Mahiladiva ("Island of
Women", महिलादिभ) in Pali, which is probably a mistranslation of the same Sanskrit word meaning
"garland".
Jan Hogendorn, Grossman Professor of Economics at Colby College, theorized that the name
Maldives derives from the Sanskrit mālādvīpa (मालाद्वीप), meaning "garland of islands".[24] In Tamil,
"Garland of Islands" can be translated as Malai Theevu (மாலைத்தீவு).[27] In Malayalam, "Garland of
Islands" can be translated as Maladweepu (മാലദ്വീപ്).[citation needed] In Kannada, "Garland of Islands" can
be translated as Maaledweepa (ಮಾಲೆದ್ವೀಪ).[citation needed] None of these names are mentioned in any
literature,[citation needed] but classical Sanskrit texts dating back to the Vedic period mention the "Hundred
Thousand Islands" (Lakshadweepa), a generic name which would include not only the Maldives, but
also the Laccadives, Aminidivi Islands, Minicoy, and the Chagos island groups.[28][non-primary source needed]
Some medieval travellers such as Ibn Battuta called the islands Mahal Dibiyat (‫ )محل دبيأت‬from
the Arabic word mahal ("palace"), which must be how the Berber traveller interpreted the local name,
having been through Muslim North India, where Perso-Arabic words were introduced to the local
vocabulary.[29] This is the name currently inscribed on the scroll in the Maldive state emblem.[citation
needed]
 The classical Persian/Arabic name for Maldives is Dibajat.[30][31] The Dutch referred to the islands
as the Maldivische Eilanden (pronounced [mɑlˈdivisə ˈʔɛilɑndə(n)]),[32] while the British anglicised the
local name for the islands first to the "Maldive Islands" and later to "Maldives". [32]
Garcia da Orta, in a conversational book first published in 1563, writes as follows: "I must tell you
that I have heard it said that the natives do not call it Maldiva but Nalediva. In the Malabar
language nale means four and diva island. So that in that language the word signifies "four islands,"
while we, corrupting the name, call it Maldiva." [33]