Outline of Maldives
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Maldives:
The Maldives – island nation comprising a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean.[1] The Maldives is located south of India's Lakshadweep islands, and about seven hundred kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka. The twenty-six atolls of Maldives' encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, two hundred and fifty islands of which are inhabited.
The name "Maldives" may derive from Maale Dhivehi Raajje ("The Island Kingdom [under the authority of] Malé")."[2] Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands",[3] or from mahila dvipa, meaning "island of women", but these names are not found in ancient Sanskrit literature. Instead, classical Sanskrit texts mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" (Lakshadweepa); a generic name which would include not only the Maldives, but also the Laccadives and the Chagos island groups. Another theory suggests that the name "Maldives" derives from the Tamil "malai tivu" meaning "island of hills." Some medieval Arab travellers such as Ibn Batuta called the islands "Mahal Dibiyat" from the Arabic word Mahal ("palace")." [4] This is the name presently inscribed in the scroll of the Maldive state emblem.
The inhabitants were Buddhist, probably since Ashoka's period, in the 3rd century BC. Islam was introduced in 1153. The Maldives came then under the influence of the Portuguese (1558) and the Dutch (1654) seaborne empires. And in 1887 it became a British protectorate. In 1965, the Maldives obtained independence from Britain (originally under the name "Maldive Islands"), and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic.
The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is also the smallest entirely Muslim nation in the world.
General reference
- Pronunciation: /ˈmɔːldiːvs/,/ˈmɒldiːvs/,/ˈmɔːldaɪvs/
- Common English country name: Maldives
- Official English country name: The Republic of Maldives
- Common endonym(s):
- Official endonym(s):
- Adjectival(s): Maldivian
- Demonym(s): Maldivians
- ISO country codes: MV, MDV, 462
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:MV
- Internet country code top-level domain: .mv
Geography of Maldives
Geography of Maldives
- Maldives is: an island country
- Location:
- Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere
- Indian Ocean
- between the Arabian Sea and the Laccadive Sea
- Eurasia
- Asia
- South Asia
- Indian subcontinent (off the coast of India, rising above the oceanic crust)
- South Asia
- Asia
- Time zone: UTC+05
- Extreme points of Maldives:
- High: unnamed location on Villingili 2.4 m (8 ft) – lowest high point of any country
- Low: Indian Ocean 0 m
- Land boundaries: none
- Coastline: Indian Ocean 644 km
- Population of Maldives: 306,000 - 173rd most populous country
- Area of Maldives: 298 km2
- Atlas of Maldives
Natural geographic features of Maldives
Ecoregions of Maldives
Administrative divisions of Maldives
None
Municipalities of Maldives
Municipalities of Maldives
- Capital of Maldives: Malé
- Cities of Maldives
Demography of Maldives
Demographics of Maldives
Government and politics of Maldives
Politics of Maldives
- Form of government:
- Capital of Maldives: Malé
- Elections in Maldives
- Political parties in Maldives
Branches of the government of Maldives
Government of Maldives
Executive branch of the government of Maldives
- Head of state: President of Maldives,
- Head of government: President of Maldives,
Legislative branch of the government of Maldives
- Parliament of Maldives (bicameral)
- Upper house: Senate of Maldives
- Lower house: House of Commons of Maldives
Judicial branch of the government of Maldives
Court system of Maldives
Foreign relations of Maldives
Foreign relations of Maldives
- Diplomatic missions in Maldives
- Diplomatic missions of Maldives
International organization membership
The Republic of Maldives is a member of:[1]
Law and order in Maldives
Law of Maldives
- Constitution of Maldives
- Crime in Maldives
- Human rights in Maldives
- LGBT rights in Maldives
- Law enforcement in Maldives
Local government in Maldives
Local government in Maldives
History of Maldives
History of Maldives
Culture of Maldives
Culture of Maldives
- Cuisine of Maldives
- Folklore of the Maldives
- Languages of Maldives
- National symbols of Maldives
- Coat of arms of Maldives
- Flag of Maldives
- National anthem of Maldives
- Religion in Maldives
- Roman Catholicism in Maldives
- Islam in Maldives
- World Heritage Sites in Maldives: None
Art in Maldives
- Music of Maldives
Economy and infrastructure of Maldives
Economy of Maldives
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 165th (one hundred and sixty fifth)
- Communications in Maldives
- Companies of Maldives
- Currency of Maldives: Rufiyaa
- Maldives Stock Exchange
- Media in Maledives
- Tourism in Maldives
- Transport in Maldives
- Airports in Maldives
Education in Maldives
Education in Maldives
See also
Divehi language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
- List of international rankings
- List of Maldives-related topics
- Member state of the Commonwealth of Nations
- Member state of the United Nations
- Outline of Asia
- Outline of geography
References
- "Maldives". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 7, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- Caldwell, Comparative Dravidian Grammar, p. 27-28
- J Hogendorn and M Johnson, The Shell Money of the Slave Trade, p. 20-22
- Ibn Batuta, Travels in Asia and Africa, translated by A.R. Gibb
External links
- Government
- The President's Office - Republic of Maldives
- (in Dhivehi and English) Information Ministry
- Maps
- Google Maps satellite image of the Maldives
- WikiMapia.org annotated map of the Maldives
- Maps of the Maldivian Atolls
- Overviews and Data
- CIA World Fact Book on Maldives
- "Maldives: Paradise soon to be lost". BBC News. 2004-07-28. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
- History and Culture