History UsefulNotes / Maldives

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, southwest of UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/SriLanka. It is the sixth most densely populated country in the world. It is also the richest state in South Asia; until Sri Lanka recovered from its civil war, it was for the longest time the only South Asian country to be classified as having an upper-middle income.

The islands have long shared history with the Indian subcontinent, particularly Sri Lanka. The Maldivian language is closely related to Sinhalese and the Maldivians used to be adherents of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} since the era of the Mauryans (3rd century BCE). The Maldives mainly traded cowries, a legal tender among peoples of the Indian subcontinent.

The British started the process of decolonization in the late 1950s, though it signed an agreement to lease the southern atolls for its Royal Air Force base. This was challenged by Ibrahim Nasir, the prime minister elected in 1957, who increased levies so the British would be tempted to leave earlier. Since the southern atolls benefited from the British presence, they declared rebellion and seceded to form the United Suvadive Republic. Unfortunately for them, the British chose to support the central government and the republic fell in 1963. The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965, with Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, deciding to style himself as "King" upon independence. In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became a republic. The British left the country for good in 1976. It remained a member of UsefulNotes/TheCommonwealthOfNations until it was suspended in 2012, following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. Subsequently, the Maldives left the Commonwealth in 2016, rejoining four years later.

The script for the Maldivian language looks ''very'' strange-looking when compared to other scripts used in the Indian subcontinent. Actually, it's because it's not derived from any kind of Brahmi script, at least not those that are used for alphabets. Instead, (modified) Hindu-Arabic numerals, of all things, serve as its inspiration, complemented by Arabic diacritics to indicate sounds.

* '''Highest point:''' Mount Villingili (5 m/17 ft) (211st)

* '''Highest point:''' Mount Villingili (5 m/17 ft) (196th)

* '''Highest point:''' Mount Villingili (5 m/17 ft) (195th)

* '''Lowest point:''' Indian Ocean 3,741 m/12,274 ft) (-)

* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' MV

* Unitary presidential constitutional republic

** Speaker of Parliament: Mohamed Nasheed

->The red field stands the people's courage and readiness for sacrifice. At the foreground is a green rectangle, symbolizing peace, and at its center is the white crescent of Islam.

The British started the process of decolonization in the late 1950s, though it signed an agreement to lease the southern atolls for its Royal Air Force base. This was challenged by Ibrahim Nasir, the prime minister elected in 1957, who increased levies so the British would be tempted to leave earlier. Since the southern atolls benefited from the British presence, they declared rebellion and seceded to form the United Suvadive Republic. Unfortunately for them, the British chose to support the central government and the republic fell in 1963. The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965, with Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, deciding to style himself as "King" upon independence. In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became a republic. The British left the country for good in 1976. It remained a member of UsefulNotes/TheCommonwealthOfNations until it was suspended in 2012, following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests, with the government choosing to exit the bloc altogether in 2016.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, southwest of UsefulNotes/{{India}} and UsefulNotes/SriLanka. It is the sixth most densely populated country in the world.

The islands has long shared history with the Indian subcontinent, particularly Sri Lanka. The Maldivian language is closely related to Sinhalese and the Maldivians used to be adherents of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} since the era of the Mauryans (3rd century BCE). The Maldives mainly traded cowries, a legal tender among peoples of the Indian subcontinent.

The president from 2013 to 2018 was Abdulla Yameen, Gayoom's half-brother. He was elected after protests that saw the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed in 2010, which many saw was simply an attempt at power-grabbing. Yameen was a strongman accused of jailing political opponents ([[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness including Gayoom]]) and bringing the country closer to UsefulNotes/{{China}}, which many feared would put it into a debt trap with its Belt and Road initiative. He was surprisingly unseated in the 2018 election by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who has started to investigate his predecessor for corruption and rights abuses. Solih's accession was a major sigh of relief for India, since it perceives him as more friendly to its interests in the face of neighbors who are increasingly turning their backs against it.

It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the [[TheLateMiddleAges mid-15th century]], it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the [[TheCavalierYears 17th century]], the [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the Indian subcontinent, under the control of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, who turned the islands into a protectorate, administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became a republic.

From 1978 to 2008, the Maldives was led by the authoritarian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Democracy was subsequently introduced and has remained since. It remained a member of UsefulNotes/TheCommonwealthOfNations until it was suspended in 2012, following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests, with the government choosing to exit the bloc altogether in 2016. The president from 2013 to 2018, Abdulla Yameen, was a strongman accused of jailing political opponents and bringing the country close to UsefulNotes/{{China}}, which poured billions of dollars of investment into the Maldives as part of its Belt and Road initiative. He was surprisingly unseated in the 2018 election by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who has started to investigate his predecessor for corruption and rights abuses. Solih's accession was a major sigh of relief for India, since it perceives him as more friendly to their interests in the face of neighbors who are increasingly turning their backs against it.

The Maldivian people are related to the Sinhalese of UsefulNotes/SriLanka (a.k.a. Ceylon) by language and ethnicity. However, they are set apart by religion. Whereas the Sinhalese are quite adamantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} Buddhist]], Maldivians converted en masse to UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} in the [[TheHighMiddleAges 12th century]], after traders from North Africa introduced the religion to the islands. It is SeriousBusiness. Today, being (Sunni) Muslim is a legal requirement for Maldivian citizenship, sharia law is considered superior to civil law in most cases, and freedom of religion is nonexistent. The largest diaspora of Maldivians is located right next door in UsefulNotes/{{India}}'s Lakshadweep federal territory, chiefly in Minicoy, the atoll closest to the Maldives. Despite sharing everything with the Maldives and then some, the atoll became part of India upon independence because it was included as part of UsefulNotes/TheRaj, unlike their brethren to the south.[[note]] Why, you ask? Because Ceylon was never officially a part of The Raj, and was administered as a separate colony since the very beginning. Even before colonial times, it has always been more of a QuirkyNeighbourCountry for India.[[/note]]

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the [[TheLateMiddleAges mid-15th century]], it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the [[TheCavalierYears 17th century]], the [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the Indian subcontinent, under the control of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, who turned the islands into a protectorate, administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of UsefulNotes/TheCommonwealthOfNations until it was suspended in 2012, following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. The government eventually chose to exit out of the bloc altogether in 2016.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the [[TheLateMiddleAges mid-15th century]], it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the [[TheCavalierYears 17th century]], the [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the subcontinent, under the control of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, who turned the islands into a protectorate, administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of UsefulNotes/TheCommonwealthOfNations until it was suspended in 2012, following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. The government eventually chose to exit out of the bloc altogether in 2016.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, to the southwest of the Indian subcontinent and generally considered part of it. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the [[TheLateMiddleAges mid-15th century]], it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the [[TheCavalierYears 17th century]], the [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the subcontinent, under the control of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, who turned the islands into a protectorate, administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of UsefulNotes/TheCommonwealthOfNations until it was suspended in 2012, following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. The government eventually chose to exit out of the bloc altogether in 2016.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, to the west of the Indian subcontinent and generally considered part of it. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the [[TheLateMiddleAges mid-15th century]], it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the [[TheCavalierYears 17th century]], the [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the subcontinent, under the control of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire, who turned the islands into a protectorate, administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of UsefulNotes/TheCommonwealthOfNations until it was suspended in 2012, following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. The government eventually chose to exit out of the bloc altogether in 2016.

One of the mainstays of the Maldivian economy is tourism – no shock considering the islands are well-known for their lush wildlife and white-sand beaches. The islands were badly hurt by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which caused damage totalling over 3/5 of the country's GDP. The tourist industry has been slowly recovering since.

The Maldivian people are related to the Sinhalese of UsefulNotes/SriLanka (a.k.a. Ceylon) by language and ethnicity. However, they are set apart by religion. Whereas the Sinhalese are quite adamantly [[UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} Buddhist]], Maldivians converted en masse to UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} in the [[TheHighMiddleAges 12th century]], after traders from North Africa introduced the religion to the islands. It's SeriousBusiness. Today, being (Sunni) Muslim is a legal requirement for Maldivian citizenship, sharia law is considered superior to civil law in most cases, and freedom of religion is nonexistent. The largest diaspora of Maldivians is located right next door in UsefulNotes/{{India}}'s Lakshadweep federal territory, chiefly in Minicoy, the atoll closest to the Maldives. Despite sharing everything with the Maldives and then some, the atoll became part of India upon independence because it was included as part of UsefulNotes/TheRaj, unlike their brethren to the south.[[note]] Why, you ask, it's because Ceylon was never officially a part of The Raj and was administered as a separate colony since the very beginning. Even before colonial times, it has always been more of a QuirkyNeighbourCountry for India.[[/note]]

The Maldivian people are related to the Sinhalese of UsefulNotes/SriLanka (a.k.a. Ceylon) by language and ethnicity. However, they are set apart by religion. Whereas the Sinhalese are quite adamantly Buddhist, Maldivians converted en masse to Islam in the 12th century after traders from North Africa introduced the religion to the islands. It's SeriousBusiness. Today, being (Sunni) Muslim is a legal requirement for Maldivian citizenship, sharia law is considered superior to civil law in most cases, and freedom of religion is nonexistent. The largest diaspora of Maldivians is located right next door in UsefulNotes/{{India}}'s Lakshadweep federal territory, chiefly in Minicoy, the atoll closest to the Maldives. Despite sharing everything with the Maldives and then some, the atoll became part of India upon independence because it was included as part of UsefulNotes/TheRaj, unlike their brethren to the south.[[note]] Why, you ask, it's because Ceylon was never officially a part of The Raj and was administered as a separate colony since the very beginning. Even before colonial times, it has always been more of a QuirkyNeighbourCountry for India.[[/note]]

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, to the west of the Indian subcontinent and generally considered part of it. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the [[TheLateMiddleAges mid-15th century]], it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the [[TheCavalierYears 17th century]], the [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Dutch]] held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the subcontinent, under the control of Great Britain, who made the islands a protectorate administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of the Commonwealth until it was suspended in 2012 following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. The government eventually chose to exit out of the bloc altogether in 2016.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a South Asian country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, to the west of the Indian subcontinent and generally considered part of it. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the mid-15th century, it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the 17th century, the Dutch held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the subcontinent, under the control of Great Britain, who made the islands a protectorate administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of the Commonwealth until it was suspended in 2012 following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. The government eventually chose to exit out of the bloc altogether in 2016.

->The red field stands the people's courage and readiness for sacrifice. At the foreground is a green rectangle, symbolizing peace, and at its center is the white crescent of Islam.

<<|UsefulNotes/{{Asia}}|>>

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, to the west of the Indian subcontinent. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the mid-15th century, it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the 17th century, the Dutch held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the subcontinent, under the control of Great Britain, who made the islands a protectorate administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of the Commonwealth until it was suspended in 2012 following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests. The government eventually chose to exit out of the bloc altogether in 2016.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, to the west of the Indian subcontinent. It has a long history of control by foreign entities – In the mid-15th century, it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} (which at the time also controlled [[UsefulNotes/SriLanka Ceylon]]). Then in the 17th century, the Dutch held the islands for four months. By the 19th century, it had fallen, along with most of the rest of the subcontinent, under the control of Great Britain, who made the islands a protectorate administered from Ceylon. Throughout these centuries, the Sultan still technically ruled the islands (a situation similar to India's Princely States). The islands became an independent Kingdom in 1965.[[note]] Muhammad Fareed Didi, the last Sultan, decided to style himself as "King" upon independence.[[/note]] In 1968, the monarchy was abolished and the islands became an authoritarian republic. It remained a member of the Commonwealth until it was suspended in 2012 following the questionable circumstances of the then-President's resignation amidst street protests.

The Maldivian people are related to the Sinhalese of UsefulNotes/SriLanka (a.k.a. Ceylon) by language and ethnicity. However, they are set apart by religion. Whereas the Sinhalese are quite adamantly Buddhist, Maldivians converted en masse to Islam in the 12th century after traders from North Africa introduced the religion to the islands. It's SeriousBusiness. Today, being (Sunni) Muslim is a legal requirement for Maldivian citizenship, sharia law is considered superior to civil law in most cases, and freedom of religion is nonexistent.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean. The country is known to be an independent entity despite for three times being ruled by foreign rulers, the British included. In the mid-15th century, it was ruled by UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} along with UsefulNotes/SriLanka. In fact, the Maldivians are related to the Sinhalese by language and ethnicity, and the coming of Islam set them apart from the Buddhist Sinhalese. Then in the 17th century, the Dutch held the islands for four months. Finally, the British came, making it a protectorate in the 19th century. The country later was given independence in 1965 and became an authoritarian republic in 1968.

Its island geography and lush wildlife have convinced the Maldivian government to become carbon-neutral in 2019 and being active participant in climate change discussions.

The country was also severely hit by the 2004 tsunami, however, its tourist industry, one of the mainstays of the economy, is trying to recover from it.

The Maldives, officially known as the Republic of the Maldives ('''Maldivian:''' ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyya), is a country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean. The country is known to be an independent entity despite for three times being ruled by foreign rulers, the British included. In the mid-15th century, it was ruled by Portugal along with SriLanka. In fact, the Maldivians are related to the Sinhalese by language and ethnicity, and the coming of Islam set them apart from the Buddhist Sinhalese. Then in the 17th century, the Dutch held the islands for four months. Finally, the British came, making it a protectorate in the 19th century. The country later was given independence in 1965 and became an authoritarian republic in 1968.

[[AC:The Maldivian flag]]\\
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_maldives_svg_9972.png

The Maldives is a country composed of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean. The country is known to be an independent entity despite for three times being ruled by foreign rulers, the British included. In the mid-15th century, it was ruled by Portugal along with SriLanka. In fact, the Maldivians are related to the Sinhalese by language and ethnicity, and the coming of Islam set them apart from the Buddhist Sinhalese. Then in the 17th century, the Dutch held the islands for four months. Finally, the British came, making it a protectorate in the 19th century. The country later was given independence in 1965 and became an authoritarian republic in 1968.