Capital: Male
Area: 115 square miles (298 sq km)
Coastline: 400 miles (644 km)
Highest Point: An unnamed point on Viligili in the Addu Atholhu at 7.8 feet (2.4 m)
The Maldives is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean about 435 miles (700 km) southwest of Sri Lanka and 250 miles (402 km) southwest of India. It is an archipelago made up of over 1,000 small islands and atolls. The capital of the Maldives is Male and the country is known as being the smallest country in Asia based on area and population.
History of the Maldives
The first inhabitants of the Maldives were originally from southern India. In the 4th and 5th centuries B.C.E., settlers began arriving on the islands from Sri Lanka and in the 12th century C.E. settlers from east Africa and the Arab world began arriving in the region. Details on this early history of the Maldives are unclear however as most of its history is told through legend.In the 12th century, the population of the Maldives converted to Sunni Islam and beginning in 1153 it became an Islamic sultanate. In addition in 1887 the islands became a British protectorate. The Maldives status as a British protectorate lasted until the country gained its independence on July 26, 1965. The Maldives then continued to operate as a sultanate until 1968 when it was abolished and the country became the Republic of Maldives.
Government of the Maldives
Today the Maldives is still considered a republic and it has an executive branch of government consisting of a chief of state and head of government - both of whom are the country's president. The Maldives also has a unicameral People's Council for its legislative branch and a Supreme Court, High Court and Trial Courts for its judicial branch. The Maldives is divided into 19 atolls for local administration.Economics and Land Use in the Maldives
The Maldives has a small, stable economy that is mostly dependent on tourism and the fishing industries. According to the CIA World Factbook, more than 90% of the country's tax revenue is derived from tourism. Other industries include shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts and coral and sand mining. Agriculture also plays a small role in the Maldives' economy and the main products of that industry are coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes and fish.Geography, Climate and Environment of the Maldives
The Maldives is located in Southern Asia and it is made up of thousands of small islands inhabited and uninhabited islands in the Indian Ocean (map). It is just above the equator and it has an area of 115 square miles (298 sq km). Nearly all of its topography consists of flat lands with white, sandy beaches throughout the islands. The highest point in the Maldives is an unnamed point on Viligili in the Addu Atholhu at 7.8 feet (2.4 m).The climate of the Maldives is tropical and as such it has hot, humid weather throughout the year. It also has a dry northeast monsoon from November to March and a wet, southwest monsoon from June to August. Male, the capital of the Maldives, has an average January low temperature of 73˚F (23˚C) and an average July high temperature of 84˚F (29˚C).
The Maldives is a biodiverse location as most of the islands are surrounded by coral reefs and abundant marine life. However, part of the country's economy consists of coral mining for jewelry and building materials, as well as sand dredging. As a result, there are several environmental concerns for the islands. The main concern for the islands is climate change and rising sea levels as the removal of sand and coral reefs have left the islands unprotected from erosion. As a result, these practices have recently been stopped and the Maldives is very active in the study of global climate change.
To learn more about the Maldives, visit the Geography and Maps of the Maldives page on this website.
References
Central Intelligence Agency. (23 August 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Maldives. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mv.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Maldives: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107755.html
United States Department of State. (7 April 2011). Maldives. Retrieved from: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5476.htm
Wikipedia.org. (26 August 2011). Maldives - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives
