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  Maldives is archipelago, made up of over 1,200 coral islands, grouped into 19 atolls. Only about 200 are inhabited. Maldives is strategically placed along major sea lanes in the Indian Ocean. The Maldivian atolls have long been praised for their beauty. In fact, the term atoll, meaning a coral island or group of islands enclosing a lagoon, comes from a Maldivian word—atolu. The Maldive Islands lie several hundred miles southwest of Sri Lanka. None of the islands is larger than 5 sq. mi. (13 sq. km.), and the entire archipelago is only 115 sq. mi. (298 sq. km.) in area. The islands are low, rising no higher than 8 ft. (2.5 m.) above sea level. The tropical climate is affected by monsoons, shifting winds that bring considerable rainfall. The weather is generally warm and humid. Coconut palms and breadfruit trees grow in abundance. The waters abound with fish, and there are magnificent tortoises. Transportation to and from the various islands is by boat. The bicycle is an important form of transportation on land, and there are few automobiles. The origins of the Maldivian people are obscure. Their language, Divehi, is related to Sinhalese, a language spoken in Sri Lanka. For this reason, some scholars believe that the Maldivians are descendants of the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka, with a mixture of Arab peoples. Originally, the Maldivians were Buddhists, but they have practiced Islam since the 1100s. More than 200,000 people live in Maldives, some 30,000 in the capital, Male, located on Male Island. The Maldivians are skilled sailors. Fishing employs 80 percent of the work force and supplies about 57 percent of the nation's exports. Dried fish (known as Maldive fish) and frozen tuna are exported to Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Locally made garments account for about 39 percent of the nation's exports. The cultivation of coconuts and products derived from coconuts— copra (dried coconut meat) and coir (coconut fiber)—is another key industry. There are also some handicraft industries, such as mat making and the crafting of elegant tortoiseshell jewelry and art objects. During the 1980s and 1990s, tourism was one of the fastest-growing areas of the economy. Tourism and export revenues help Maldivians pay for the food, consumer goods, and petroleum they import. Rice, much of which must be imported, remains the staple food of the people. Look Back Contact with early Arab traders led to the acceptance of Islam. Later the island came under the domination of the Portuguese and then the Dutch. In 1887, the islands became a British protectorate. Maldives attained complete independence on July 26,1965. In 1968, Maldives became a republic headed by an elected president under a new constitution. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom succeeded lbraham Nasir as president in 1978. He survived a 1988 coup attempt with the aid of Indian troops, the last of which left the country in November 1989. | |
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Article Contributors Anonymous user updated 1 year ago |
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