Maldives History - A brief OverviewMaldives, officially known as the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, approximately 435 miles south-west of Sri Lanka. The 26 atolls encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, roughly 200 of which are inhabited by people. The country's name may stand for the "Palace" or "Mountain Islands" , or it might mean "a thousand islands." Following the introduction of Islam in 1153, the islands later became a Portuguese (1558), Dutch (1654), and British (1796) colonial possession. In 1965, Maldives declared its independence from Britain. The Dhivehin, as the islanders are called, are a mixed people of Aryan, Negroid, Sinhalese, Dravidian and Arab descent. The islands were under Muslim control from the 12th century, and then Portuguese rule from 1518 before becoming a dependency of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1645. In 1887, the Maldivew became a British Protectorate, with an elected Sultan as the head of state.The islands achieved full independence as a sultanate in 1965. In 1968, the sultanate was replaced by a republic. Ibrahim Nasir, Prime Minister since 1954, became President at this time. In 1978, he was replaced in office by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a 65-year-old former professor of Islamic studies, has ruled the Indian Ocean island nation since he first assumed the presidency in 1978, and is considered a man of the people. He ran unchallenged in November of 2003, and received 90.28 percent of the 113,992 votes polled. It is his sixth term in office. Islam is the religion of the Maldives. All Maldivians are Sunni Muslims. Prayers are conducted five times a day in all mosques on every inhabited island. The Maldivians believe that "There is no God but Allah", confident that he is one, supreme and all-powerful. They also believe that "Muhammad" is the messenger of Allah. The golden dome of the Islamic centre dominates the skyline of Male’ whether first viewed by air or from water.
The economy of the Maldives depends on tuna fishing, which accounts for half of the Maldives' export earnings. Due to the poor nutrient contents of the soil on the atolls, only small quantities of cereals, fruit and vegetables are grown on the little fertile land that is available on the islands. The industrial sector has grown substantially since 1980 as a result of major infrastructure investment in desalination plants, refurbished accommodation, generators and air conditioning. Much of this was originally designed for use by the tourism industry, which has also grown rapidly following the decline of shipping, and now accounts for almost one quarter of GDP. In general, the islands’ economic development has been weakened by their relative isolation and the small size of the local domestic market. Related NewsThe tourism industry in the Maldives is very important to their economy. Much of the livelihood of the Maldivians depends on the generosity of the tourists, and much of the activites in the Maldives are geared towards this industry. Many things abound here. Because the Maldives has changing seasons, a luxury vacation of the islands is dependent on the knowledge of what is available. Knowing the proper Maldives seasons is very important in planning a vacation of this sort, as the activities you plan must be coordinated with these changes in season.
|
