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By Islomaniac | July 26, 2007
In celebration of my favorite island nation’s birthday I thought I would celebrate its holiday with a little background on Maldivian history and culture. The Maldives, with a total land area of just 300km (about 1.7 time of Washington DC) is an archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourists resorts). This tiny island nation is home 369,031 people and the official language is Maldivian Dhivehi which is a dialect of Sinhala (script derived from Arabic), however, English is widely spoken.
Some fun facts you may not know about the Maldives:
- The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population.
- It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.
- The Maldives also holds the record for being the flattest country in the world.
The remarkable capital Male from the air.
The first settlers of the Maldives were believed to be Dravidian people most likely from southwest coasts of the Indian Subcontinent and the western shores of Sri Lanka. The first inhabitants of the Maldives must have arrived many millennia ago, for there is a lack of a proper myth relating the settlement of the islands.
Economy:
Not surprisingly the tourism is the Maldives largest industry accounting for more than 28% of their GDP. Fishing is the second leading industry with agriculture and manufacturing continuing to play a role in its economy. The economy has been doing well since the economic reform program of 1989 led to average growth of 7.5% a year.
Image source
Tsunami
On December 24, 2006 the Maldives were devastated by a Tsunami following the 2004 earthquake in the Indian Ocean. The Tsunami left 108 dead, 12,000 displaced and $300 million dollars in property damage. The tallest waves reached 14 feet high resulting in six islands being destroyed and many more seriously damaged and requiring evacuation. Despite the damage being severe and the loss of life being great the Maldivian people are bouncing back. The tourist industry is recovering and the country is getting back on it’s feet.
Tsunami damage 2004
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Politics
Like most places in the world for many years The Maldives was under the authority of European colonial powers, first under the Portuguese (1558) then the Dutch (1654) then later the British (1887). In 1965, The Maldives first celebrated their independence and three years later became a republic.
After independence from Britain, the sultanate continued to operate for another three years under King Muhammad Fareed. On November 11, 1968, the monarchy was abolished and Maldivian Independence was celebrated.
In 1978 President Maumoon Adbul Gayoom came to power and is currently in his sixth term in office. Riots in 2004 have resulted in the current government pledging to expand political freedoms. However, many would consider the reform slow with many promised reforms being delayed indefinitely. However, as one commentator on a previous post has stated. “Every country has gone through what we are going through today, the struggle for democracy.”
Celebrating Independence
I have never been in the Maldives on their Independence Day but from what I hear it is a lot of fun. The highlight of the day is the official celebrations held in the evening at the Republic Square. The event begins with a march past by the National Security Service and the National Cadet Corps. This is followed by drills, traditional dances and modern drills performed by hundreds of school children in colorful attire. These events are interceded by the passing of floats and processions depicting traditional and modern themes.
Image source
Why you should visit the Maldives!
For people in America The Maldives may seem like a big journey, but I believe its well worth the trip. The people and wonderful, the beaches are amazing and the islands are breathtaking. If you love private islands or islands in general I would highly recommend visiting the Maldives at least once. However, in my opinion its difficult to go only once.
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July 26th, 2007 at 3:02 am
Bravo! Lovin every minute of it!
July 27th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
i love maldives
July 27th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I especially Love the Police Brutality in the Maldives, the rampant child sex abuse, the out of control drug abuse, the ignorant tourists, the corrupt business community and the fuedal political system. Yes Indeed- Paradise On Earth - For Some!
July 27th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
And hopefully some day for all. Keep up the good fight. I have posted on trouble in the Maldives in the past. Today, for your nations birthday I wanted to show that despite its problems the Maldives can wonderful
July 27th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
maldives may be going through a phase,but still this is a country worth visiting.we may have corrupted politicians,just like everywhere else,we may have drug problems,but still the people of this country is hospitable and simple people who wud greet you with a smile.the present government is responsible for a lot of woes which are falling upon the maldivians.pls come to maldives and dont listen to people like kalhuoufummi.ask the people who had been to this country,they be not be”enlightend”like kalhoufummi but still they believe visiting this country is worth the hassle
July 28th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Maldives is really amazing place to visit once or more. The white sandy beaches, clear water and the wonderful smily face people makes it more than heaven on earth.
July 29th, 2007 at 3:56 am
i love gayoom’s regime, his special assistance loans to highly-placed officials and his brutal murders in the past few months
July 29th, 2007 at 5:25 am
A great preview of the better half of the Maldives. The other half or more is worse than a person can imagine. So, as one writer said it is a ‘pradise for tourists and a hell hole for its inhabitants’.
July 29th, 2007 at 6:44 am
yep man Kalhoufummi! U r right with all that Hell & Paradise for this small community of less than 300,000.The goverment cant even organize this small population…
And yeah we will fight…
May 15th, 2008 at 5:50 am
Many may say a whole bunch of things about maldives….they may be maldivans or non-maldivians…but i just want to say this….show me one contry which doesn have political problems…or social problems…or economical problems….We maldivians are lucky that we are blessed with a beautiful country and mostly hospitable people…we are lucky we are economically sufficient….we are lucky we have a good education system….Nothing is perfect…We just need to ignore the imperfections…yes maldives is a tropical paradise worth visiting…ur ensured to have a fantastic time here…visit maldives and u will know what i mean..ignore those who bad name Maldives..they are ignorent and aren’t thankful to what they have…They expect others to do everything for them while they stay idle!!