View source for Maldives

{{Short description|Island country in South Asia}}
{{About|the island country in South Asia||Maldives (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use British English|date=June 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Maldives
| common_name            = Maldives
| native_name            = {{native name|dv|ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ}} <br/>{{transliteration|dv|''Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa''}}
| image_flag             = Flag of the Maldives.svg
| alt_flag               = A red field with a large green rectangle, charged with a white crescent in the centre.
| image_coat             = Emblem of Maldives.svg
| flag_type_article      = Flag of the Maldives
| symbol_type            = Emblem
| national_motto         = {{native phrase|ar|الدولة المحلديبية}}<br/>{{transliteration|dv|[[Emblem of the Maldives#Interpretation|Ad-Dawlat Al-Mahaldibiyyat]]}}
| national_anthem        = {{Nobold|ޤައުމީ ސަލާމް|italic=no|nolink=yes}}<br />"[[Qaumee Salaam]]"<br />"National Salute"<br /><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">[[File:Gaumii salaam.ogg]]</div>
| image_map              = {{Switcher|[[File: Maldives (orthographic projection).svg |frameless]]|Show globe|[[File: Maldives location map.svg|frameless]]|Show map of Maldives|default=1}}
| capital                = [[Malé]]
| coordinates            = {{coord|4|10|31|N|73|30|32|E|}}
| largest_city           = capital
| languages_type         = Official language<br />{{nobold|and national language}}
| languages              = [[Maldivian language|Dhivehi]]
| languages2_type        = Common language
| languages2             = [[English language|English]]
| religion               = [[Sunni Islam]] ([[State religion|official]])<ref name="stategovreligion" />
| demonym                = [[Maldivians|Maldivian]]
| government_type        = Unitary [[presidential republic]]
| leader_title1          = [[President of the Maldives|President]]
| leader_name1           = [[Mohamed Muizzu]]
| leader_title2          = [[Vice President of the Maldives|Vice President]]
| leader_name2           = [[Hussain Mohamed Latheef]]
| leader_title3          = [[Speaker of the People's Majlis|Speaker]]
| leader_name3           = [[Abdul Raheem Abdulla]]
| leader_title4          = [[Chief Justice of the Maldives|Chief Justice]]
| leader_name4           = [[Abdul Ghanee Mohamed]]
| legislature            = [[People's Majlis]]
| sovereignty_type       = [[History of the Maldives|Independence]]
| sovereignty_note       = from the United Kingdom
| established_event1     = [[Independence of the Maldives|Independence declared]]
| established_date1      = 26 July 1965
| established_event2     = Second Republic
| established_date2      = 11 November 1968
| established_event3     = {{nowrap|[[Constitution of the Maldives|Current constitution]]}}
| established_date3      = 7 August 2008
| area_km2               = 298
| area_sq_mi             = 115 <!--Do not remove per [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers]]-->
| area_rank              = 187th <!-- Should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]] -->
| population_estimate    = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 601,269<ref>{{cite web |title=Projected Mid-Year Population of the Maldives by Age and Sex |url=https://statisticsmaldives.gov.mv/yearbook/2024/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/08/3.13.pdf |website=Maldives Bureau of Statistics |publisher=Ministry of Finance & Planning |date=2024}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2024
| population_census      = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 515,132<ref>{{Cite web|title=Census Results Summary|url=https://census.gov.mv/2022/census-results-summary/|access-date=2023-11-30|website=Maldives Population and Housing Census|publisher=National Bureau of Statistics|language=en|archive-date=1 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901163925/https://census.gov.mv/2022/census-results-summary/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_census_rank = 167th
| population_census_year = 2022
| population_density_km2 = 1,728.63
| population_density_sq_mi = 4,479.41 <!--Do not remove per [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers]]-->
| population_density_rank = 7th <!--should match [[List of countries and dependencies by population density]]-->
| GDP_PPP                = {{increase}} $13.867&nbsp;billion<ref name="IMFWEO.MV">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/October/weo-report?c=556,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2023&ey=2025&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Maldives) |website=[[International Monetary Fund]] |date=10 October 2024 |access-date=28 December 2024}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2024
| GDP_PPP_rank           = 157th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = {{increase}} $34,322<ref name="IMFWEO.MV" /><!--Do not edit!-->
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 54th
| GDP_nominal            = {{increase}} $6.984&nbsp;billion<ref name="IMFWEO.MV" />
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2024
| GDP_nominal_rank       = 161st
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $17,287<ref name="IMFWEO.MV" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 58th
| Gini                   = 31.3 <!--number only-->
| Gini_year              = 2024
| Gini_change            = decrease<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini_ref               = <ref name="wb-gini">{{Cite web |title=Gini Index coefficient |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison/ |access-date=16 July 2021 |website=[[CIA World Factbook|The World Factbook]]|publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]  |archive-date=17 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717071854/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Gini_rank              = 
| HDI                    = 0.766
| HDI_year               = 2023<!--Please use the year to which the HDI data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change             = increase<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI_ref                = <ref name="2022 components3">{{cite book |url=https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2025 |title=Human Development Report 2025 - A matter of choice: People and possibilities in the age of AI |date=6 May 2025 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |isbn= |publication-date=6 May 2025 |pages= |access-date=6 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506064128/https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2025 |archive-date=6 May 2025}}</ref>
| HDI_rank               = 93rd
| currency               = [[Maldivian rufiyaa]] ([[ISO 4217|MVR]]){{Efn|
The Maldives predominantly uses the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) as its official currency. However, U.S dollars are commonly accepted in tourist establishments due to the high number of visitors from USD-based countries.}}
| time_zone              = [[Time in Maldives|MVT]]
| utc_offset             = +5
| utc_offset_DST         = 
| time_zone_DST          = 
| date_format            = {{Abbr|dd|day}}/{{Abbr|mm|month}}/{{Abbr|yyyy|year}}{{efn|See [[List of date formats by country]].}}
| drives_on              = left<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 December 2024 |title=List of all left- & right-driving countries around the world |url=https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/list-of-left-driving-countries/ |access-date=31 December 2024 |website=worldstandards.eu}}</ref>
| calling_code           = [[Telephone numbers in Maldives|+960]]
| cctld                  = [[.mv]]
}}

'''Maldives''',{{Efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɔː|l|d|i|v|z|audio=British English Maldives pronunciation.ogg}} {{respell|MAWL|deevz}}; {{langx|dv|ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ|translit=Dhivehi Raajje|engvar=gb}}, {{IPA|dv|diʋehi ɾaːd͡ʒːe|pron}}.}} officially the '''Republic of Maldives''',{{Efn|{{langx|dv|ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ|translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa|engvar=gb}}, {{IPA|dv|diʋehi ɾaːd͡ʒːeːge d͡ʒumhuːɾijjaː|pron}}.}} and historically known as the '''Maldive Islands''', is an [[Archipelagic state|archipelagic country]] in [[South Asia]], located in the eastern [[Arabian Sea]], within the northern [[Indian Ocean]]. Maldives is southwest of [[Sri Lanka]] and [[India]], about {{convert|750|km|mi nmi|abbr=off}} from the Asian continent's mainland. Maldives' chain of [[Atolls of the Maldives|26 atolls]] stretches across the equator from [[Atolls of the Maldives#Ihavandhippolhu|Ihavandhippolhu Atoll]] in the north to [[Addu Atoll]] in the south.

Maldives is the smallest [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia|country in Asia]]. Its land area is only {{convert|298|km2}}, but this is spread over roughly {{convert|90000|km2}} of the sea, making it one of the world's most spatially dispersed sovereign states. With a population of 515,132 in the 2022 census, it is the second [[List of Asian countries by population|least populous country in Asia]] and the [[List of countries and dependencies by area|ninth-smallest country by area]], but also one of the [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|most densely populated countries]]. Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of around {{convert|1.5|m}} above sea level,<ref name="guardian.co.uk">{{Cite news |last=Henley |first=Jon |date=11 November 2008 |title=The last days of paradise |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/nov/11/climatechange-endangered-habitats-maldives |url-status=live |access-date=12 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904050657/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/nov/11/climatechange-endangered-habitats-maldives |archive-date=4 September 2013 |quote=[The Maldives] holds the record for the country with the lowest high point on earth: nowhere on any of the islands on Maldives does the natural ground level exceed 5.1m. Most of [the Maldives'] land mass, which totals roughly one-fifth of Greater London, is a great deal lower [...], averaging around 1.5m.}}</ref> and a [[List of elevation extremes by country|highest natural point]] of only {{convert|2.4|m}}, making it the world's lowest-lying country. Some sources state the highest point, [[Mount Villingili]], as {{convert|5.1|m|disp=or}}.<ref name="guardian.co.uk" />

[[Malé]] is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island", where the ancient [[List of Maldivian monarchs|royal dynasties]] ruled from its central location.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Male &#124; Geography, Facts, & Points of Interest |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Male-island-Maldives |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164340/https://www.britannica.com/place/Male-island-Maldives |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=11 June 2020 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> Maldives has been inhabited for over 2,500 years. Documented contact with the outside world began around 947 AD when [[Arab]] travellers began visiting the islands. In the 12th century, partly due to the importance of the Arabs and [[Persians]] as traders in the Indian Ocean, Islam reached the Maldivian Archipelago.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.maldivesmission.com/history |access-date=15 May 2024 |website=Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Maldives to the United Nations |archive-date=15 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315215145/http://maldivesmission.com/history |url-status=live }}</ref> Maldives was soon consolidated as a [[Sultanate of Maldives|sultanate]], developing strong commercial and cultural ties with Asia and Africa. From the mid-16th century, the region came under the increasing influence of European [[colonialism|colonial powers]], with Maldives becoming a British [[protectorate]] in 1887. [[Independence of Maldives|Independence from the United Kingdom]] came in 1965, and a [[presidential system|presidential republic]] was established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. The ensuing decades have seen political instability, efforts at democratic reform,<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 January 2015 |title=Maldives – Country report – Freedom in the World – 2015 |url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2015/maldives |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814024354/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2015/maldives |archive-date=14 August 2016 |access-date=19 June 2016 |website=[[Freedom House]]}}</ref> and environmental challenges posed by [[Climate change in the Maldives|climate change and rising sea levels]].<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/napa/mdv01.pdf |title=National Adaptation Program of Action: Republic of Maldives |year=2007 |access-date=24 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164316/https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/napa/mdv01.pdf |archive-date=14 January 2021 |url-status=live |institution=Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water}}</ref> Maldives became a founding member of the [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] (SAARC).

[[Fishing industry in the Maldives|Fishing]] has historically been the dominant economic activity, and remains the second largest sector, behind the rapidly growing [[Tourism in the Maldives|tourism]] industry. Maldives rates "high" on the [[Human Development Index]],<ref name="HDI">{{Cite book |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf |title=Human Development Report 2020 The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene |date=15 December 2020 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |isbn=978-92-1-126442-5 |pages=343–346 |access-date=16 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102202739/http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf |archive-date=2 January 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref> with a ''per capita'' income significantly higher than other SAARC nations.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2016 |title=2016 Human Development Report Statistical Annex |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr_2016_statistical_annex.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225065941/http://hdr.undp.org/en/sites/default/files/hdr_2016_statistical_annex.pdf%20 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |access-date=4 May 2019 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |page=13}}</ref> The World Bank classifies Maldives as having an upper-[[Middle class|middle income]] economy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Data for Upper middle income, Maldives |url=https://data.worldbank.org/?locations=XT-MV |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515151057/https://data.worldbank.org/?locations=XT-MV |archive-date=15 May 2024 |access-date=15 May 2024 |publisher=[[World Bank]]}}</ref>

Maldives is a member of the [[United Nations]], the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]], and the [[Non-Aligned Movement]], and is a Dialogue Partner of the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 August 2022 |title=Nepal, Maldives To Join Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.As Observer |url=https://www.spotlightnepal.com/2022/08/01/nepal-maldives-join-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-observer/ |work=Spotlight |agency=Xinhua News Agency |access-date=18 May 2024 |archive-date=15 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315172504/https://www.spotlightnepal.com/2022/08/01/nepal-maldives-join-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-observer/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It temporarily withdrew from the Commonwealth in October 2016 after being threatened with expulsion from the organisation for its human rights infringements and democratic backsliding.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Safi |first=Michael |date=2016-10-13 |title=Maldives quits Commonwealth over alleged rights abuses |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/13/maldives-quits-commonwealth-over-alleged-rights-abuses |access-date=2024-05-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=13 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013143856/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/13/maldives-quits-commonwealth-over-alleged-rights-abuses |url-status=live }}</ref> It was readmitted to the Commonwealth on 1 February 2020 after showing evidence of reform and functioning democratic processes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 February 2020 |title=Maldives rejoins Commonwealth after evidence of reforms |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/maldives-rejoins-commonwealth-after-evidence-of-reforms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418002056/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/maldives-rejoins-commonwealth-after-evidence-of-reforms |archive-date=18 April 2020 |access-date=4 February 2020 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

==Etymology==
{{See also|Names of the Maldives}}

According to legends, the first settlers of Maldives were people known as Dheyvis.<ref name=":12" /> The first Kingdom of Maldives was known as Kingdom of Dheeva Maari.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Long Road From Islam to Islamism: A Short History |url=https://www.dhivehisitee.com/religion/islamism-maldives/ |journal=Dhivehi Sitee |date=30 May 2014 |access-date=30 May 2014 |language=en |archive-date=29 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829000253/http://www.dhivehisitee.com/religion/islamism-maldives/ |url-status=live |author1=Dhivehisitee }}</ref> During the 3rd century BCE visit of emissaries, it was noted that Maldives was known as Dheeva Mahal.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal |last=Mohamed |first=Naseema |title=First Settlers |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/arch_0044-8613_2005_num_70_1_3970 |url-status=live |journal=Note on the Early History of the Maldives |year=2005 |volume=70 |issue=1 |pages=7–14 |doi=10.3406/arch.2005.3970 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164417/https://www.persee.fr/doc/arch_0044-8613_2005_num_70_1_3970 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=28 November 2019 | issn=0044-8613}}</ref>

During {{circa|1100}} – 1166, Maldives was also referred to as Diva Kudha, and the Laccadive [[archipelago]] which was a part of Maldives was then referred to as Diva Kanbar by the scholar and polymath [[al-Biruni]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hogendorn |first=Jan |title=The Shell Money of the Slave Trade |pages=23–24}}</ref>

The name [[wikt:Maldives|''Maldives'']] may also derive from [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|माला}} {{lang|sa-Latn|mālā}} ([[garland]]) and {{lang|sa|द्वीप}} {{lang|sa-Latn|dvīpa}} (island),<ref name="Hogendorn" /> or {{lang|si|මාල දිවයින}} ''Maala Divaina'' ("Necklace Islands") in [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]].<ref name="ParanavitanaPrematilleka1978">{{Cite book |last1=P.E.P Deraniyagala in Senarat Paranavitana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIceAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA52 |title=Senarat Paranavitana Commemoration Volume |last2=Leelananda Prematilleka |last3=Johanna Engelberta van Lohuizen-De Leeuw |publisher=Brill |year=1978 |isbn=978-90-04-05455-4 |pages=52– |access-date=1 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164345/https://books.google.com/books?id=OIceAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA52 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Maldivian people are called {{transliteration|dv|Dhivehin}}. The word {{transliteration|dv|Dheeb/Deeb}} (archaic Dhivehi, related to [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|द्वीप}}, {{lang|sa-latn|dvīpa}}) means "island", and {{transliteration|dv|Dhives}} ({{transliteration|dv|Dhivehin}}) means "islanders" (i.e., Maldivians).<ref>Wilhelm Geiger, trans. Mrs. J. C. Willis, ''Máldivian Linguistic Studies'', ''Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society'' 27 (Colombo: 1911), 149–52. {{ISBN|8120612019}}</ref> In Tamil, "Garland of Islands" can be translated as {{lang|ta-Latn|Mālaitīvu}} ({{lang|ta|மாலைத்தீவு}}).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Altername Names for Republic of Maldives |url=http://www.geonames.org/MV/other-names-for-maldives.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164417/http://www.geonames.org/MV/other-names-for-maldives.html |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=23 September 2013 |website=GeoNames}}</ref>

The venerable Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamsa mentions an island designated as {{transliteration|pi|Mahiladiva}} ("Island of Women", {{lang|pi|महिलादिभ}}) in Pali, likely arising from an erroneous translation of the Sanskrit term, signifying "garland".

Jan Hogendorn, professor of economics at [[Colby College]], theorised that the name Maldives derives from the Sanskrit {{transliteration|sa|mālādvīpa}} ({{lang|sa|मालाद्वीप}}), meaning "garland of islands".<ref name="Hogendorn">Hogendorn, Jan and Johnson Marion (1986). ''The Shell Money of the Slave Trade''. African Studies Series 49, [[Cambridge University Press]], [[Cambridge]] {{ISBN|0521541107}}, pp. 20–22</ref> In [[Malayalam]], "Garland of Islands" can be translated as {{transliteration|ml|Maladweepu}} ({{lang|ml|മാലദ്വീപ്}}).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Melton |first1=Gregory |date=16 April 2024 |title=How did Maldives get its name? |url=https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/how-did-maldives-get-its-name/ |access-date=15 May 2024 |website=Geographic FAQ Hub |archive-date=16 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416192409/https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/how-did-maldives-get-its-name/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In Kannada, "Garland of Islands" can be translated as {{transliteration|kn|Maaledweepa}} ({{lang|kn|ಮಾಲೆದ್ವೀಪ}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=Maldives – Summary |url=https://www.studocu.com/en-au/document/university-of-sydney/introduction-to-international-relations/maldives-summary/46348887 |access-date=15 May 2024 |website=Studocu |publisher=[[University of Sydney]]}}</ref> None of these names are mentioned in any literature, however, classical Sanskrit texts dating back to the [[Vedic period]] mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" ({{transliteration|sa|[[Lakshadweep]]a}}), a generic name which would include not only Maldives, but also the [[Laccadives]], [[Aminidivi]] Islands, [[Minicoy]], and the [[Chagos Archipelago|Chagos island]] groups.<ref>Apte, Vaman Shivram (1985). ''Sanskrit–English Dictionary''. Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi.{{full citation needed|date=September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Minicoy in English dictionary |url=https://glosbe.com/en/en/Minicoy |website=Glosbe |access-date=18 May 2024 |archive-date=16 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416192412/https://glosbe.com/en/en/Minicoy |url-status=live }}</ref>

Medieval Muslim travellers such as [[Ibn Battuta]] called the islands ''{{transliteration|ar|Maḥal Dībīyāt}}'' ({{lang|ar|محل ديبية}}) from the Arabic word ''{{transliteration|ar|maḥal}}'' ("palace"), which must be how the [[Berber people|Berber]] traveller interpreted the name of Malé, having been through Muslim North India, where [[Perso-Arabic]] words were introduced to the local vocabulary.<ref>Battuta, Ibn (1929) ''Travels in Asia and Africa 1325–1354'', translated by A. R. Gibb. London: Routledge and Keegan Paul.{{page needed|date=April 2024}}</ref> This is the name currently inscribed on the scroll in Maldives [[Emblem of Maldives|state emblem]].<ref name = "MVEmblems">{{cite web |url=http://www.un.int/maldives/emble.htm |title=National Emblems of the Maldives |access-date=29 October 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606135502/http://www.un.int/maldives/emble.htm |archive-date=6 June 2011 |website=Maldives Mission to the United Nations}}</ref> The classical Persian/Arabic name for Maldives is {{lang|ar-Latn|Dibajat}}.<ref>Akhbar al-Sin wa 'l-Hind (Notes on China and India), which dates from 851.{{full citation needed|date=September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July–August 2005 |volume=56 |number=4 |title=The Seas of Sinbad |pages=20–29 |author-link=Paul Lunde|first=Paul |last=Lunde|url=http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200504/the.seas.of.sindbad.htm |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Saudi Aramco World]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208223341/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200504/the.seas.of.sindbad.htm |archive-date=8 February 2007 |access-date=24 September 2008}}</ref> The Dutch referred to the islands as the {{lang|nl|Maldivische Eilanden}} ({{IPA|nl|mɑlˈdivisə ˈʔɛilɑndə(n)|pron}}),<ref name="WWW.IBPUS.COM 69">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uJ2rDwAAQBAJ&q=British+%22Maldive+Islands%22+and+later+to+%22Maldives%22&pg=PA69 |title=Pacific Islands Business Law Handbook Volume 1 Strategic Information, Regulations, Contact |date=June 2015 |publisher=Global Pro Info USA |isbn=978-1-5145-0229-7 |pages=69 |language=en |quote=IBPUS.com |access-date=16 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164432/https://books.google.com/books?id=uJ2rDwAAQBAJ&q=British+%22Maldive+Islands%22+and+later+to+%22Maldives%22&pg=PA69 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> while the British [[anglicised]] the local name for the islands first to the "Maldive Islands" and later to "Maldives".<ref name="WWW.IBPUS.COM 69" />

In a conversational book published in 1563, [[Garcia de Orta]] writes: "I must tell you that I have heard it said that the natives do not call it Maldiva but Nalediva. In the Malabar language, ''nale'' means four, and ''diva'' means island. So that in that language, the word signifies 'four islands', while we, corrupting the name, call it Maldiva."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Orta |first=Garcia |title=Colloquies on the Simple and Drugs of India |publisher=Sri Satguru Publications |year=2016 |isbn=978-81-7030-117-2 |location=India |pages=22}}</ref>

The local name for Maldives by the Maldivian people in [[Maldivian language|Dhivehi]] language is {{transliteration|dv|Dhivehi Raajje}}, ({{lang|dv|ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ}}).<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Dhivehi Bahaai Thareekhah Khidhumaikuraa Qaumee Marukazu |date=1 August 1990 |title=Dhivehiraajje |url=http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/handle/123456789/4398 |website=Digital Repository of the [[Maldives National University]] |publisher=Dhivehi Bahaai Thareekhah Khidhumaikuraa Qaumee Marukazu |via=Saruna |access-date=18 May 2024 |archive-date=16 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416192639/http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/handle/123456789/4398 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of the Maldives}}

===Ancient history and settlement===
{{main|History of the Maldives#Early Age}}

In the 6th–5th century BCE, Maldives already had their kingdoms.<ref name=":12" /> The country has an established history of over 2,500 years according to historical evidence and legends.<ref>{{Cite book |title=ދިވެހީންގެ އަސްލު |publisher=ދިވެހިތާރީޚަށް ޚިދުމަތްކުރާ ޤައުމީ މަރުކަޒު |year=1998 |location=Maldives |pages=3 |language=dv}}</ref>

The ''[[Mahāvaṃsa]]'' (300 BCE) has records of people from Sri Lanka emigrating to Maldives.<ref name=":12" /> Assuming that cowrie shells come from Maldives, historians believe that there may have been people living in Maldives during the [[Indus Valley civilisation]] (3300{{ndash}}1300 BCE).<ref>{{Cite book |title=ދިވެހީންގެ އަސްލު |publisher=ދިވެހިތާރީޚަށް ޚިދުމަތްކުރާ ޤައުމީ މަރުކަޒު |language=dv}}</ref> Several artefacts show the presence of [[Hinduism]] in the country before the Islamic period.<ref name=":12" />

According to the book {{transliteration|ar|Kitāb fi āthār Mīdhu al-qādimah}} ({{lang|ar|كتاب في آثار ميذو القديمة}}) (''On the Ancient Ruins of [[Meedhoo (Addu)|Meedhoo]]''), written in the 17th century in Arabic by Allama Ahmed Shihabuddine (Allama Shihab al-Din) of [[Meedhoo (Addu)|Meedhoo]] in Addu Atoll, the first settlers of Maldives were people known as Dheyvis.<ref name=":12" /> They came from the [[Kalibangan|Kalibanga]] in India.<ref name=":12" /> The time of their arrival is unknown but it was before Emperor [[Ashoka|Asoka]]'s kingdom in 269–232 BCE. Shihabuddin's story tallies remarkably well with the recorded history of South Asia and that of the copperplate document of Maldives known as [[Lōmāfānu|Loamaafaanu]].<ref name=":12" />

The ancient history of Maldives is told in copperplates, ancient scripts carved on coral artefacts, traditions, language, and different ethnicities of Maldivians.<ref name=":12" /> The ''Maapanansa'',<ref name=":12" /> the copper plates on which were recorded the history of the first [[List of sultans of the Maldives|Kings of Maldives]] from the Solar Dynasty, were lost quite early on.

A 4th-century notice written by [[Ammianus Marcellinus]] (362 CE) speaks of gifts sent to the Roman emperor [[Julian (emperor)|Julian]] by a deputation from the nation of Divi. The name Divi is very similar to Dheyvi who were the first settlers of Maldives.<ref name=":12" />

The first Maldivians did not leave any archaeological artefacts. Their buildings were probably built of wood, palm fronds, and other perishable materials, which would have quickly decayed in the salt and wind of the tropical climate. Moreover, chiefs or headmen did not reside in elaborate stone palaces, nor did their religion require the construction of large temples or compounds.<ref>Kalpana Ram (1993). ''Mukkuvar Women''. Macquarie University.</ref>

Comparative studies of Maldivian oral, linguistic, and cultural traditions confirm that the first settlers were people from the southern shores of the neighbouring [[Indian subcontinent]],<ref name="autogenerated2">Xavier Romero-Frias, ''The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom''</ref> including the [[Giraavaru people]], mentioned in ancient legends and local folklore about the establishment of the capital and kingly rule in Malé.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ellis |first=Royston |author-link=Royston Ellis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zSjhruMm748C&q=Giraavaru+people&pg=PA36 |title=Maldives |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |year=2008 |isbn=9781841622668 |access-date=16 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164457/https://books.google.com/books?id=zSjhruMm748C&q=Giraavaru+people&pg=PA36 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A strong underlying layer of [[Dravidian peoples|Dravidian]] and [[North Indian culture|North Indian]] cultures survives in Maldivian society, with a clear [[Elu]] substratum in the language, which also appears in place names, kinship terms, poetry, dance, and religious beliefs.<ref name="Maloney, Clarence">{{Cite web |last=Maloney |first=Clarence |title=Where Did the Maldives People Come From? |url=http://www.iias.nl/iiasn/iiasn5/insouasi/maloney.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020129221500/http://www.iias.nl/iiasn/iiasn5/insouasi/maloney.html |archive-date=29 January 2002 |access-date=22 June 2008 |website=[[International Institute for Asian Studies]]}}</ref> The North Indian system was brought by the original [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] from [[Sri Lanka]]. [[Malabar region|Malabar]] and [[Pandyan|Pandya]] seafaring culture led to the settlement of the Islands by [[Tamils|Tamil]] and [[Malabars|Malabar]] seafarers.<ref name="Maloney, Clarence" />

===Buddhist period===
{{main|History of the Maldives#Buddhist period|Buddhism in the Maldives}}{{More citations needed|date=April 2025}}[[File:Loamaafaanu.jpg|thumb|[[Isdhoo (Laamu Atoll)|Isdhoo]] Lōmāfānu is the oldest [[Lōmāfānu|copper-plate]] book to have been discovered in Maldives to date. The book was written in 1194&nbsp;CE (590&nbsp;AH) in the Evēla form of the [[Dhivehi Writing Systems|Divehi akuru]], during the reign of [[Dhinei of the Maldives|Siri Fennaadheettha Mahaa Radun (Dhinei Kalaminja)]].]]

Despite being just mentioned briefly in most history books, the 1,400&nbsp;year-long Buddhist period has a foundational importance in the history of Maldives. It was during this period that the culture of Maldives both developed and flourished, a culture that survives today. The Maldivian [[Dhivehi language|language]], early Maldive scripts, architecture, ruling institutions, customs, and manners of the Maldivians originated at the time when Maldives were a Buddhist kingdom.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Maloney |first=Clarence |title=People of the Maldive Islands |publisher=Orient Longman}}</ref>

Buddhism probably spread to Maldives in the 3rd&nbsp;century&nbsp;BCE at the time of Emperor [[Ashoka]]'s expansion and became the dominant religion of the people of Maldives until the 12th&nbsp;century. Archeological evidence from an ancient Buddhist monastery in [[Kaashidhoo (Kaafu Atoll)|Kaashidhoo]] has been dated between 205 and 560 AD, based on the radiocarbon dating of shell deposits unearthed from the foundations of [[stupa]]s and other structures in the monastery.<ref name="mikkelsen2000">{{cite journal |last=Mikkelsen |first=Egil |year=2000 |title=Archaeological Excavations of a Monastery at Kaashidhoo. Cowrie shells and their Buddhist context in the Maldives. |url=https://maritimeasiaheritage.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Mikkelsen-Egil.-2000.-Archaeological-Excavations-of-a-Monastery-at-Kaasidhoo.pdf |isbn=99915-1-013-3|journal=National Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research |publisher=University of Oslo, Norway |access-date=2025-01-25}}</ref> The ancient Maldivian Kings promoted [[Buddhism]], and the first Maldive writings and artistic achievements, in the form of highly developed sculpture and architecture, originate from that period. Nearly all archaeological remains in Maldives are from Buddhist [[stupa]]s and monasteries, and all artefacts found to date display characteristic Buddhist iconography.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

===Islamic period===
{{See also|History of the Maldives#Islamic Period|Islam in Maldives|List of Maldivian monarchs|Sultanate of Maldives}}
The importance of the Arabs as traders in the Indian Ocean by the 12th century may partly explain why the last Buddhist king of Maldives, [[Dhovemi of the Maldives|Dhovemi]], converted to Islam in 1153 (or 1193). Adopting the Muslim title of Sultan Muhammad al-Adil, he initiated a series of six Islamic dynasties that lasted until 1932 when the [[Sultanate of Maldives|sultanate]] became elective. The formal title of the sultan up to 1965 was, ''Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-thousand islands and Sultan of Maldives'' which came with the style ''[[Highness]]''.

A Moroccan traveller named Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari is traditionally cited for this conversion.<ref name=":2" /> According to the story told to [[Ibn Battutah]], a mosque was built with the inscription: 'The Sultan Ahmad Shanurazah accepted Islam at the hand of Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari.'<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Battutah |first=Ibn |title=The Travels of Ibn Battutah |date=2002 |publisher=Picador |isbn=9780330418799 |location=London |pages=235–236, 320}}</ref><ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZF2spo9BKacC The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveller of the Fourteenth Century] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412233846/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZF2spo9BKacC |date=12 April 2016 }}''</ref> The folk tale regarding the spread of Islam by al-Barbari involved a local belief to an oceanic deity named [[Rannamaari]]. According to the legend, Rannamaari demanded sacrifice of a female virgin each month from the locals. This tradition practiced for long time, until al-Barbari visit Maldives and managed to convert the local ruler and convinced him along with his subjects to abandon the Rannamari worship.<ref name="StephanieSmith">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Stephanie Honchell |date=2019 |title=Sufis, Sea Monsters, and Miraculous Circumcisions: Conversion Narratives and Popular Memories of Islamization in Asia |url=https://worldhistoryconnected.press.uillinois.edu/16.3/smith.html |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=worldhistoryconnected.press.uillinois.edu}}</ref><ref name="XavierRannamari">{{Cite book |last=Romero-Frías |first=Xavier |title=Folk Tales of the Maldives |date=2012 |publisher=NIAS Press |isbn=978-87-7694-105-5 |edition= |location= |pages=74–75}}</ref> According to modern [[Norwegia]]n archaeologist {{ill|Egil Mikkelsen|no|MikkelsenRannaanari}}, it is likely the myth of Rannamari was heavily influenced by [[Vajrayana|Buddhist tantric]] rituals and beliefs that were practiced in the islands at the time.<ref name="MikkelsenRannaanari">[[:no:Egil Mikkelsen|Egil Mikkelsen]];{{Citation|last1=Mikkelsen |first1=Egil |title=The Conversion to Islam |date=2025-04-17 |work=The Archaeology of Buddhism in the Maldives |pages=203–217 |url=https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004729469_008 |access-date=2025-07-04 |publisher=BRILL |doi=10.1163/9789004729469_008 |isbn=978-90-04-72946-9|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Some scholars have suggested the possibility of Ibn Battuta misreading Maldive texts, and having a bias towards the North African, Maghrebi narrative of this Shaykh, instead of the Persian origins account that was known as well at the time.<ref>{{Citation |last=Honchell |first=Stephanie |title=Sufis, Sea Monsters, and Miraculous Circumcisions: Comparative Conversion Narratives and Popular Memories of Islamization |page=5 |year=2018 |url=https://humanities.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/content_migration/humanities_uct_ac_za/309/files/Paper%2520-%2520Sufis%2520Sea%2520Monsters%2520and%2520Miraculous%2520Circumcisions.pdf |publisher=[[Fairleigh Dickinson University]] and the [[University of Cape Town]] |quote=In reference to Ibn Battuta's Moroccan theory of this figure, citation 8 of this text mentions, that other accounts identify Yusuf Al Barbari as East African or Persian. But as a fellow Maghribi, Ibn Battuta likely felt partial to the Moroccan version. |access-date=16 May 2024 |archive-date=16 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516185324/https://humanities.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/content_migration/humanities_uct_ac_za/309/files/Paper%2520-%2520Sufis%2520Sea%2520Monsters%2520and%2520Miraculous%2520Circumcisions.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Others have it that he may have been from the Persian town of [[Tabriz]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=Paul, Ludwig |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DuKN47W68SkC&pg=PA31 |title=Persian Origins: Early Judaeo-Persian and the Emergence of New Persian : Collected Papers of the Symposium, Göttingen 1999 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |year=2003 |isbn=978-3-447-04731-9 |page=31 |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915151831/https://books.google.com/books?id=DuKN47W68SkC&pg=PA31 |archive-date=15 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> This interpretation, held by the more reliable local historical chronicles, Raadavalhi and Taarikh,<ref name="Visweswaran2011">{{cite book|author=Kamala Visweswaran|title=Perspectives on Modern South Asia: A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m-EYXNnvMugC&q=candles+ships+jinn&pg=PA164|date=6 May 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-0062-5|pages=164–|access-date=2 October 2020|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503032121/https://books.google.com/books?id=m-EYXNnvMugC&q=candles+ships+jinn&pg=PA164|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="sw">{{cite book|author=Ishtiaq Ahmed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jt8rBgAAQBAJ&q=islam+outside+the+arab+world+maldives&pg=PA250|title=Islam Outside the Arab World|year=2002|isbn=9780253022608|editor=Ingvar Svanberg|page=250| publisher=Routledge |editor2=David Westerlund|access-date=2 October 2020|archive-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503032057/https://books.google.com/books?id=Jt8rBgAAQBAJ&q=islam+outside+the+arab+world+maldives&pg=PA250|url-status=live}}</ref> is that Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari was Abdul Barakat Yusuf Shams ud-Dīn at-Tabrīzī, also locally known as Tabrīzugefānu.<ref>[[HCP Bell]], ''The Máldive Islands. Monograph on the History, Archæology, and Epigraphy'' with W. L. De Silva, Colombo 1940</ref> In the Arabic script the words al-Barbari and al-Tabrizi are very much alike, since at the time, Arabic had several consonants that looked identical and could only be differentiated by overall context (this has since changed by the addition of dots above or below letters to clarify pronunciation. For example, the letter "B" in modern Arabic has a dot below, whereas the letter "T" looks identical except there are two dots above it). "{{script|Arabic|ٮوسڡ الٮٮرٮرى}}" could be read as "Yusuf at-Tabrizi" or "Yusuf al-Barbari".<ref>{{cite book|last=Paul |first= Ludwig|title=Persian Origins--: Early Judaeo-Persian and the Emergence of New Persian: Collected Papers of the Symposium, Göttingen 1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DuKN47W68SkC&pg=PA31|year=2003|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3-447-04731-9|page=31|access-date=30 April 2017|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915151831/https://books.google.com/books?id=DuKN47W68SkC&pg=PA31|url-status=live}}</ref>

The venerated tomb of the scholar now stands on the grounds of [[Muliaage#Medhu Ziyaaraiy|Medhu Ziyaaraiy]], across the street from the Friday Mosque, or [[Malé Friday Mosque|Hukuru Miskiy]], in Malé. Originally built in 1153 and re-built in 1658,<ref name="Yoosuf">{{Cite web |last=Yoosuf |first=Muawwaz |date=2020-02-28 |title=Malé Friday Mosque |url=https://coralstonemosques.com/male-friday-mosque/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives |language=en-US}}</ref> this is one of the oldest surviving mosques in Maldives. Following the Islamic concept that before Islam there was the time of [[Jahiliyyah|Jahiliya]] (ignorance), in the history books used by Maldivians the [[#Introduction of Islam|introduction of Islam]] at the end of the 12th century is considered the cornerstone of the country's history. Nonetheless, the cultural influence of Buddhism remains, a reality directly experienced by Ibn Battuta during his nine months there sometime between 1341 and 1345, serving as a chief judge and marrying into the royal family of [[Omar I of the Maldives|Omar I]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Buchan |first=James |date=21 December 2002 |editor-last=Mackintosh-Smith |editor-first=Tim |title=The Travels of Ibn Battutah |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/dec/21/featuresreviews.guardianreview2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207085518/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/dec/21/featuresreviews.guardianreview2 |archive-date=7 December 2017 |access-date=6 December 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]] |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> For he became embroiled in local politics and left when his strict judgements in the laissez-faire island kingdom began to chafe with its rulers. In particular, he was angered at the local women going about with no clothing above the waist— a cultural epithet of the region at the time- was seen as a violation of Middle Eastern Islamic rules of modesty—and the locals taking no notice when he complained.<ref>Jerry Bently, ''Old World Encounters Cross-Cultural Contacts and Exchanges in Pre-Modern Times (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), 126''.</ref>

Compared to the other areas of South Asia, the conversion of Maldives to Islam happened relatively late. Maldives remained a Buddhist kingdom for another 500 years. Arabic became the prime language of administration (instead of Persian and Urdu), and the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence was introduced, both hinting at direct contact with the core of the Arab world.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Middle Eastern seafarers had just begun to take over the Indian Ocean trade routes in the 10th century and found Maldives to be an important link in those routes as the first landfall for traders from [[Basra]] sailing to Southeast Asia. Trade involved mainly [[cowrie shells]]—widely used as a form of currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast—and coir fibre. The [[Bengal Sultanate]], where cowrie shells were used as legal tender, was one of the principal trading partners of Maldives. The Bengal–Maldives cowry shell trade was the largest shell currency trade network in history.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Boomgaard |first=P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TXphAAAAQBAJ |title=Linking Destinies: Trade, Towns and Kin in Asian History |date=1 January 2008 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004253995 |access-date=23 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106131821/https://books.google.com/books?id=TXphAAAAQBAJ |archive-date=6 January 2017 |url-status=live |via=Google Books}}</ref>

The other essential product of Maldives was [[coir]], the fibre of the dried [[coconut]] [[husk]], resistant to saltwater. It stitched together and rigged the [[dhow]]s that plied the Indian Ocean. Maldivian coir was exported to [[Sindh]], [[China]], [[Yemen]], and the [[Persian Gulf]].

===Protectorate period===
[[File:ConstantinoBraganca.jpg|thumb|[[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese presence]] in Maldives was established in 1558, by order of [[Constantino of Braganza]], Viceroy of [[Portuguese India]].]]

In 1558, the Portuguese established a small garrison with a {{lang|pt|Viador}} ({{transliteration|dv|Viyazoaru}}), or overseer of a [[factory (trading post)]] in Maldives, which they administered from their main colony in [[Goa]]. Their attempts to forcefully impose Christianity with the threat of death provoked a local revolt led by [[Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-Auzam|Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A'uẓam]], his two brothers, and [[Dhuvaafaru]] Dhandahele, who fifteen years later drove the Portuguese out of Maldives. This event is now commemorated as [[Qaumee Dhuvas]] ({{Literal translation|National Day}}). It is celebrated on the 1st of [[Rabi' al-Awwal]], the third month of [[Islamic Calendar|Hijri]] (Islamic) calendar.<ref name="qaumiyyath">{{Cite web |title=As-Sultan Al-Ghaazee Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Auzam |url=https://www.qaumiyyath.gov.mv/docs/whitepapers/history/Mohamed%20Thakurufaanu.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111100308/http://www.qaumiyyath.gov.mv/docs/whitepapers/history/Mohamed%20Thakurufaanu.pdf |archive-date=11 November 2023 |access-date=11 November 2023 |website=National Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research}}</ref>

[[File:Codice Casanatense Maldivans.jpg|thumb|16th-century Portuguese illustration from the [[Códice Casanatense]], depicting workers]]
[[File:18th-century Maldives map by Pierre Mortier.jpg|thumb|18th-century map by [[Pierre Mortier]] from the [[Netherlands]], depicting with detail the islands of Maldives]]

In the mid-17th century, the Dutch, who had replaced the Portuguese as the dominant power in [[Ceylon]], established hegemony over Maldivian affairs without involving themselves directly in local matters, which were governed according to centuries-old Islamic customs.

The British expelled the Dutch from Ceylon in 1796 and included Maldives as a [[British protectorate]]. The status of Maldives as a British protectorate was officially recorded in an 1887 agreement in which the sultan [[Muhammad Mueenuddeen II]] accepted British influence over Maldivian external relations and defence while retaining home rule, which continued to be regulated by [[Muslim]] traditional institutions in exchange for an [[Maldivian annual tribute|annual tribute]]. The status of the islands was akin to other British protectorates in the Indian Ocean region, including [[Zanzibar]] and the [[Trucial States]].

[[File:Maldivas xvi.jpg|thumb| 17th-century Portuguese drawing of the fortress of Maldives and the archipelago. In Antonio Bocarro's book of Fortress (1632)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BOCARRO, António, 1594–1642? Livro das plantas de todas as fortalezas, cidades e povoaçoens do Estado da India Oriental / António Bocarro [1635] |url=http://purl.pt/27184/3/#/1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164421/https://purl.pt/27184/3/#/1 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=20 June 2020}}</ref>]]

In the British period, the Sultan's powers were taken over by the Chief Minister, much to the chagrin of the British Governor-General who continued to deal with the ineffectual Sultan. Consequently, Britain encouraged the development of a [[constitutional monarchy]], and the first Constitution was proclaimed in 1932. However, the new arrangements favoured neither the Sultan nor the Chief Minister, but rather a young crop of British-educated reformists. As a result, angry mobs were instigated against the Constitution which was publicly torn up.

Maldives remained a British crown protectorate until 1953 when the sultanate was suspended and the First Republic was declared under the short-lived presidency of [[Mohamed Amin Didi]]. While serving as prime minister during the 1940s, Didi nationalised the fish export industry. As president, he is remembered as a reformer of the education system and an advocate of [[women's rights]]. Conservatives in Malé ousted his government, and during a riot over food shortages, Didi was beaten by a mob and died on a nearby island.

[[File:Royal Air Force Operations in the Far East, 1941-1945 CF620.jpg|thumb|An [[RAF]] [[Short Sunderland]] moored in the lagoon at Addu Atoll, during WWII]]

Beginning in the 1950s, the political history in Maldives was largely influenced by the British military presence on the islands. In 1954, the restoration of the sultanate perpetuated the rule of the past. Two years later, the United Kingdom obtained permission to reestablish its wartime [[RAF Gan]] airfield in the southernmost Addu Atoll, employing hundreds of locals. In 1957, however, the new prime minister, [[Ibrahim Nasir]], called for a review of the agreement. Nasir was challenged in 1959 by a local secessionist movement in the three southernmost atolls that benefited economically from the British presence on [[Gan (Addu Atoll)|Gan]]. This group cut ties with Maldives government and formed an independent state, the [[United Suvadive Republic]] with [[Abdullah Afeef]] as president and [[Hithadhoo (Seenu Atoll)|Hithadhoo]] as its capital. One year later the Suvadive Republic was scrapped after Nasir sent gunboats from Malé with government police, and Abdullah Afeef went into exile. Meanwhile, in 1960 Maldives allowed the United Kingdom to continue to use both the [[RAF Gan|Gan]] and the Hithadhoo facilities for thirty years, with the payment of £750,000 from 1960 to 1965 for Maldives' economic development. The base was closed in 1976 as part of the larger British withdrawal of permanently stationed forces '[[East of Suez]]'.<ref name="gan.philliptsmall.me.uk">{{Cite web |last=Geary |first=Peter |date=17 May 1971 |title=The Sun never sets on the British Empire |url=http://gan.philliptsmall.me.uk/00%20-%20Articles/PeterGeary%20%5BBritish%20Empire%5D.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919212227/http://gan.philliptsmall.me.uk/00%20-%20Articles/PeterGeary%20%5BBritish%20Empire%5D.htm |archive-date=19 September 2013 |access-date=2 April 2013 |website=gan.philliptsmall.me.uk}}</ref>

===Independence and republic===
{{Main|Independence of the Maldives}}When the British became increasingly unable to continue their colonial hold on Asia and were losing their colonies to the indigenous populations who wanted freedom, on 26 July 1965 an agreement was signed on behalf of the Sultan by Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, Prime Minister, and on behalf of the British government by [[Michael Walker (diplomat)|Sir Michael Walker]], British Ambassador-designate to the Maldive Islands, which formally ended the British authority on the defence and external affairs of Maldives.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Laura |date=26 July 2015 |title=Maldives at Fifty: penning a chapter in history |url=https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/lauradavies/2015/07/26/maldives-at-fifty-penning-a-chapter-in-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425135723/https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/lauradavies/2015/07/26/maldives-at-fifty-penning-a-chapter-in-history/ |archive-date=25 April 2021 |access-date=26 July 2015 |website=Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office}}</ref> The islands thus achieved independence, with the ceremony taking place at the British High Commissioner's Residence in [[Colombo]]. After this, the sultanate continued for another three years under [[Muhammad Fareed Didi|Sir Muhammad Fareed Didi]], who declared himself King upon independence.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hadi |first1=Ahmedulla Abdul |date=26 July 2019 |title=The independence gained by the unyielding determination of Nasir |url=https://en.sun.mv/54575 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923210604/https://en.sun.mv/54575 |archive-date=23 September 2023 |access-date=26 July 2019 |agency=Sun News}}</ref>[[File:Flag of the Sultan of The Maldives.svg|thumb|Flag of the [[List of Maldivian monarchs|Sultan of Maldives]]]]
[[File:Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir signs independence papers.jpg|thumb|Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir signs independence agreement with the British on July 26, 1965.]]

On 15 November 1967, a vote was taken in parliament to decide whether Maldives should continue as a constitutional monarchy or become a republic.<ref>People's Majlis Archive
</ref> Of the 44 members of parliament, 40 voted in favour of a republic. On 15 March 1968, a [[1968 Maldivian constitutional referendum|national referendum]] was held on the question, and 93.34% of those taking part voted in favour of establishing a republic.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Riyaz |first1=Ahmed |date=11 November 2012 |title=ރާއްޖޭގެ ވެރިކަން ޖުމުހުރީ ވެރިކަމަކަށް ބަދަލުވުން |trans-title=Maldives Becomes a republic |url=http://utheemu.com/web/republic-day-maldives.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811034839/http://utheemu.com/web/republic-day-maldives.html |archive-date=11 August 2014 |access-date=11 November 2012 |work=Utheemu |language=dv}}</ref> The republic was declared on 11 November 1968, thus ending the 853-year-old monarchy, which was replaced by a republic under the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=James |date=26 July 2023 |title=How Maldives gained independence from the British empire |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/23679687.maldives-gained-independence-british-empire/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730063751/https://www.thenational.scot/news/23679687.maldives-gained-independence-british-empire/ |archive-date=30 July 2023 |access-date=26 July 2023 |work=The National}}</ref> As the King had held little real power, this was seen as a cosmetic change and required few alterations in the structures of government.

[[Tourism in the Maldives|Tourism]] began to be developed on the [[archipelago]] by the beginning of the 1970s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kachroo-Levine |first=Maya |date=25 May 2021 |title=How the Maldives Transformed From a Fishing Archipelago to a Tropical Hot Spot in 50 Years |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/island-vacations/maldives-history |access-date=25 May 2021 |work=Travel + Leisure |archive-date=26 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526033749/https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/island-vacations/maldives-history |url-status=live }}</ref> The first resort in Maldives was [[Kurumba Maldives]] which welcomed the first guests on 3 October 1972.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 September 2020 |title=The Beginning of Maldives Tourism Industry – History of the First Resort, Kurumba Maldives |url=https://mvhotels.travel/the-beginning-of-maldives-tourism-industry-history-of-the-first-resort-kurumba-maldives |access-date=27 September 2020 |work=Maldives Travel |archive-date=21 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221224056/https://mvhotels.travel/the-beginning-of-maldives-tourism-industry-history-of-the-first-resort-kurumba-maldives/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The first accurate census was held in December 1977 and showed 142,832 people living in Maldives.<ref>"[http://countrystudies.us/maldives/4.htm Maldives – Population". Library of Congress Country Studies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164344/http://countrystudies.us/maldives/4.htm |date=14 January 2021 }}</ref>

Political infighting during the 1970s between Nasir's faction and other political figures led to the 1975 arrest and exile of elected prime minister [[Ahmed Zaki (politician)|Ahmed Zaki]] to a remote [[atoll]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Presidential Rule Is Reported Imposed in Maldives|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/11/archives/presidential-rule-is-reported-imposed-in-maldives.html|access-date=16 May 2024 |website=The New York Times|date=11 March 1975 |archive-date=5 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250605023751/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/11/archives/presidential-rule-is-reported-imposed-in-maldives.html|url-status=live }}</ref> Economic decline followed the closure of the [[Gan International Airport|British airfield at Gan]] and the collapse of the market for dried fish, an important export. With support for his administration faltering, Nasir fled to Singapore in 1978, with millions of dollars from the treasury.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 December 2014 |title=Maldives |url=https://historygreatest.com/maldives |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=History's Greatest |quote=Economic decline followed the closure of the British airfield at Gan and the collapse of the market for dried fish, an important export. With support for his administration faltering, Nasir fled to Singapore in 1978, with millions of dollars from the treasury. |archive-date=16 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416194539/https://historygreatest.com/maldives |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom]] began his 30-year role as president in 1978, winning six consecutive elections without opposition. His election was seen as ushering in a period of political stability and economic development given Maumoon's priority to develop the poorer islands. Tourism flourished and increased foreign contact spurred development. However, Maumoon's rule was controversial, with some critics saying Maumoon was an autocrat who quelled dissent by limiting freedoms and practising political favouritism.<ref name="cnn_sinking">{{Cite news |date=11 November 2008 |title=Sinking island nation seeks new home |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/11/maldives.president/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206023636/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/11/maldives.president/index.html |archive-date=6 December 2008 |access-date=12 November 2008 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

A series of coup attempts (in 1980, 1983, and 1988) by Nasir supporters and business interests tried to topple the government without success. While the first two attempts met with little success, the [[1988 Maldives coup attempt|1988 coup attempt]] involved a roughly 80-strong mercenary force of the [[People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam|PLOTE]] who seized the airport and caused Maumoon to flee from house to house until the intervention of 1,600 [[Indian Armed Forces|Indian troops]] airlifted into Malé restored order.

The November 1988 coup d'état was headed by Ibrahim Lutfee, a businessman, and Sikka Ahmed Ismail Manik, the father of the former first lady of Maldives [[Fazna Ahmed]].<ref>{{cite news |date=7 December 2022 |title=Nov 3rd attack mastermind Sikka arrives in the Maldives after more than a decade |url=https://themaldivesjournal.com/44422 |access-date=7 December 2022 |work=The Maldives Journal |archive-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208093749/https://themaldivesjournal.com/44422 |url-status=live }}</ref> The attackers were defeated by then [[Maldives National Defence Force|National Security Services of Maldives]].<ref name="three">{{cite news |last1=Banka |first1=Neha |date=3 November 2022 |title=Operation Cactus: How India helped Maldives thwart coup bid backed by Lankan militants |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/operation-cactus-how-india-helped-maldives-end-a-coup-backed-by-lankan-militants-7605322/ |access-date=3 November 2022 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |location=Kolkata |archive-date=18 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220918132434/https://indianexpress.com/article/research/operation-cactus-how-india-helped-maldives-end-a-coup-backed-by-lankan-militants-7605322/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On the night of 3 November 1988, the [[Indian Air Force]] airlifted a [[Parachute Regiment (India)#Operation Cactus|parachute battalion group]] from [[Agra]] and flew them over {{convert|2000|km|mi}} to Maldives.<ref name="three" /> By the time Indian armed forces reached Maldives, the mercenary forces has already left Malé on the hijacked ship MV Progress Light.<ref name="three" /> The Indian [[paratroopers]] landed at [[Hulhulé Island|Hulhulé]] and secured the airfield and restored the government rule at Malé within hours.<ref name="three" /> The brief operation labelled ''Operation Cactus'', also involved the [[Indian Navy]] that assisted in capturing the freighter MV Progress Light and rescued the hostages and crew.<ref name="three" />

===21st century===
{{Main|History of the Maldives#21st century}}
Maldives [[Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on the Maldives|were devastated]] by a [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|tsunami]] on 26 December 2004, following the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|Indian Ocean earthquake]]. Only nine islands were reported to have escaped any flooding,<ref>{{Cite report |url=http://www.un.org/special-rep/ohrlls/ldc/MTR/Maldives.pdf |title=Maldives – Country Review Report on the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for LDCs |date=January 2009 |publisher=Ministry of Planning and National Development |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921081046/http://www.un.org/special-rep/ohrlls/ldc/MTR/Maldives.pdf |archive-date=21 September 2013 |via=United Nations |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Aldridge |first=Paul |date=24 March 2010 |title=Maldives Skyscraper – Floating States |url=https://www.evolo.us/maldives-skyscraper-floating-states/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010152057/http://www.evolo.us/architecture/maldives-skyscraper-floating-states/ |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=27 July 2011 |website=eVolo}}</ref> while fifty-seven islands faced serious damage to critical infrastructure, fourteen islands had to be totally evacuated, and six islands were destroyed. A further twenty-one resort islands were forced to close because of tsunami damage. The total damage was estimated at more than US$400&nbsp;million, or some 62% of the GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 December 2010 |title=UNDP: Discussion Paper – Achieving Debt Sustainability and the MDGs in Small Island Developing States: The Case of the Maldives |url=http://undp.org.mv/v2/publication_files/4d3d53b1f2a35.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112232609/http://undp.org.mv/v2/publication_files/4d3d53b1f2a35.pdf |archive-date=12 January 2012 |website=[[United Nations Development Programme]]}}</ref> 102 Maldivians and 6 foreigners reportedly died in the tsunami.<ref name="cnn_sinking" /> The destructive impact of the waves on the low-lying islands was mitigated by the fact there was no continental shelf or land mass upon which the waves could gain height. The tallest waves were reported to be {{convert|14|ft|m}} high.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Republic of Maldives – Tsunami: Impact and Recovery |url=http://www.undp.org.mv/v2/publication_files/4b36072ca065c.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328060124/http://www.undp.org.mv/v2/publication_files/4b36072ca065c.pdf |archive-date=28 March 2012 |access-date=18 September 2015 |website=[[United Nations Development Programme]]}}</ref>[[File:The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh along with other Head of State and Government of SAARC Countries, at the inaugural session of the 17th SAARC Summit, at Adu Atoll in Maldives on November 10, 2011.jpg|thumb|250px|[[17th SAARC summit]] in [[Addu City]], Maldives]]

During the later part of Maumoon's rule, independent political movements emerged in Maldives, which challenged the then-ruling [[Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party]] (Maldivian People's Party, MPP) and demanded democratic reform. The dissident journalist and activist [[Mohamed Nasheed]] founded the [[Maldivian Democratic Party]] (MDP) in 2003 and pressured Maumoon into allowing gradual political reforms.<ref name="brownpoliticalreview.org">{{Cite web |last1=Brecehenmacher |first1=Victor |last2=Mendis |first2=Nikhita |date=22 April 2015 |title=Autocracy and Back Again: The Ordeal of the Maldives |url=https://brownpoliticalreview.org/2015/04/autocracy-and-back-again-the-ordeal-of-the-maldives/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164352/https://brownpoliticalreview.org/2015/04/autocracy-and-back-again-the-ordeal-of-the-maldives/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Brown Political Review |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2008, a new constitution was approved and the [[2008 Maldivian presidential election|first direct presidential elections]] occurred, which were won by Nasheed in the second round. His administration faced many challenges, including the huge debt left by the previous government, the economic downturn following the 2004 tsunami, overspending using overprinting of local currency (the [[rufiyaa]]), unemployment, corruption, and increasing drug use.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 June 2009 |title=The Quality of Political Appointees in the Nasheed Administration |url=https://raajjenews.blogspot.com/2009/06/quality-of-political-appointees-in.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164400/http://raajjenews.blogspot.com/2009/06/quality-of-political-appointees-in.html |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=21 February 2012 |work=Raajje News Blog}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=April 2013}} Taxation on goods was imposed for the first time in the country, and import duties were reduced on many goods and services. Universal health insurance ([[Aasandha]]) and social welfare benefits were given to those aged 65 years or older, single parents, and those with special needs.<ref name="cnn_sinking" />

Social and [[2011–2013 Maldives political crisis|political unrest grew in late 2011]], following opposition campaigns in the name of protecting Islam. Nasheed controversially resigned from office after a large number of police and army mutinied in February 2012. Nasheed's vice-president, [[Mohamed Waheed Hassan|Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik]], was sworn in as president.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 February 2012 |title=Maldives president quits after protests |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/2/7/maldives-president-quits-after-protests |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164507/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/2/7/maldives-president-quits-after-protests |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=6 February 2012 |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref>
Nasheed was later arrested,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mallawarachi |first=Bharatha |date=8 October 2012 |title=Mohamed Nasheed, Former Maldives President, Arrested after Failing to Appear in Court |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/mohamed-nasheed-maldives-former-president-arrested_n_1947348.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310062645/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/mohamed-nasheed-maldives-former-president-arrested_n_1947348.html |archive-date=10 March 2016 |work=[[HuffPost]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> convicted of terrorism, and sentenced to 13 years. The trial was widely seen as flawed and political. The [[Working Group on Arbitrary Detention|UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention]] called for Nasheed's immediate release.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Naafiz |first=Ali |date=20 October 2015 |title=Maldives opposition seeks India's help in jailed leader's release |url=http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/63227 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021134808/http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/63227 |archive-date=21 October 2015 |access-date=24 October 2015 |work=[[Haveeru Daily]]}}</ref>

The [[2013 Maldivian presidential election]] results were highly contested. Former president Nasheed won the most votes in the first round, but the [[Supreme Court of the Maldives|Supreme Court]] annulled it despite the positive assessment of international election observers. In the re-run vote [[Abdulla Yameen]], the half-brother of the former president Maumoon, assumed the presidency.<ref name="brownpoliticalreview.org" /> Yameen survived an assassination attempt in late 2015.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Iyengar |first=Rishi |date=28 September 2015 |title=Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Escapes Unhurt After Explosion on His Boat |url=https://time.com/4051674/maldives-president-abdulla-yameen-boat-blast/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164358/https://time.com/4051674/maldives-president-abdulla-yameen-boat-blast/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=16 May 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> Vice-president [[Mohamed Jameel Ahmed]] was removed from office after a [[no confidence motion]] from the People's Majlis, it was alleged that he was conspiring with opposition political parties and planning riots.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Muhsin |first=Mohamed Fathih Abdul |date=15 February 2021 |title=Was removed from office without being allowed a proper defense: Dr Jameel |url=https://timesofaddu.com/2021/02/15/was-removed-from-office-without-being-allowed-a-proper-defense-dr-jameel/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=The Times of Addu |archive-date=9 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509182244/https://timesofaddu.com/2021/02/15/was-removed-from-office-without-being-allowed-a-proper-defense-dr-jameel/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Vice-president [[Ahmed Adeeb]] was later arrested together with 17 supporters for "public order offences" and the government instituted a broader crackdown against his accomplices. A [[state of emergency]] was later declared ahead of a planned anti-government rally,<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 November 2015 |title=Maldives declares 30-day emergency |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34718916 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164358/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34718916 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> and the People's Majlis (parliament) accelerated the removal of Adeeb.<ref name="majlis.gov.mv">{{Cite web |date=5 November 2015 |title=Majlis passes declaration to remove VP from office |url=http://www.majlis.gov.mv/en/2015/11/05/majlis-passes-declaration-to-remove-ahmed-adeeb-abdul-gafoor-from-the-post-of-vice-president/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714204131/http://www.majlis.gov.mv/en/2015/11/05/majlis-passes-declaration-to-remove-ahmed-adeeb-abdul-gafoor-from-the-post-of-vice-president/ |archive-date=14 July 2016 |website=People's Majlis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 November 2015 |title=Maldives revokes state of emergency amid global outcry and tourism worries |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/10/maldives-revokes-state-of-emergency |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164354/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/10/maldives-revokes-state-of-emergency |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=10 November 2015 |work=[[The Guardian]] |publication-place=Malé, Maldives |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

[[2018 Maldivian presidential election|In the 2018 election]], [[Ibrahim Mohamed Solih]] won the most votes, and was sworn in as Maldives' new president in November 2018. Adeeb was freed by courts in Male in July 2019 after his conviction on charges of terrorism and corruption was overruled but was placed under a [[travel ban]] after the state prosecutor appealed the order in a corruption and money laundering case. Adeeb escaped in a [[tugboat]] to [[Asylum seeker|seek asylum]] in India. It is understood that the [[Indian Coast Guard]] escorted the tugboat to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and he was then "transferred" to a [[Maldivian Coast Guard]] ship, where officials took him into custody.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Haidar |first1=Suhasini |last2=Radhakrishnan |first2=Hariprasad |date=3 August 2019 |title=Adeeb returns to Maldives, arrested with quiet help from India |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-maldives-vice-president-ahmed-adeeb-transferred-to-countrys-authorities-sources/article28806538.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164429/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-maldives-vice-president-ahmed-adeeb-transferred-to-countrys-authorities-sources/article28806538.ece |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=3 August 2019 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>
Former president Abdulla Yameen was sentenced to five years in prison in November 2019 for money laundering. The [[High Court of the Maldives|High Court]] upheld the jail sentence in January 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zalif |first=Zunana |date=21 January 2021 |title=High Court upholds ex-president's five-year jail sentence |url=https://raajje.mv/94119 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122005946/https://raajje.mv/94119 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |access-date=16 May 2024 |publisher=[[Raajje TV]]}}</ref> However, Supreme Court overturned Yameen's conviction in November 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Junayd |first=Mohamed |date=30 November 2021 |title=Maldives' ex-president Yameen walks free after graft conviction overturned |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/maldives-ex-president-yameen-walks-free-after-graft-conviction-overturned-2021-11-30/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303175531/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/maldives-ex-president-yameen-walks-free-after-graft-conviction-overturned-2021-11-30/ |archive-date=3 March 2022 |access-date=5 March 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |language=en}}</ref>

In the [[2023 Maldivian presidential election|2023 election]], [[People's National Congress (Maldives)|People's National Congress]] (PNC) candidate [[Mohamed Muizzu]] won the second-round runoff of Maldives presidential election, beating incumbent president, Ibrahim Solih, with 54% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Junayd |first=Mohamed |date=2023-10-01 |title=Maldives opposition candidate Muizzu wins presidential vote |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/maldives-opposition-candidate-muizzu-wins-presidential-vote-2023-10-01/ |access-date=2023-11-10 |work=[[Reuters]] |language=en |archive-date=10 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110101533/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/maldives-opposition-candidate-muizzu-wins-presidential-vote-2023-10-01/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 17 October 2023, Mohamed Muizzu was sworn in as the eighth President of the Republic of Maldives.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-11-18 |title=Mohamed Muizzu sworn in as Maldives president, says will remove 'foreign' troops |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/mohamed-muizzu-sworn-in-as-maldives-president-says-will-remove-foreign-troops/articleshow/105303033.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-11-24 |work=[[The Times of India]] |issn=0971-8257 |agency=[[Press Trust of India]] |archive-date=24 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124110555/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/mohamed-muizzu-sworn-in-as-maldives-president-says-will-remove-foreign-troops/articleshow/105303033.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref> Mohamed Muizzu is widely seen to be pro-China, souring relations with India.<ref>{{cite news |last=Eguegu |first=Ovigwe |date=24 January 2024 |title=What the China-Maldives-India Triangle Tells Us About 21st Century Balancing |url=https://thediplomat.com/2024/01/what-the-china-maldives-india-triangle-tells-us-about-21st-century-balancing/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]] |archive-date=22 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322102506/https://thediplomat.com/2024/01/what-the-china-maldives-india-triangle-tells-us-about-21st-century-balancing/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024, ex-President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom was freed from his 11-year conviction and the High Court ordered a new trial.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 April 2024 |title=Maldives High Court overturns ex-President Abdulla Yameen's prison sentence |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/18/maldives-high-court-frees-jailed-ex-president-abdulla-yameen |access-date=16 May 2024 |publisher=Al Jazeera |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502161416/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/18/maldives-high-court-frees-jailed-ex-president-abdulla-yameen |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of the Maldives}}
Maldives consists of 1,192 [[coral island]]s grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, that stretch along a length of {{convert|871|km|mi|abbr=off}} north to south, {{convert|130|km|mi|abbr=off}} east to west, spread over roughly {{convert|90000|km²}}, of which only {{convert|298|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} is dry land, making this one of the world's most dispersed countries. It lies between latitudes [[1st parallel south|1°S]] and [[8th parallel north|8°N]], and longitudes [[72nd meridian east|72°]] and [[74th meridian east|74°E]]. The atolls are composed of live [[coral reef]]s and [[sand bar]]s, situated atop a submarine ridge {{convert|960|km}} long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs north to south.[[File:Malosmadulu Atolls, Maldives.jpg|thumb|upright|Maalhosmadulu Atoll seen from space. [[Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll]] and [[Southern Maalhosmadulu Atoll]] can be seen in this picture.]]
[[File:Man on sand bank in the Maldives looking at sea.jpg|thumb|Dark clouds bringing heavy rain, common in the rainy season]]

Only near the southern end of this natural coral barricade do two open passages permit safe ship navigation from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other through the territorial waters of Maldives. For administrative purposes, the Maldivian government organised these atolls into 21 [[Administrative divisions of the Maldives|administrative divisions]]. The largest island of Maldives is that of [[Gan (Laamu Atoll)|Gan]], which belongs to Laamu Atoll or Hahdhummathi Maldives. In Addu Atoll, the westernmost islands are connected by roads over the reef (collectively called Link Road), and the total length of the road is {{convert|14|km|0|abbr=on}}.

Maldives is the lowest country in the world, with maximum and average natural ground levels of only {{convert|2.4|m}} and {{convert|1.5|m}} above sea level, respectively. In areas where construction exists, however, this has been increased to several metres. More than 80 per cent of the country's land is composed of coral islands which rise less than one metre above sea level.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 June 2010 |title=Entire Maldives cabinet resigns |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2010/6/29/entire-maldives-cabinet-resigns |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111052220/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2010/06/201062915490741700.html |archive-date=11 January 2012 |access-date=30 June 2010 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> As a result, Maldives are in danger of being submerged due to [[Sea level rise|rising sea levels]]. The [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] has warned that, at current rates, sea-level rise would be high enough to make Maldives uninhabitable by 2100.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Angelo |first=Megan |date=1 May 2009 |title=Honey, I Sunk the Maldives: Environmental changes could wipe out some of the world's most well-known travel destinations |url=http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-27384279 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717041919/http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-27384279 |archive-date=17 July 2012 |website=[[Yahoo! Travel]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=19 April 2009 |title=Climate refugees in Pacific flee rising sea |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/19/rising-sea-levels-in-pacific-create-wave-of-migran/ |access-date=28 August 2015 |work=[[The Washington Times]] |archive-date=6 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906033747/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/19/rising-sea-levels-in-pacific-create-wave-of-migran/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Bathala (Maldives) 8.JPG|thumb|left|A beach of [[Bathala (island)|Bathala]] island]]

Maldives has a [[tropical monsoon climate]] (Am) under the [[Köppen climate classification]], which is affected by the large landmass of South Asia to the north. Because Maldives has the lowest elevation of any country in the world, the temperature is constantly hot and often humid. The presence of this landmass causes differential heating of land and water. These factors set off a rush of moisture-rich air from the Indian Ocean over South Asia, resulting in the southwest [[monsoon]]. Two seasons dominate Maldives' weather: the dry season associated with the winter northeastern monsoon and the rainy season associated with the southwest monsoon which brings strong winds and storms.<ref name="Climate">{{Cite web |title=Climate |url=https://www.meteorology.gov.mv/climate |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213020544/https://www.meteorology.gov.mv/climate |archive-date=13 December 2021 |access-date=13 December 2021 |website=Maldives Meteorological Service}}</ref>

The shift from the dry northeast monsoon to the moist southwest monsoon occurs during April and May. During this period, the southwest winds contribute to the formation of the southwest monsoon, which reaches Maldives at the beginning of June and lasts until the end of November. However, the weather patterns of Maldives do not always conform to the monsoon patterns of South Asia. The annual rainfall averages {{convert|254|cm}} in the north and {{convert|381|cm}} in the south.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maldives |url=http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/maldives.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010151307/http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/maldives.htm |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=27 July 2011 |website=Atlapedia}}</ref><ref name="Climate" />

The monsoonal influence is greater in the north of Maldives than in the south, more influenced by the [[Equatorial Counter Current|equatorial currents]].

The average high temperature is 31.5 degrees Celsius and the average low temperature is 26.4 degrees Celsius.<ref name="Climate" />

{{Clear}}

{{Weather box|location = Malé (1981–2010)
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan high C = 30.3
|Feb high C = 30.7
|Mar high C = 31.4
|Apr high C = 31.6
|May high C = 31.2
|Jun high C = 30.6
|Jul high C = 30.5
|Aug high C = 30.4
|Sep high C = 30.2
|Oct high C = 30.2
|Nov high C = 30.1
|Dec high C = 30.1
|year high C =
|Jan mean C = 28.0
|Feb mean C = 28.3
|Mar mean C = 28.9
|Apr mean C = 29.2
|May mean C = 28.8
|Jun mean C = 28.3
|Jul mean C = 28.2
|Aug mean C = 28.0
|Sep mean C = 27.8
|Oct mean C = 27.8
|Nov mean C = 27.7
|Dec mean C = 27.8
|year mean C = 28.2
|Jan low C = 25.7
|Feb low C = 25.9
|Mar low C = 26.4
|Apr low C = 26.8
|May low C = 26.3
|Jun low C = 26.0
|Jul low C = 25.8
|Aug low C = 25.5
|Sep low C = 25.3
|Oct low C = 25.4
|Nov low C = 25.2
|Dec low C = 25.4
|year low C = 25.8
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 114.2
|Feb rain mm = 38.1
|Mar rain mm = 73.9
|Apr rain mm = 122.5
|May rain mm = 218.9
|Jun rain mm = 167.3
|Jul rain mm = 149.9
|Aug rain mm = 175.5
|Sep rain mm = 199.0
|Oct rain mm = 194.2
|Nov rain mm = 231.1
|Dec rain mm = 216.8
|year rain mm = 1901.4
|Jan humidity = 78.0
|Feb humidity = 77.0
|Mar humidity = 76.9
|Apr humidity = 78.1
|May humidity = 80.8
|Jun humidity = 80.7
|Jul humidity = 79.1
|Aug humidity = 80.5
|Sep humidity = 81.0
|Oct humidity = 81.7
|Nov humidity = 82.2
|Dec humidity = 80.9
|year humidity = 79.7
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6
|Feb precipitation days = 3
|Mar precipitation days = 5
|Apr precipitation days = 9
|May precipitation days = 15
|Jun precipitation days = 13
|Jul precipitation days = 12
|Aug precipitation days = 13
|Sep precipitation days = 15
|Oct precipitation days = 15
|Nov precipitation days = 13
|Dec precipitation days = 12
|year precipitation days = 131
|Jan sun = 248.4
|Feb sun = 257.8
|Mar sun = 279.6
|Apr sun = 246.8
|May sun = 223.2
|Jun sun = 202.3
|Jul sun = 226.6
|Aug sun = 211.5
|Sep sun = 200.4
|Oct sun = 234.8
|Nov sun = 226.1
|Dec sun = 220.7
|year sun = 2778.2
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name="WMO">{{Cite web |title=World Weather Information Service – Malé |url=http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=228 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226044058/http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=228 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |access-date=17 March 2016 |publisher=WMO}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[NOAA|NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Malé Climate 1961–90 |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/MV/43555.TXT |access-date=17 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010150911/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/MV/43555.TXT |archive-date=2017-10-10 |url-status=dead |publisher=[[NOAA]]}}</ref>
}}

===Sea level rise===
{{Main|Climate change in the Maldives}}

{{see also|Effects of climate change on island nations|The Island President}}

In 1988, Maldivian authorities claimed that sea rise would "completely cover this Indian Ocean nation of 1,196 small islands within the next 30 years."<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 September 1988 |title=Threat to islands |language=en |page=6 |work=[[The Canberra Times]] |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]] |issue=19348, Vol. 63 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/102074798 |access-date=15 November 2021 |quote=A gradual rise in average sea level is threatening to completely cover this Indian Ocean nation of 1196 small islands with- in the next 30 years, ac- cording to authorities. The Environmental Affairs Director, Mr Hussein Shihab, said an estimated rise of 20 to 30 centimetres in the next 20 to 40 years could be "catastrophic" |archive-date=15 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115033208/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/102074798 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]]'s 2007 report predicted the upper limit of the [[sea level rise]] will be {{convert|59|cm}} by 2100, which means that most of the republic's 200 inhabited islands may need to be abandoned.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 January 2012 |title=Where climate change threatens survival |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/where-climate-change-threatens-survival-20120108-1pq4c.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164406/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/where-climate-change-threatens-survival-20120108-1pq4c.html |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=18 September 2015 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref> According to researchers from the [[University of Southampton]], Maldives are the third most endangered island nation due to flooding from [[climate change]] as a percentage of population.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stephen |first=Marcus |author-link=Marcus Stephen |date=14 November 2011 |title=A sinking feeling: Why is the president of the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru so concerned about climate change? |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+sinking+feeling%3A+why+is+the+president+of+the+tiny+Pacific+island...-a0273079165 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209212434/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+sinking+feeling%3A+why+is+the+president+of+the+tiny+Pacific+island...-a0273079165 |archive-date=9 February 2015 |access-date=9 February 2015 |work=[[The New York Times Upfront]] |quote=Most Endangered Island nations at highest risk for flooding due to climate change 3 Maldives (Indian Ocean)}}</ref>

In 2008, Nasheed announced plans to look into purchasing new land in India, Sri Lanka, and Australia because he was concerned about global warming, and the possibility of much of the islands being inundated with water from rising sea levels. The purchase of land will be made from a fund generated by tourism. The president explained his intentions: "We do not want to leave Maldives, but we also do not want to be [[Climate migration|climate refugees]] living in tents for decades".<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news |last=Ramesh |first=Randeep |date=10 November 2008 |title=Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/nov/10/maldives-climate-change |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164412/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/nov/10/maldives-climate-change |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=12 May 2010 |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London}}</ref>
At the 2009 International Climate Talks, Nasheed stated that:<blockquote>For us swearing off fossil fuels is not only the right thing to do, but it is also in our economic self-interest... Pioneering countries will free themselves from the unpredictable price of foreign oil; they will capitalise on the new green economy of the future, and they will enhance their moral standing giving them greater political influence on the world stage.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 June 2011 |title=Climate Change Gridlock: Where Do We Go From Here? (Part 1) |url=https://www.radioproject.org/2011/06/climate-change-gridlock-where-do-we-go-from-here-part-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164424/https://www.radioproject.org/2011/06/climate-change-gridlock-where-do-we-go-from-here-part-1/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=30 June 2011 |work=Making Contact |agency=National Radio Project}}</ref></blockquote>

Former president [[Mohamed Nasheed]] said in 2012 "If carbon emissions continue at the rate they are climbing today, my country will be underwater in seven years."<ref name="Guilfordian">{{Cite news |last=Catoe |first=Linda |title=Endangered island nations call for global action on climate change |work=The Guilfordian |url=https://www.guilfordian.com/worldnation/2012/04/06/endangered-island-nations-call-for-global-action-on-climate-change/ |url-status=live |access-date=30 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164407/https://www.guilfordian.com/worldnation/2012/04/06/endangered-island-nations-call-for-global-action-on-climate-change/ |archive-date=14 January 2021}}</ref> He has called for more [[climate change mitigation]] action while on the American television shows ''[[The Daily Show]]''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 April 2012 |title=Exclusive – Mohamed Nasheed Extended Interview Pt. 2 |url=http://www.cc.com/video-clips/ptdix5/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164433/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/ptdix5/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--2 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=14 February 2017 |website=The Daily Show |publisher=Comedy Central}}</ref> and the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'',<ref name="Guilfordian" /> and hosted "the world's first underwater cabinet meeting" in 2009 to raise awareness of the threats posed by climate change.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Olivia |date=17 October 2009 |title=Maldives leader in climate change stunt |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8312320.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701130145/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8312320.stm |archive-date=1 July 2010 |access-date=19 October 2010 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Concerns over rising sea levels have also been expressed by Nasheed's predecessor, [[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gayoom |first=Maumoon Abdul |author-link=Maumoon Abdul Gayoom |title=Address by his Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives, at the nineteenth special session of the United Nations General Assembly for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of agenda 21 – 24 June 1997 |url=http://www.un.int/maldives/ungass.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613232908/http://www.un.int/maldives/ungass.htm |archive-date=13 June 2006 |access-date=6 January 2006 |website=Permanent Mission of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations}}</ref>

In 2020, a three-year study at the [[University of Plymouth]] which looked at Maldives and the [[Marshall Islands]], found that tides move sediment to create a higher elevation, a morphological response that the researchers suggested could help low-lying islands adjust to sea level rise and keep the islands habitable. The research also reported that [[Seawall|sea walls]] were compromising islands' ability to adjust to rising sea levels and that island drowning is an inevitable outcome for islands with coastal structures like sea walls.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Physical impacts of climate change on coral reef islands |url=https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/support/funding/global-challenges-research-fund/gerd-masselink-gcrf-project-2020 |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=University of Plymouth |language=en |archive-date=11 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311121844/https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/support/funding/global-challenges-research-fund/gerd-masselink-gcrf-project-2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Hideki Kanamaru, natural resources officer with the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] in Asia-Pacific, said the study provided a "new perspective" on how island nations could tackle the challenge of sea-level rise, and that even if islands can adapt naturally to higher seas by raising their own crests, humans still needed to double down on global warming and protection for island populations.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Michael |date=10 June 2020 |title=Small islands may not disappear under rising seas, researchers find |url=https://news.trust.org/item/20200610171616-1ul7a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164424/https://news.trust.org/item/20200610171616-1ul7a |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=18 May 2024 |work=[[Thomson Reuters Foundation]]}}</ref>

===Environment{{anchor|Environmental issues}}===
Environmental issues other than [[sea level rise]] include bad waste disposal and [[sand theft]]. Although Maldives are kept relatively pristine and little [[litter]] can be found on the islands, most [[Waste management|waste disposal]] sites are often substandard. The bulk of the waste from Malé and nearby resorts in Maldives is disposed of at [[Thilafushi]], an industrial island on top of a lagoon reclaimed in the early '90s to sort waste management issues which had plagued the capital and surrounding islands.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=Judith |date=24 April 2015 |title=Maldives island swamped by rising tide of waste |url=https://www.ft.com/content/29399966-e80b-11e4-9960-00144feab7de |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164426/https://www.ft.com/content/29399966-e80b-11e4-9960-00144feab7de |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=14 February 2017 |work=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref>

[[List of Protected Areas of Maldives|31 protected areas]] are administered by the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Maldives.<ref name="Maldives Protected Areas">{{Cite web |title=Protected Areas – Maldives |url=http://epa.gov.mv/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=5&Itemid=25&limitstart=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304134336/http://epa.gov.mv/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=5&Itemid=25&limitstart=1 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=25 May 2013 |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref>

===Marine ecosystem===
[[File:Maldives soft coral.jpg|thumb|Maldives soft coral]]
[[File:Maldives Oriental sweetlips, Plectorhinchus vittatus.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Oriental sweetlips]] (''Plectorhinchus vittatus'') at [[Meeru Island]], North Male Atoll]]
The waters surrounding Maldives contain diverse marine life, including various [[coral]]s, over 2,000 species of fish,<ref>{{cite web |date=3 December 2023 |title=Discovering the Maldives Underwater Marine Life |url=https://www.mymaldives.com/maldives/marine-life/ |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=My Maldives |archive-date=25 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225150457/https://www.mymaldives.com/maldives/marine-life/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and rare species of biological and commercial significance, with [[tuna fisheries]] representing a longstanding traditional resource. Freshwater fish such as the [[milkfish]] ([[Milkfish|Chanos chanos]]) and various smaller species thrive within ponds, marshes and other limited freshwater habitats. In the 1970s, a [[United Nations]] agency{{which|date=October 2025}} facilitated the introduction of the [[tilapia]] or mouth-breeder.

Maldives have different habitats including [[deep sea]], shallow coast, and reef ecosystems, fringing [[mangrove]]s, wetlands, and dry land. 187 species of coral form the [[coral reefs]]. This area of the Indian Ocean, alone, houses 1,100 [[species]] of fish, 5 species of [[sea turtle]], 21 species of whale and dolphin, 400 species of [[mollusc]], and 83 species of [[echinoderms]]. The area is also populated by several crustacean species: 120 [[copepod]]s, and 15 [[amphipod]]s, as well as more than 145 [[crab]] and 48 [[shrimp]] species.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity of Maldives |url=https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/mv/mv-nr-04-en.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104002542/https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/mv/mv-nr-04-en.pdf |archive-date=4 November 2015 |access-date=2 April 2013 |website=Convention on Biological Diversity |publisher=Ministry of Housing and Environment |page=7}}</ref>

Among the many marine families represented are [[pufferfish]], [[Caesionidae|fusiliers]], [[Carangidae|jackfish]], [[lionfish]], [[oriental sweetlips]], [[reef sharks]], [[grouper]]s, eels, [[Lutjanidae|snappers]], [[bannerfish]], [[Ogcocephalidae|batfish]], [[humphead wrasse]], [[spotted eagle ray]]s, [[scorpionfish]], [[lobster]]s, [[nudibranches]], [[Pomacanthidae|angelfish]], [[butterflyfish]], [[squirrelfish]], [[soldierfish]], [[Asiatic glassfish|glassfish]], [[surgeonfish]], [[Naso (fish)|unicornfish]], [[triggerfish]], [[Napoleon wrasse]], and [[barracuda]].<ref name="scuba">{{Cite web |title=Maldives Marine Life |url=http://www.scubadivemaldives.com/category/maldives-marine-life/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222080727/http://www.scubadivemaldives.com/category/maldives-marine-life/ |archive-date=22 December 2011 |access-date=2 April 2013 |website=Scuba Dive Maldives}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sharks of the Maldives |url=http://www.themaldives.com/diving/maldives-sharks.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110131054/http://www.themaldives.com/diving/maldives-sharks.html |archive-date=10 January 2017 |access-date=12 February 2017 |website=The Maldives}}</ref>

These coral reefs are home to various marine ecosystems that include species such as [[planktonic]] organisms and [[whale shark]]s. Five species of [[sponge]] have displayed anti-[[tumor]] and anti-[[cancer]] properties.<ref name="Coral reefs">{{Cite web |title=Regional Workshop on the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Coral Reefs |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5627E/X5627E00.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164420/http://www.fao.org/3/X5627E/X5627E00.htm |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=2 April 2013 |website=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]]}}</ref>

In 1998, sea-temperature warming of as much as {{convert|5|C-change}} due to a single [[El Niño-Southern Oscillation|El Niño phenomenon]] event caused [[coral bleaching]] and killed two-thirds of the nation's coral reefs.<ref name="Wheatley">{{Cite web |last=Wheatley |first=Alan |date=2 May 2004 |title=Maldives Nurses Its Coral Reefs Back to Life |url=http://www.globalcoral.org/Maldives%20Nurses%20Its%20Coral%20Reefs%20Back%20to%20Life.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921010958/http://www.globalcoral.org/Maldives%20Nurses%20Its%20Coral%20Reefs%20Back%20to%20Life.htm |archive-date=21 September 2013 |access-date=2 April 2013 |website=Global Coral Reef Alliance}}</ref>

To induce the regrowth of the reefs, scientists placed electrified cones anywhere from {{convert|20|–|60|ft}} below the surface to provide a substrate for larval coral attachment. In 2004, scientists witnessed corals regenerating. Corals began to eject pink-orange eggs and sperm. The growth of these electrified corals was five times faster than untreated corals.<ref name=Wheatley/> Scientist Azeez Hakim stated:

{{Blockquote| Before 1998, we never thought that this reef would die. We had always taken for granted that these animals would be there, that this reef would be there forever. El Niño gave us a wake-up call that these things are not going to be there forever. Not only this, but they also act as a natural barrier against tropical storms, floods, and tsunamis. Seaweeds grow on the skeletons of dead coral.<ref name="scuba" />}}

Again, in 2016, the coral reefs of Maldives experienced a [[Coral bleaching#Maldives|severe bleaching incident]]. Up to 95% of coral around some islands have died, and, even after six months, 100% of young coral transplants died. The surface water temperatures reached an all-time high in 2016, at 31 degrees Celsius in May.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 July 2016 |title=Coral Bleaching Updates |url=http://marinesavers.com/2016/07/coral-bleaching-updates/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164516/https://marinesavers.com/2016/07/coral-bleaching-updates/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=12 February 2017 |website=MarineSavers |publisher=Marine Savers and Four Seasons Resorts Maldives (2012–2017)}}</ref>

Recent scientific studies suggest that the faunistic composition can vary greatly between neighbour atolls, especially in terms of [[benthic fauna]]. Differences in terms of fishing pressure (including [[poaching]]) could be the cause.<ref name="Ducarme between">{{Cite journal |last=Ducarme |first=Frédéric |year=2016 |title=Field Observations of Sea Cucumbers in Ari Atoll, and Comparison with Two Nearby Atolls in Maldives |url=http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/BDM/36/BDM36_09_Ducarme.pdf |url-status=live |journal=SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin |volume=36 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010151307/http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/BDM/36/BDM36_09_Ducarme.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref>

===Wildlife===
{{Main|Wildlife of the Maldives}}

{{Multiple image
| total_width       = 300
| image1            = Rekiny wąsate, Malediwy.jpg
| alt1              = Sharks
| image2            = Addu City, Maldives (Unsplash UWCIzF2gkdg).jpg
| alt2              = Nature Park
| align             = left
| image3            = Maldives 09642.JPG
| alt3              = Flower
| image4            = Maldives 00345.JPG
| alt4              = Bird
| perrow            = 2/2
| footer            = Clockwise from top left: [[Tawny nurse shark]]s near [[Vaavu Atoll]], pier in [[Addu City]], ''[[Butorides striata]]'', and ''[[Ixora]] sp.''
}}
The [[wildlife of the Maldives|wildlife of Maldives]] includes the [[flora]] and [[fauna]] of the [[Islands of the Maldives|islands]], reefs, and the surrounding ocean. Recent scientific studies suggest that the fauna varies greatly between [[Atolls of the Maldives|atolls]] following a north–south gradient, but important differences between neighbouring atolls were also found (especially in terms of sea animals), which may be linked to differences in fishing pressure – including poaching.<ref name=Ducarme-2016-V36>{{cite report |first=Frédéric |last=Ducarme |year=2016 |title=Field observations of sea cucumbers in Ari Atoll, and comparison with two nearby atolls in Maldives |series=Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin |volume=36 |publisher=[[South Pacific Commission]] |url=http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/BDM/36/BDM36_09_Ducarme.pdf |access-date=31 March 2016 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010151307/http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/BDM/36/BDM36_09_Ducarme.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The terrestrial habitats of Maldives are confronted with a significant threat as extensive development encroaches swiftly upon the limited land resources. Once seldom frequented, previously uninhabited islands now teeter on the brink of extinction, virtually devoid of untouched expanses. Over recent decades of intensive development, numerous natural environments crucial to indigenous species have suffered severe endangerment or outright destruction.

Coral reef habitats have been damaged, as the pressure for land has brought about the creation of artificial islands. Some reefs have been filled with rubble with little regard for the changes in the currents on the reef shelf and how the new pattern would affect coral growth and its related life forms on the reef edges.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Coral recovery in the central Maldives archipelago since the last major mass-bleaching, in 1998 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/srep34720.pdf |journal=Scientific Reports |year=2016 |doi=10.1038/srep34720 |access-date=3 October 2016 |last1=Pisapia |first1=C. |last2=Burn |first2=D. |last3=Yoosuf |first3=R. |last4=Najeeb |first4=A. |last5=Anderson |first5=K. D. |last6=Pratchett |first6=M. S. |volume=6 |article-number=34720 |pmid=27694823 |pmc=5046149 |bibcode=2016NatSR...634720P |archive-date=21 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121004942/https://www.nature.com/articles/srep34720.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Mangroves thrive in brackish or muddy regions of Maldives. The archipelago hosts fourteen species spanning ten genera, among which is the fern Acrostichum aureum, indigenous to these islands.<ref name="Hingun-2015">{{cite report |url=https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/mv/mv-nr-05-en.pdf |title=Fifth National Report of Maldives to the Convention on Biological Diversity |last=Hingun |first=Handuvaree |publisher=Ministry of Environment and Energy |page=24 |isbn=978-99915-59-11-7 |access-date=2018-10-13 |year=2015 |place=Maldives |archive-date=6 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206151108/https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/mv/mv-nr-05-en.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Maldives 00246.JPG|thumb|right|''[[Butorides striata]]'' in Maldives]]
Due to their diminutive size, land-dwelling reptiles are scarce on the Maldivian islands. Among the limited terrestrial reptilian inhabitants are a species of [[gecko]] and the oriental garden lizard ([[Calotes versicolor]]), alongside the white-spotted supple skink ([[Riopa albopunctata]]), the Indian wolf snake ([[Lycodon aulicus]]), and the Brahmin blind snake ([[Ramphotyphlops braminus]]).

In the surrounding seas, however, a more diverse array of reptilian life thrives. Maldivian beaches serve as nesting grounds for the green sea turtle ([[Chelonia mydas]]), the [[hawksbill sea turtle]], and the [[leatherback sea turtle]]. Furthermore, [[saltwater crocodiles]] have been reported to occasionally reach the islands, taking residence in marshy regions.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Howard |first1=Jake |title=Crocs In Paradise! (aka The Maldives) |url=https://stabmag.com/news/crocs-in-paradise-aka-the-maldives |access-date=8 March 2016 |agency=Stab |date=8 March 2016 |archive-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529080418/http://stabmag.com/news/crocs-in-paradise-aka-the-maldives/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The location of this Indian Ocean archipelago means that its avifauna is mainly restricted to [[pelagic bird]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wildlife of Maldives |url=https://www.maladweep.com/wildlife-of-maldives.html |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=Maladweep |archive-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816160145/https://www.maladweep.com/wildlife-of-maldives.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Most of the species are Eurasian migratory birds, only a few being typically associated with the Indian sub-continent. Some, like the [[frigatebird]], are seasonal. Some birds dwell in marshes and island bush, like the [[grey heron]] and the [[moorhen]]. [[White terns]] are found occasionally on the southern islands due to their rich habitats.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Phillips |first=W.W.A. |year=1963 |title=The birds of the Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean |journal=[[Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society]] |volume=60 |pages=546–584}}</ref>

==Government and politics==
{{main|Politics of the Maldives}}

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| total_width       = 320
| image1            = Dr Muizzu in December 2023.jpg
| caption1          = [[Mohamed Muizzu]], [[President of the Maldives|President]] since 2023
| image2            = Hussain_Mohamed_Latheef_official_portrait_January_2024.jpg
| caption2          = [[Hussain Mohamed Latheef]], [[Vice President of the Maldives|Vice-President]] since 2023
}}

Maldives is a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[republic|constitutional republic]], with extensive influence of the president as [[head of government]] and [[head of state]]. The president heads the [[Executive (government)|executive branch]] and appoints the [[Cabinet of the Maldives|cabinet]] which is approved by the [[Majlis of the Maldives|People's Majlis (Parliament)]]. He leads the [[Maldives National Defence Force|armed forces]]. The current president serving since 17 November 2023 is [[Mohamed Muizzu]].<ref>{{cite web |title=President Dr Mohamed Muizzu |url=https://presidency.gov.mv/PO/President/156 |website=[[The President's Office]] |access-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128132252/https://presidency.gov.mv/PO/President/156 |archive-date=28 November 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dr Mohamed Muizzu sworn in as the 8th President of the Maldives |url=https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/29036 |website=[[The President's Office]] |access-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215142839/https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/29036 |archive-date=15 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[President of the Maldives|President of Maldives]] and Members of the [[Unicameralism|unicameral]] Majlis serve five-year terms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maldives – History |url=https://countrystudies.us/maldives/1.htm |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=[[Library of Congress Country Studies|Country Studies]] |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] |archive-date=12 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512051834/https://countrystudies.us/maldives/1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The total number of members are determined by atoll populations. At the [[2024 Maldivian parliamentary election|2024 parliamentary election]], the [[People's National Congress (Maldives)|People's National Congress]] (PNC) won a super-majority over the 93 constituencies.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 April 202 |title=Pro-China party on course for landslide victory in Maldives election |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/22/pro-china-party-on-course-for-landslide-victory-in-maldives-election |access-date=18 April 2024 |publisher=Al Jazeera |archive-date=22 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422041229/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/22/pro-china-party-on-course-for-landslide-victory-in-maldives-election |url-status=live }}</ref>

The republican constitution came into force in 1968 and was amended in 1970, 1972, and 1975.<ref>{{citation |url=https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/2916705/MF-2018-Maldives-Paper-FINAL-clean-formatted.pdf |title=Developing Constitutional Culture in the Context of Constitutional Implementation: The Case of the Maldives' First Democratic Constitution |first=Mariyam |last=Zulfa |series=Melbourne Forum on Constitution Building |year=2008 |publisher=International IDEA |access-date=5 June 2025}}</ref> On 27 November 1997 it was replaced by another Constitution assented to by then-President [[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom|Maumoon]]. This Constitution came into force on 1 January 1998.<ref>{{cite web |title=Constitution of the Republic of Maldives 1998 |url=http://www.asianlii.org/mv/legis/const/1998/1.html |website=AsianLII |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080824031014/http://www.asianlii.org/mv/legis/const/1998/1.html |archive-date=24 August 2008 |language=En |year=1998 |url-status=live}}</ref> The current [[Constitution of the Maldives|Constitution of Maldives]] was ratified by President Maumoon on 7 August 2008, and came into effect immediately, replacing and repealing the constitution of 1998. This new constitution includes a judiciary run by an independent commission, and independent commissions to oversee elections and fight corruption. It also reduces the executive powers vested under the president and strengthens the parliament. All state that the [[President of the Maldives|president]] is head of state, head of government, and Commander-in-Chief of the [[Maldives National Defence Force|armed forces]] of Maldives.

In 2018, the then ruling [[Progressive Party of Maldives]] (PPM)'s tensions with opposition parties and the subsequent crackdown was termed as an "assault on democracy" by the [[United Nations Human Rights Council|UN Human Rights]] chief.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 February 2018 |title=Maldives crackdown an 'assault on democracy': UN rights chief |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2018/feb/08/maldives-crackdown-an-assault-on-democracy-un-rights-chief-1770198.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164433/https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2018/feb/08/maldives-crackdown-an-assault-on-democracy-un-rights-chief-1770198.html |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=8 February 2018 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref>
[[File:President congratulates the new Speaker of the People’s Majlis.jpg|thumb|President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulates [[Mohamed Nasheed]] Speaker of the People's Majlis in May 2019]]
In the April 2019 parliamentary [[2019 Maldivian parliamentary election|election]] The [[Maldivian Democratic Party]] (MDP) of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won a landslide victory. It took 65 of 87 seats of the parliament.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 April 2019 |title=Maldives election: Early results show victory for president's party |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47842303 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211121842/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47842303 |archive-date=11 December 2020 |access-date=25 February 2021 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> This was the first time a single party was able to get such a high number of seats in the parliament in Maldivian history.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 April 2019 |title=Majlis 19: An overview in numbers |url=https://avas.mv/en/62819 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526094313/https://avas.mv/en/62819 |archive-date=26 May 2019 |access-date=18 May 2024 |work=Avas}}</ref>

[[Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin|Order of Nishanizzuddeen]] is Maldives' highest civilian honour that can be bestowed upon a person. It is awarded by the president, usually in an elaborate ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2019 |title=PM Modi conferred with Maldives' highest honour, Order of Nishanizzuddeen |url=https://www.narendramodi.in/pm-modi-conferred-with-maldives-highest-honour-order-of-nishanizzuddeen-545218 |access-date=28 February 2022 |website=narendramodi.in |archive-date=11 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711131559/https://www.narendramodi.in/pm-modi-conferred-with-maldives-highest-honour-order-of-nishanizzuddeen-545218 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2024, President Mohamed Muizzu's pro-China People's National Congress (PNC) won 66 seats in the 2024 [[Maldivian parliamentary election, 2024|Maldivian parliamentary election]], while its allies took nine, giving the president the backing of 75 legislators in the 93-member house, meaning a super-majority and enough to change the constitution.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rasheed |first1=Zaheena |title='Absolute power': After pro-China Maldives leader's big win, what's next? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/24/absolute-power-after-pro-china-maldives-leaders-big-win-whats-next |publisher=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

===Law===
{{See also|Judiciary of the Maldives|Law enforcement in the Maldives}}

According to the [[Constitution of the Maldives|Constitution of Maldives]], "the judges are independent, and subject only to the Constitution and the law. When deciding matters on which the Constitution or the law is silent, judges must consider Islamic [[Sharia|Shari'ah]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=Maldives 2008 Constitution |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Maldives_2008 |website=constituteproject.org |year=2008 |access-date=25 December 2021 |archive-date=23 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123232052/https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Maldives_2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Islam is the official religion of Maldives and open practice of any other religion is forbidden.<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Religious Freedom Report for 2017 |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2017&dlid=281028 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164405/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2017&dlid=281028 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=30 December 2018 |website=[[United States Department of State]]}}</ref> The 2008 constitution says that the republic "is based on the principles of Islam" and that "no law contrary to any principle of Islam can be applied". Non-Muslims are prohibited from becoming citizens.<ref name="Hirschl2011">{{Cite book |last=Ran Hirschl |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgIhbPBWlkwC&pg=PA34 |title=Constitutional Theocracy |date=5 May 2011 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-05937-5 |page=34 |access-date=30 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164433/https://books.google.com/books?id=OgIhbPBWlkwC&pg=PA34 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The requirement to adhere to a particular religion and prohibition of public worship following other religions is contrary to Article 18 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] and Article 18 of the [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] to which Maldives has recently become party<ref>{{Cite web |title=Human Rights and Democracy |url=http://www.foreign.gov.mv/v3/?p=menu_item&sub_id=21&submenu=Human%20Rights%20and%20Democracy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921022819/http://www.foreign.gov.mv/v3/?p=menu_item&sub_id=21&submenu=Human%20Rights%20and%20Democracy |archive-date=21 September 2013 |access-date=30 June 2010 |website=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives)]]}}</ref> and was addressed in Maldives' reservation in adhering to the Covenant claiming that "The application of the principles set out in Article 18 of the Covenant shall be without prejudice to the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davis, Thomas W. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LOHDoJO_b0EC&pg=PA33 |title=Human Rights in Asia |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84844-680-9 |page=33 |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915160814/https://books.google.com/books?id=LOHDoJO_b0EC&pg=PA33 |archive-date=15 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A new [[Criminal code|penal code]] came into effect on 16 July 2015, replacing the 1968 law, the first modern, comprehensive penal code to incorporate the major tenets and principles of Islamic law.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New penal code comes into effect |date=16 July 2015 |url=https://minivannewsarchive.com/tag/new-penal-code |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164404/https://minivannewsarchive.com/tag/new-penal-code |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=10 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maldives Penal Code – Law No. 9/2014 |url=https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/4203-maldives-penal-code-2014.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164342/https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/4203-maldives-penal-code-2014.pdf |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=10 July 2020 |website=[[University of Pennsylvania]]}}</ref>

[[Homosexuality|Same-sex relations]] are illegal in Maldives, although tourist resorts typically operate as exceptions to this law.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 May 2016 |title=State Sponsored Homophobia 2016: A world survey of sexual orientation laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition |url=http://ilga.org/downloads/02_ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2016_ENG_WEB_150516.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902183618/http://ilga.org/downloads/02_ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2016_ENG_WEB_150516.pdf |archive-date=2 September 2017 |access-date=20 June 2017 |website=[[International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bloom |first=Laura Begley |date=25 November 2019 |title=20 Most Dangerous Places For Gay Travelers (And The 5 Safest) |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2019/11/25/most-dangerous-places-safest-lgbtq-gay-travelers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164459/https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2019/11/25/most-dangerous-places-safest-lgbtq-gay-travelers/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=19 November 2020 |website=[[Forbes]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=19 October 2016 |title=From South Africa to the Maldives: Surprising holiday destinations for LGBT travellers |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/gay-holidays-lgbt-friendly-safety-bali-buenos-aires-cape-town-iceland-maldives-honeymoons-a7369316.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164430/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/gay-holidays-lgbt-friendly-safety-bali-buenos-aires-cape-town-iceland-maldives-honeymoons-a7369316.html |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=18 May 2024 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>

===Foreign relations===
{{main|Foreign relations of the Maldives}}

Since 1996, Maldives has been the official progress monitor of the [[Indian Ocean Commission]]. In 2002, Maldives began to express interest in the commission but {{As of|2008|lc=y}} had not applied for membership. Maldives' interest relates to its identity as a small island state, especially economic development and environmental preservation, and its desire for closer relations with France, a main actor in the IOC region.

Maldives is a founding member of the [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] ([[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]]). The republic joined the Commonwealth in 1982, some 17 years after gaining independence from the United Kingdom. In October 2016, Maldives announced its withdrawal from the Commonwealth<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2016 |title=Secretary-General statement on Maldives decision to leave the Commonwealth |url=https://thecommonwealth.org/news/secretary-general-statement-maldives-decision-leave-commonwealth |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517085315/https://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/secretary-general-statement-maldives-decision-leave-commonwealth |archive-date=17 May 2020 |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=The Commonwealth}}</ref> in protest at allegations of human rights abuse and failing democracy.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/13/maldives-quits-commonwealth-over-alleged-rights-abuses Maldives quits Commonwealth over alleged rights abuses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013143856/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/13/maldives-quits-commonwealth-over-alleged-rights-abuses |date=13 October 2016 }}, ''[[The Guardian]]'', 13 October 2016</ref> Maldives enjoys close ties with Commonwealth members [[Seychelles]] and [[Mauritius]]. Maldives and [[Comoros]] are also both members of the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]]. Following his election as president in 2018, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration sought to rejoin the Commonwealth after showing evidence of democratic reform,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The President's Office |url=https://presidency.gov.mv/presidentNews/news/10346 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121161727/https://presidency.gov.mv/presidentNews/news/10346 |archive-date=21 November 2018 |access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref> leading to its readmission on 1 February 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 February 2020 |title=Maldives rejoins Commonwealth after evidence of reforms |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/maldives-rejoins-commonwealth-after-evidence-of-reforms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418002056/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/maldives-rejoins-commonwealth-after-evidence-of-reforms |archive-date=18 April 2020 |access-date=4 February 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |agency=[[PA Media]]}}</ref>

As a result of sanctions imposed upon the [[Russian oligarchs]] by the West in response to Russia's [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion of Ukraine]] in February 2022, many of them sought refuge for their mega-yachts in Maldives due to the absence of an extradition treaty with the United States and other countries.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oltermann |first=Peter |date=3 March 2022 |title=Germany seizes Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's $600m superyacht – report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/03/germany-seizes-russian-billionaire-alisher-usmanovs-600m-superyacht-report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303014906/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/03/germany-seizes-russian-billionaire-alisher-usmanovs-600m-superyacht-report |archive-date=3 March 2022 |access-date=3 March 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London}}</ref>

Following a cabinet meeting, in June 2024, the government of Maldives decided to ban [[Israeli passport]] holders from entering the country, as a response to the ongoing [[Gaza war]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Government decides to impose a ban on Israeli passports |url=https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/30948 |access-date=2 June 2024 |agency=The President's Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603105516/https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/30948 |archive-date=3 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Maldives bans Israeli passport holders over war on Gaza |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/2/maldives-bans-israeli-passport-holders-from-entering-the-country |access-date=2 June 2024 |publisher=[[Al Jazeera]] |archive-date=2 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240602195306/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/2/maldives-bans-israeli-passport-holders-from-entering-the-country |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Maldives to ban Israeli passport holders from entry in protest over Gaza war |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/03/maldives-israel-passport-holders-ban-gaza-war |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

===Military===
{{main|Maldives National Defence Force}}

[[File:Presidential Address 2024 in Maldives (49).jpg|thumb|left|Maldivian soldiers at a presidential address in February 2024]]

Maldives National Defence Force is the combined security organisation responsible for defending the security and sovereignty of Maldives, having the primary task of being responsible for attending to all internal and external security needs of Maldives, including the protection of the [[Exclusive economic zone]] (EEZ) and the maintenance of peace and security.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Security Policy 2012 |url=http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/bitstream/123456789/13946/1/national-security-policy.pdf |website=Digital Repository of Maldives National University |publisher=Government of the Republic of Maldives |pages=221 |year=2012 |access-date=18 May 2024 |archive-date=16 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416191128/http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/bitstream/123456789/13946/1/national-security-policy.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The MNDF component branches are the [[Maldivian Coast Guard|Coast Guard]], [[MNDF Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], [[Special Forces (Maldives)|Special Forces]], Service Corps, Defence Intelligence Service, Military Police, Corps of Engineers, Special Protection Group, Medical Corps, Adjutant General's Corps, Air Corps, and Fire and Rescue Service. Maldives has an arrangement with India allowing cooperation on radar coverage.

As a water-bound nation, much of its security concerns life at sea. Almost 99% of the country is covered by sea and the remaining 1% land is scattered over an area of {{convert|800|km|0|abbr=on}} × {{convert|120|km|0|abbr=on}}, with the largest island being not more than {{convert|8|km2|0|abbr=on}}. Therefore, the duties assigned to the MNDF of maintaining surveillance over Maldives' waters and providing protection against foreign intruders poaching in the EEZ and territorial waters, are immense tasks from both logistical and economic viewpoints. 
The Coast Guard plays a vital role in carrying out these functions. To provide timely security its patrol boats are stationed at various MNDF Regional Headquarters. The Coast Guard is also assigned to respond to maritime distress calls and to conduct search and rescue operations promptly.
In 2019, Maldives signed the UN [[treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 July 2017 |title=Chapter XXVI: Disarmament&nbsp;– No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons |url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26&clang=_en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806220546/https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26&clang=_en |archive-date=6 August 2019 |access-date=18 October 2019 |website=United Nations Treaty Collection |publisher=United Nations}}</ref>

===Human rights===
{{main|Human rights in the Maldives}}

Human rights in Maldives is a contentious issue. In its 2011 [[Freedom in the World]] report, [[Freedom House]] declared Maldives "Partly Free", claiming a reform process that had made headway in 2009 and 2010 had stalled.<ref name="FH 2011">{{Cite web |title=Maldives: Freedom in the World |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/maldives/freedom-world/2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313104840/https://freedomhouse.org/country/maldives/freedom-world/2024 |archive-date=13 March 2024 |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=[[Freedom House]] }}</ref> The [[Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor|United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor]] claims in their 2012 report on human rights practices in the country that the most significant problems are corruption, lack of [[Freedom of religion|religious freedom]], abuse, and unequal treatment of women.<ref name="State 2012">{{Cite web |year=2012 |title=Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011: Maldives |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?dlid=186470 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164432/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?dlid=186470 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=24 August 2012 |website=[[United States Department of State]] |publisher=[[Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor]]}}</ref>

===Administrative divisions===
{{main|Administrative divisions of the Maldives}}

[[File:Atolls of the maldives.png|thumb|Each administrative atoll is marked, along with the [[thaana]] letter used to identify the atoll. Natural atolls are labelled in light blue.]]
Maldives has twenty-six natural [[Atolls of the Maldives|atolls]] and few island groups on isolated reefs, all of which have been divided into twenty-one administrative divisions (17 administrative atolls and cities of Malé, Addu, [[Fuvahmulah]], [[Thinadhoo (Huvadhu Atoll)|Thinadhoo]], and [[Kulhudhuffushi]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atolls of Maldives |url=http://www.statoids.com/umv.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102053209/http://statoids.com/umv.html |archive-date=2 January 2010 |access-date=30 June 2010 |website=Statoids}}</ref>

Each atoll is administered by an elected Atoll Council. The islands are administered by an elected Island Council.

In addition to a name, every administrative division is identified by the Maldivian code letters, such as "[[Haa Alif]]" for [[Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll|Thiladhunmati Uthuruburi]] (Thiladhunmathi North); and by a Latin code letter. The first corresponds to the geographical Maldivian name of the atoll; the second is a code adopted for convenience. As certain islands in different atolls have the same name, for administrative purposes this code is quoted before the name of the island, for example: Baa Funadhoo, Kaafu Funadhoo, Gaafu-Alifu Funadhoo. Since most atolls have very long geographical names it is also used whenever the long name is inconvenient, for example in the atoll website names.<ref name="autogenerated1">''Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru''. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee</ref>

The introduction of code-letter names has been a source of much puzzlement and misunderstanding, especially among foreigners. Many people have come to think that the code letter of the administrative atoll is its new name and that it has replaced its geographical name. Under such circumstances, it is hard to know which is the correct name to use.<ref name="autogenerated1" />

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of the Maldives}}

[[File:The western side (382669110).jpg|thumb|left|Malé harbour]]

Historically, Maldives provided enormous quantities of [[cowry]] shells, [[history of money|an international currency of the early ages]]. From the 2nd century CE, the islands were known as the 'Money Isles' by the Arabs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lyon, James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hJD94VZweCIC&pg=PA9 |title=Maldives |date=October 2003 |publisher=Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd |isbn=978-1-74059-176-8 |page=9 |access-date=9 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412225337/https://books.google.com/books?id=hJD94VZweCIC&pg=PA9 |archive-date=12 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Monetaria moneta]]'' was used for centuries as a currency in Africa, and huge amounts of [[Maldive Islands|Maldivian]] cowries were introduced into Africa by western nations during the period of [[Atlantic slave trade|slave trade]].<ref>Hogendorn, Jan and Johnson Marion (1986). ''The Shell Money of the Slave Trade''. African Studies Series 49, [[Cambridge University Press]], [[Cambridge]] {{ISBN|0521541107}}.</ref> The cowry is now the symbol of Maldives [[Maldives Monetary Authority|Monetary Authority]].

In the early 1970s and 1980s, Maldives was one of the world's 20 poorest countries, with a population of 100,000.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Republic of Maldives Maldivian Labor Market: Spotlight on youth, tourism, and fisheries Analysis based on census 2014 data |publisher=World Bank |date=30 May 2017 |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/126131536606781671/pdf/115743-REVISED-MV-LaborNote-final.pdf}}</ref> The economy at the time was largely dependent on fisheries and trading local goods such as [[coir]] rope, [[ambergris]] (Maavaharu), and [[coco de mer]] (Tavakkaashi) with neighbouring countries and [[East Asian]] countries.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shakoor |first1=Athif Ibrahim |title=The tourism industry of the Maldives, – have we gone beyond 'regulatory capture'? |url=http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/bitstream/123456789/8586/1/The%20tourism%20industry%20of%20the%20Maldives%2C%20%E2%80%93%20have%20we%20gone%20beyond%20%E2%80%98regulatory%20capture%E2%80%99.pdf |website=The Maldives National Journal of Research |publisher=Saruna.mnu.edu.mv |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref>

The Maldivian government began a largely successful [[economic reform]] programme in the 1980s, initiated by lifting import quotas and giving more opportunities to the private sector. At that time, the tourism sector was in its infant stage but would later play a significant role in the nation's development. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play lesser roles in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labour.

===Tourism===
{{main|Tourism in the Maldives|Diving in the Maldives|List of mosques in the Maldives}}

[[File:Filitheyo bar.jpg|thumb|left|Filitheyo island beach with tall palm trees and blue fresh lagoons]]

Maldives remained largely unknown to tourists until the early 1970s. Only 200 islands are home to its 382,751 inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Discover the islands |url=https://islands.mv/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702120755/https://islands.mv/ |archive-date=2 July 2019 |access-date=7 January 2020 |website=islands.mv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Inhabited islands |url=https://isles.gov.mv/Island/IslandListEn?CategoryId=1 |website=isles.gov.mv |publisher=The President's Office |access-date=26 July 2023 |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610184632/https://isles.gov.mv/Island/IslandListEn?CategoryId=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The other islands are used entirely for economic purposes, of which tourism and agriculture are the most dominant. [[Tourism in the Maldives|Tourism]] accounts for 28% of the GDP and more than 60% of Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.

The development of tourism fostered the overall growth of the [[Economy of the Maldives|country's economy]]. It created direct and indirect employment and income generation opportunities in other related industries. The first tourist resorts were opened in 1972 with Bandos Island Resort and Kurumba Village (the current name is Kurumba Maldives),<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 February 2012 |title=Coup? What coup? Tourists ignore Maldives turmoil |url=https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/inspiration/coup-what-coup-tourists-ignore-maldives-turmoil-20120213-1t0wi.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215200358/http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/coup-what-coup-tourists-ignore-maldives-turmoil-20120213-1t0wi.html |archive-date=15 February 2012 |access-date=26 February 2012 |work=[[The Age]] |location=Melbourne}}</ref> which transformed Maldives' economy.

[[File:Landaa Giraavaru vue du ciel.JPG|thumb|The [[resort island]] of [[Landaa Giraavaru]] (Baa atoll)]]

According to the [[Ministry of Tourism (Maldives)|Ministry of Tourism]], the emergence of tourism in 1972 transformed the economy, moving rapidly from dependence on fisheries to tourism. In just three and a half decades, the industry became the main source of income. Tourism was also the country's biggest foreign currency earner and the single largest contributor to the GDP. {{As of|2008}}, 89 resorts in Maldives offered over 17,000 beds and hosted over 600,000 tourists annually.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.tourism.gov.mv/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417062328/http://www.tourism.gov.mv:80/ |archive-date=17 April 2009 |access-date=3 April 2009 |website=[[Ministry of Tourism (Maldives)|Ministry of Tourism]]}}</ref> In 2019, over 1.7&nbsp;million visitors came to the islands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1.7 million tourists visit the Maldives in 2019 |url=https://www.tourism.gov.mv/16009/1-7-million-tourists-visit-the-maldives-in-2019/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164454/https://www.tourism.gov.mv/16009/1-7-million-tourists-visit-the-maldives-in-2019/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=9 January 2020 |website=[[Ministry of Tourism (Maldives)|Ministry of Tourism]]}}</ref>

The number of resorts increased from 2 to 92 between 1972 and 2007. {{As of|2007}}, over 8,380,000 tourists had visited Maldives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ހަތުރުވެރިކަމުގެ ތަރައްޤީގެ 35 އަހަރު |trans-title=35 years of tourism |url=http://tourism.gov.mv/pubs/35_years_of_tourism_final.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091122171606/http://www.tourism.gov.mv/pubs/35_years_of_tourism_final.pdf |archive-date=22 November 2009 |access-date=2 April 2013 |website=[[Ministry of Tourism (Maldives)|Ministry of Tourism]] |language=dv}}</ref>

The country has [[List of mosques in the Maldives|six heritage Maldivian coral mosques]] listed as [[UNESCO]] tentative sites.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5812 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164509/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5812 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=26 December 2019 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref>

====Visitors====
{{see also|#Transportation|Visa policy of Maldives}}

[[File:Maldives Airport-Maldives-Andres Larin.jpg|thumb|left|Sign outside the Velana International Airport]]

Visitors to Maldives do not need to apply for a visa pre-arrival, regardless of their country of origin, provided they have a passport with at least 1 month validity, a complete [[travel itinerary]] (including return journey confirmed tickets, prepaid confirmed booking at a registered facility,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tourist Facilities |url=https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/overview/19 |website=tourism.gov.mv |publisher=Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Republic of Maldives |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref> proof of financial means for sufficient funds to support the stay in Maldives, and entry requirements for their onward destinations—such as visa and passport validity), a Traveller Declaration form (which must be filled out and submitted by all foreigners arriving in Maldives within 96 hours of the flight), and a Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, if applicable.<ref>{{Cite web |title=List of Yellow Fever Endemic Countries |url=https://www.immigration.gov.mv/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/YELLOW-FEVER-COUNTRIES-2.pdf |access-date=27 March 2024 |website=Maldives Immigration}}</ref> However, entry is denied to Israeli passports.<ref name="doi">{{Cite web |title=Entry into Maldives |url=https://immigration.gov.mv/tourist-visa/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164448/https://immigration.gov.mv/tourist-visa/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=9 February 2012 |website=Maldives Immigration}}</ref>

Most visitors arrive at [[Velana International Airport]], on [[Hulhulé]] Island, adjacent to the capital Malé. The airport is served by flights to and from [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Doha]], [[Dubai]], [[Abu Dhabi]], [[Singapore]], [[Dhaka]], [[Istanbul]], and major airports in [[Southeast Asia|South-East Asia]] like [[Kuala Lumpur International Airport|Kuala Lumpur International]] in Malaysia, as well as charters from Europe like [[Charles de Gaulle Airport|Charles De Gaulle]] in France. [[Gan International Airport|Gan Airport]], on the southern atoll of Addu, also serves an international flight to [[Milan Malpensa Airport|Malpensa]] in Milan several times a week. [[British Airways]] offers direct flights to Maldives from [[Heathrow Airport]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Flights to Maldives |url=https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/destinations/maldives/flights-to-maldives |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020220431/https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/destinations/maldives/flights-to-maldives |archive-date=20 October 2022 |access-date=20 October 2022 |website=[[British Airways]]}}</ref>

===Fishing industry===
{{main|Fishing industry in the Maldives}}

[[File:Doni aux Maldives cropped.jpg|thumb|A mechanised traditional inter-island dhoni stripped of its sails]]

For many centuries the Maldivian economy was entirely dependent on fishing and other [[ocean|marine]] products. Fishing remains the main occupation of the people and the government gives priority to the fisheries sector.

The [[mechanisation]] of the [[traditional fishing boat]] called ''[[Dhoni (fishing vessel)|dhoni]]'' in 1974 was a major milestone in the development of the fisheries industry. A fish canning plant was installed on [[Felivaru]] in 1977, as a joint venture with a Japanese firm. In 1979, a Fisheries Advisory Board was set up with the mandate of advising the government on policy guidelines for the overall development of the fisheries sector. Manpower development programmes began in the early 1980s, and fisheries education was incorporated into the school curriculum. [[Fish aggregating device]]s and navigational aids were located at various strategic points. Moreover, the opening up of the [[exclusive economic zone]] (EEZ) of Maldives for fisheries has further enhanced the growth of the fisheries sector.

{{As of|2010}}, fisheries contributed over 15% of the country's GDP and engaged about 30% of the country's workforce. Fisheries were also the second-largest foreign exchange earner after [[#Tourism|tourism]].

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of the Maldives}}
The largest ethnic group in the country are [[Maldivians]] ({{lang|dv|Dhivehin}}), native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands comprising today's Republic of Maldives and the island of [[Minicoy]] in [[Lakshadweep|Union territory of Lakshadweep]], India. They share the same culture and speak the [[Dhivehi language]]. They are principally an [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]] people, having traces of Middle Eastern, South Asian, [[Austronesian peoples|Austronesian]] and African genes in the population.{{Bar chart
|title= Maldives population
|label_type= Year
|data_type= Population<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census Population by Sex and Sex – Ratio, and Inter-Censal Variation of Population, 1911 – 2014 |url=http://statisticsmaldives.gov.mv/yearbook/statisticalarchive/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/02/table2.1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164341/http://statisticsmaldives.gov.mv/yearbook/statisticalarchive/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/02/table2.1.pdf |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=24 May 2020 |website=National Bureau of Statistics (Maldives)}}</ref><ref name="Maldives Population Projections 2014-2054">{{Cite web |title=Maldives Population Projections 2014–2054 |url=http://statisticsmaldives.gov.mv/nbs/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Projected-Mid-Year-population-of-Maldives.xlsx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164344/http://statisticsmaldives.gov.mv/nbs/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Projected-Mid-Year-population-of-Maldives.xlsx |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=24 May 2020 |website=statisticsmaldives.gov.mv |publisher=National Bureau of Statistics}}</ref><ref name="census2022">{{cite web |title=Table P5: Resident Population by island and sex, 2022 |url=https://census.gov.mv/2022/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/P5.pdf |website=census.gov.mv |publisher=Maldives Bureau of Statistics |access-date=4 October 2025}}</ref>
|data_max= 560,000
|label1= 1911 |data1= 72,237
|label2= 1966 |data2= 100,883
|label3= 2000 |data3= 270,101
|label4= 2014 |data4= 344,023
|label5= 2022 |data5= 515,132
}}


In the past, there was also a small [[Tamils|Tamil]] population known as the [[Giraavaru people]]. This group has now been almost completely assimilated into the larger Maldivian society but were native to the island of [[Giraavaru (Kaafu Atoll)|Giraavaru]], which was evacuated in 1968 due to heavy erosion of the island.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jaleel |first1=Jana |title=An Untold Story – The Lost People of Giraavaru |url=https://maldivesvoice.mv/480 |access-date=20 July 2023 |agency=Maldives Voice |date=20 July 2023 |archive-date=16 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416190912/https://maldivesvoice.mv/480 |url-status=live }}</ref> A small [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] population in Maldives also made up about 0.7% of the total population in 2000.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Maldives |title=Maldives |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=5 June 2025}}</ref>

Some social stratification exists on the islands. It is not rigid, since rank is based on varied factors, including occupation, wealth, Islamic virtue, and family ties. Instead of a complex [[caste]] system, there was merely a distinction between noble (bēfulhu) and common people in Maldives. Members of the social elite are concentrated in Malé.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

[[File:Life expectancy by WBG -Maldives.png|thumb|Life expectancy in Maldives]]
The population doubled by 1978, and the [[population growth]] rate peaked at 3.4% in 1985. By the 2006 census, the population had reached 298,968,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Islands by Population Size and Percentage Share of Total Population |url=http://www.planning.gov.mv/publications/census2006_island_level_tables/population/population/PP_05.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919044405/http://www.planning.gov.mv/publications/census2006_island_level_tables/population/population/PP_05.htm |archive-date=19 September 2013 |access-date=8 February 2012 |website=Maldives: Population and Housing Census 2006 |publisher=Ministry of Planning and National Development}}</ref> although the census in 2000 showed that the population growth rate had declined to 1.9%. [[Life expectancy|Life expectancy at birth]] stood at 46 years in 1978, and later rose to 72. Infant mortality has declined from 12.7% in 1977 to 1.2% today, and adult literacy reached 99%. Combined school enrolment reached the high 90s. The population was projected to have reached 317,280 in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census Analysis 2006. Population Projection 2006 – 2050 |url=http://planning.gov.mv/en/images/stories/publications/analysiscd/pdf/13.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224031/http://planning.gov.mv/en/images/stories/publications/analysiscd/pdf/13.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=5 July 2014 |website=Ministry of Planning and National Development |page=273}}</ref>

The 2022 Population, Housing and Economic Census listed the total population in Maldives as 515,132 of which 382,639 were resident Maldivians and 132,493 were resident foreigners, with the foreign-born population comprising 26% of the total population. The six largest nationalities among migrants were Bangaldeshi (56.4 percent), Indian (24.9 percent), Sri Lankan (8.6 percent), Nepali (3.9 percent), Indonesian (1.7 percent), and Filipino (1.3 percent).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Provisional Results |url=https://census.gov.mv/2022/provisional-results/ |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=census.gov.mv |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Population Movement & Migration Dynamics |url=https://census.gov.mv/2022/population-movement-migration-dynamics/ |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=census.gov.mv |language=en}}</ref>

An increasing share of the Maldivian population is concentrated in Male. In 2022, approximately 41% of the population resided in the capital, compared to just 27% in 2000.<ref name=":0" />

{{Largest cities of the Maldives|class=info}}

===Religion===
{{See also|Religion in the Maldives}}
After the long [[Buddhism in the Maldives|Buddhist period of Maldivian history]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conversion of the Maldives to Islam |url=http://www.maldivesstory.com.mv:80/site%20files/after%20islam/latest/conversion-frames.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030509021536/http://www.maldivesstory.com.mv/site%20files/after%20islam/latest/conversion-frames.htm |archive-date=9 May 2003 |website=Maldives Story}}</ref> Muslim traders introduced Islam. Maldivians converted to Islam by the mid-12th century. The islands have had a long history of [[Sufism|Sufic]] orders, as can be seen in the history of the country such as the building of tombs. They were used until as recently as the 1980s for seeking the help of buried [[saint]]s. They can be seen next to some old mosques and are considered a part of Maldives's [[cultural heritage]].

Other aspects of [[tassawuf]], such as ritualised [[dhikr]] ceremonies called Maulūdu ([[Mawlid]]) – the [[liturgy]] of which included recitations and certain supplications in a melodic tone – existed until very recent times. These Maulūdu festivals were held in ornate tents specially built for the occasion.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}} At present Islam is the official religion of the entire population, as adherence to it is required for citizenship.<ref name='stategovreligion'>{{Cite web |title=2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Maldives |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/maldives/ |quote=The constitution states the country is a republic based on the principles of Islam and designates Islam as the state religion, which it defines in terms of Sunni teachings. According to the constitution, non-Muslims may not obtain citizenship. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304134513/https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/maldives/ |archive-date=4 March 2024 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=[[United States Department of State]] |publisher=Office of International Religious Freedom}}</ref>

According to Arab traveller [[Ibn Battuta]], the person responsible for this conversion was a Sunni Muslim visitor named Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari, sailing from what is today [[Morocco]]. He is also referred to as Tabrizugefaanu. His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds of Medhu Ziyaaraiy, across the street from the Friday Mosque, or [[Malé Friday Mosque|Hukuru Miskiy]], in Malé. Originally built in 1153 and re-built in 1658,<ref name="Yoosuf"/> this is one of the country's oldest surviving mosques.

[[Felix Wilfred]] notes that the number of Christians in Maldives as 1,400 or 0.4% of the country's population.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia| first=Felix |last=Wilfred|year= 2014| isbn= 9780199329069|page=45|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>

Since the adoption of the [[Constitution of the Maldives#2008 Constitution|2008 constitution]], Islam is established as the country's state religion and Maldivian citizens are required by law to follow [[Sunni Islam]].<ref name="stategovreligion"/> However, in 2020, independent studies found that approximately 0.29% of the population is Christian (roughly split between [[Catholic]] and [[Protestant]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Profiles &#124; World Religion |url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?REGION=0&u=146c&u=140c&u=23r |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814204149/https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?REGION=0&u=146c&u=140c&u=23r |archive-date=14 August 2023 |accessdate=1 September 2023 |website=[[Association of Religion Data Archives]]}}</ref>

===Languages===
{{See also|Maldivian language}}The official and national language is [[Maldivian language|Dhivehi]], an [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan language]] closely related to the [[Sinhala language]] of Sri Lanka. The first known script used to write Dhivehi is the ''[[eveyla akuru]]'' script, which is found in the historical recording of kings (''raadhavalhi''). Later a script called ''[[Dhives Akuru]]'' was used for a long period. The present-day script is called [[Thaana]] and is written from right to left. [[Thaana]] is derived from a mix of the old indigenous script of [[Dhives Akuru]] and [[Arabic script|Arabic abjad]]. Thaana is said to have been introduced during the reign of [[Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-Auzam|Mohamed Thakurufaanu]].[[File:Dhivehiscript.svg|thumb|right|Thaana script]]

English is widely spoken by the locals of Maldives:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maldives Languages – Languages of Maldives – Language Spoken In Maldives |url=http://maldives.tourism-srilanka.com/travel-tips/language.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111021720/http://maldives.tourism-srilanka.com/travel-tips/language.html |archive-date=11 November 2018 |access-date=12 June 2017 |website=Maldives Tourism}}</ref> "Following the nation's opening to the outside world, the introduction of English as a medium of instruction at the secondary and tertiary levels of education, and its government's recognition of the opportunities offered through tourism, English has now firmly established itself in the country. As such, Maldives are quite similar to the countries in the Gulf region... The nation is undergoing vast societal change, and English is part of this."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Meierkord |first=Christiane |date=March 2018 |title=English in paradise: the Maldives: English is rapidly establishing itself as a second language in a society transforming from fishing to tourism and trade |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/english-today/article/english-in-paradise-the-maldives/84E0B35287213D3E1A7645FFD32BC16D |url-status=live |journal=English Today |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=2–11 |doi=10.1017/S0266078417000475 |issn=0266-0784 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164430/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/english-today/article/abs/english-in-paradise-the-maldives/84E0B35287213D3E1A7645FFD32BC16D |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=31 March 2019 |s2cid=148650495|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Otherwise, [[Arabic]] is taught in schools and mosques, as [[Sunni Islam]] is the [[state religion]]. The Maldivian population has formal or informal education in the reading, writing, and pronunciation of the Arabic language, as part of the compulsory religious education for all primary and secondary school students.<ref name="stategovreligion" />

'''''Thikijehi Thaana'''''

These additional letters were added to the Thaana alphabet by adding dots ([[Nuqta|{{transliteration|dv|nukuthaa}}]]) to existing letters, to allow for transliteration of Arabic loanwords, as previously Arabic loanwords were written using the Arabic script. Their usage is inconsistent, and becoming less frequent as the spelling changes to reflect pronunciation by Maldivians, rather than the original Arabic pronunciation, as the words get absorbed into the Maldivian language.

===Health===
{{main|Health in the Maldives}}

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative reports that Maldives is meeting 5.1 out of 10 of the expected fulfilment for the right to health considering its income level.<ref name="Hrm">{{Cite web |title=Maldives |url=https://rightstracker.org/country/MDV |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519180326/https://rightstracker.org/country/MDV |archive-date=19 May 2024 |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=Human Rights Measurement Initiative }}</ref> Specifically for children's health rights, Maldives attains 98.0% of the anticipated level based on its current income.<ref name="Hrm"/> Regarding adult health rights, the country achieves 99.7% of the expected fulfilment considering its income level. However, in terms of reproductive health rights, Maldives falls into the "very bad" category, as it fulfills only 18.2% of the expected achievement based on its available resources.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maldives – HRMI Rights Tracker |url=https://rightstracker.org/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=rightstracker.org |language=en |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519142734/https://rightstracker.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Life expectancy at birth]] in Maldives was 77 years in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |year=2018 |title=Maldives |url=http://www.commonwealthhealth.org/asia/maldives/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120140446/http://www.commonwealthhealth.org/asia/maldives/ |archive-date=20 November 2018 |accessdate=20 November 2018 |publisher=Commonwealth Health online}}</ref> Infant mortality fell from 34 per 1,000 in 1990 to 15 in 2004. There is an increasing disparity between health in the capital and on the other islands. There is also a problem of [[malnutrition]]. Imported food is expensive.<ref>{{cite news |year=2010 |title=At a Glance: Health and Nutrition in the Maldives |url=https://www.unicef.org/maldives/media_3334.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120140006/https://www.unicef.org/maldives/media_3334.htm |archive-date=20 November 2018 |accessdate=20 November 2018 |work=[[UNICEF]]}}</ref>

On 24 May 2021, Maldives had the world's fastest-growing [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19 outbreak]], with the highest number of infections per million people over the prior 7 and 14 days, according to data compiled by [[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhuckory |first=Kamlesh |date=24 May 2021 |title=With Highest Covid Rate, Maldives Imposes 16-Hour Curfew |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/maldives-tightens-restrictions-as-virus-cases-deaths-climb |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524215208/https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/maldives-tightens-restrictions-as-virus-cases-deaths-climb |archive-date=24 May 2021 |access-date=24 May 2021 |website=BloombergQuint}}</ref> Doctors warned that increasing demand for COVID-19 care could hinder their ability to handle other health emergencies in Maldives.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rasheed |first=Aishath Hanaan Hussain |date=24 May 2021 |title=Maldives reports 61st Covid-19 death in ongoing month of May |url=https://raajje.mv/100460 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524215216/https://raajje.mv/100460 |archive-date=24 May 2021 |access-date=19 May 2024 |publisher=[[Raajje TV]]}}</ref> The reason for the outbreak was the [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta variant]].<!-- it became dominant almost worldwide within some weeks-->

===Transportation===
{{main|Transport in the Maldives|List of airports in the Maldives}}

[[File:Velana International Airport.png|thumb|Velana International Airport]]

[[File:Seaplane Terminal.png|thumb|Seaplane Terminal]]

[[Velana International Airport]] is the principal gateway to Maldives; it is adjacent to the capital city Malé and is connected by [[Sinamalé Bridge]]. International travel is available on government-owned [[Island Aviation Services]] (branded as Maldivian), which operates [[DHC-6 Twin Otter]] seaplanes and to nearly all Maldivian domestic airports with several [[Bombardier Dash 8]] aircraft, and one [[Airbus A320]] with international service to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, and China.

In Maldives, there are three main ways to travel between islands: by domestic flight, by [[seaplane]], or by boat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maldives |url=http://www.elitedivingagency.com/maldives/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218100252/http://www.elitedivingagency.com/maldives/ |archive-date=18 December 2013 |publisher=Elite Diving Agency}}</ref> For several years two seaplane companies were operating: TMA ([[Trans Maldivian Airways]]) and [[Maldivian Air Taxi]], but these merged in 2013 under the name TMA. The seaplane fleet is entirely made up of DHC-6 Twin Otters. There is also another airline, [[Flyme (Villa Air)|Villa Air]], which operates using [[ATR (aircraft manufacturer)|ATR]] planes to domestic airports, principally [[Villa International Airport Maamigili|Villa-Maamigili]], [[Dharavandhoo Airport|Dharavandhoo]] and some others. [[Manta Air]] began its first scheduled seaplane service in 2019. Its seaplane fleet is made up of DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. In addition to the seaplane service, [[Manta Air]] uses [[ATR (aircraft manufacturer)|ATR 72–600]] aircraft to operate domestic flights to [[Dhaalu Airport]], [[Dharavandhoo Airport]] and [[Kooddoo Airport]] from the main [[Velana International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 November 2019 |title=Manta Air begins its first scheduled seaplane service |url=https://corporatemaldives.com/manta-air-begins-its-first-scheduled-seaplane-service/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164448/https://corporatemaldives.com/manta-air-begins-its-first-scheduled-seaplane-service/ |archive-date=14 January 2021 |access-date=14 December 2019 |website=Corporate Maldives}}</ref> Depending on the distance of the destination island from the airport, resorts organise [[speedboat]] transfers or [[seaplane]] flights directly to the resort island jetty for their guests. Several daily flights operate from [[Velana International Airport]] to the 18 domestic and international airports in the country. Scheduled ferries also operate from Malé to many of the atolls. The traditional Maldivian boat is called a [[Dhoni (fishing vessel)|dhoni]], one of the oldest known sea vessels in Maldives.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Green |first1=Richard |title=The Commonwealth Yearbook 2005 |date=2005 |publisher=Nexus Strategic Partnerships |isbn=9780954962906 |page=209 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-NITbEo2-UC&dq=The+traditional+Maldivian+boat+is+called+a+dhoni.&pg=PA209}}</ref> Speedboats and seaplanes tend to be more expensive, while travel by dhoni, although slower, is relatively cheaper and convenient.

===Education===
{{main|Education in the Maldives}}

The [[Maldives National University]] is one of the country's institutions of higher education.{{efn|There are 209 registered Higher Education Institutes as of May 2022.}}<ref>{{citation |title=Registered Higher Education Institute as of 19.05.2022 |url=https://mohe.gov.mv/images/resources/resources/Registered%20Higher%20Education%20Institutes%20as%20of%2019.05.2022.pdf |website=Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development |access-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617135106/https://mohe.gov.mv/images/resources/resources/Registered%20Higher%20Education%20Institutes%20as%20of%2019.05.2022.pdf |archive-date=17 June 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1973, the Allied Health Services Training Centre (the forerunner of the Faculty of Health Sciences) was established by the [[Ministry of Health (Maldives)|Ministry of Health]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://mnu.edu.mv/history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223004912/https://mnu.edu.mv/history/ |archive-date=23 February 2024 |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=Maldives National University |quote=1st September 1973 Allied Health Services Training Centre was established – Forerunner to the Faculty of Health Sciences established by the Ministry of Health}}</ref> The Vocational Training Centre was established in 1974, providing training for mechanical and electrical trades.<ref>{{cite web |title=Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology |url=https://courses.mnu.edu.mv/FEST |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224113056/https://courses.mnu.edu.mv/fest |archive-date=24 February 2024 |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=Maldives National University |quote=The Vocational Training Center (VTC) was established on 14 October 1975 under the Department of Electricity to train a large number of workers required for the growing industrial and economic activities}}</ref> In 1984, the Institute for Teacher Education was created and the School of Hotel and Catering Services was established in 1987 to provide trained personnel for the tourist industry.<ref>{{cite journal |date=February 2019 |title=Education Sector Analysis Maldives – 6.1 Quick Historical Development Of Higher Education |url=https://support.moe.gov.mv/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/EDUCATION-SECTOR-ANALYSIS_ESA.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Ministry of Education |language=En |publisher=[[Ministry of Education (Maldives)]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428080715/https://support.moe.gov.mv/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/EDUCATION-SECTOR-ANALYSIS_ESA.pdf |archive-date=28 April 2021 |access-date=1 February 2019 |quote=The Vocational Training Center, the Institute for Teacher Education and the School of Hotel and Catering Services were also established before the amalgamation of such post-secondary institutions to form the Maldives College of Higher Education in 1998.}}</ref> In 1991, the Institute of Management and Administration was created to train staff for public and private services. In 1998, Maldives College of Higher Education was founded. The Institute of Shar'ah and Law was founded in January 1999. In 2000 the college launched its first-degree programme, Bachelor of Arts. On 17 January 2011, Maldives National University Act was passed by the President of Maldives; Maldives National University was named on 15 February 2011. In 2015 under a Presidential decree the College of Islamic Studies was changed into the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Profile & History |url=https://www.ium.edu.mv/about-us |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519175208/https://www.ium.edu.mv/about-us |archive-date=19 May 2024 |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=Islamic University of Maldives |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Maldivian government now offers 3 different scholarships to students who have completed their higher secondary education with results above a certain threshold, with ranks of the scholarship received depending on the merits achieved by students on their year 12 examinations.<ref>{{cite web |title=A new scholarship scheme called Merit Scholarship is being launched this year |url=https://mohe.gov.mv/news/a-new-scholarship-scheme-called-merit-scholarship-is-being-launched-this-year |website=Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development |access-date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702020052/https://mohe.gov.mv/news/a-new-scholarship-scheme-called-merit-scholarship-is-being-launched-this-year |archive-date=2 July 2023 |date=16 May 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of the Maldives}}

{{see also|Maldivian cuisine|Folklore of the Maldives}}The culture of Maldives is influenced by the cultures of the people of different ethnicities who have settled on the islands throughout the times.[[File:Maahefun Fuvahmulah.JPG|thumb|[[Maahefun]] Festival in [[Fuvahmulah]]]]

Since the 12th century AD, there were also influences from [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]] in the language and culture of Maldives because of the conversion to Islam and its location as a crossroads in the central Indian Ocean.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=J. J. |title=The Maldives: Islamic Republic, Tropical Autocracy |date=2015 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1849045896 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6u1vrgEACAAJ}}</ref> This was due to the long trading history between the far east and the middle east.

Reflective of this is the fact that Maldives has had the highest national divorce rate in the world for many decades. This, it is hypothesised, is due to a combination of liberal Islamic rules about divorce and the relatively loose marital bonds that have been identified as common in non- and semi-sedentary peoples without a history of fully developed agrarian property and kinship relations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marcus |first=Anothony |year=2012 |title=Reconsidering Talaq |url=http://snrg-nyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/reconsidering-talaq.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010152111/http://snrg-nyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/reconsidering-talaq.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2017 |website=[[Brandeis University Press]]}}</ref>

===Media===
{{main|Television Maldives|Voice of Maldives|List of newspapers in the Maldives}}

[[PSM news]] serves as the country's main media, owned by the [[government of the Maldives|government of Maldives]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Service Media |url=https://soegateway.finance.gov.mv/soes/psm |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=SOE Gateway |publisher=Ministry of Finance}}</ref> The newspaper was founded on 3 May 2017, in the celebration of [[World Press Freedom Day]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 May 2024 |title=PSM News : Seven years of reliable reporting |url=https://psmnews.mv/en/136888 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514184206/https://psmnews.mv/en/136888 |archive-date=14 May 2024 |access-date=19 May 2024 |work=[[PSM news]]}}</ref> Maldives has been ranked one–hundred in the [[World Press Freedom Index]] 2023 and 106 in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |year=2024 |title=2024 World Press Freedom Index |url=https://rsf.org/en/country/maldives |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507020451/https://rsf.org/en/country/maldives |archive-date=7 May 2022 |access-date=12 May 2022 |work=[[Reporters Without Borders]]}}</ref> The country's first daily newspaper, [[Haveeru Daily]] News was the first and longest–serving newspaper in the history of Maldives, which was registered on 28 December 1978, and dissolved in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 May 2016 |title=Lost in translation: the story of Haveeru |url=https://maldivesindependent.com/feature-comment/lost-in-translation-the-story-of-haveeru-124392 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016070200/https://maldivesindependent.com/feature-comment/lost-in-translation-the-story-of-haveeru-124392 |archive-date=16 October 2023 |access-date=19 May 2024 |work=Maldives Independent}}</ref>
Article 28 of Maldives [[Maldives Constitution|Constitution]] guarantees freedom of the press and stipulates that:

{{blockquote|No person shall be compelled to disclose the source of any information that is espoused, disseminated, or published by that person.<ref>{{cite web |title=Constitution of the Republic of Maldives |url=https://storage.googleapis.com/presidency.gov.mv/Documents/ConstitutionOfMaldives.pdf|website=[[Attorney General (Maldives)|Attorney General]] |page=7 |access-date=4 October 2025 }}</ref>}}

However, this protection is compromised by the Evidence Act, which came into effect in January 2023 and grants courts the authority to compel journalists to reveal their confidential sources. Maldives Media Council (MMC) and Maldives [[Maldives Journalists Association|Journalists Association]] (MJA) serve as crucial watchdogs in addressing and combating these threats. Newspapers ''Sun Online'', ''[[Mihaaru]]'' and its English edition named ''[[The Edition]],'' and ''Avas'' serve as well–known private news outlets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maldives Newspapers Online – List of Maldives newspapers, magazines, and news sites covering business, finance, sports, travel, weather, jobs, and entertainments |url=https://www.w3newspapers.com/maldives/ |website=w3newspapers.com}}</ref>

=== Sports ===
[[File:Maldives (15617923914).jpg|thumb|[[Flyboard]]ing in Maldives]]
Sports are deeply ingrained in the culture of Maldives, with various activities based on traditional pastimes and modern sporting pursuits. Given its geography of scattered islands surrounded by the Indian Ocean, [[water sports]] naturally hold a prominent position. [[Surfing]], in particular, has gained international recognition. Locations such as the atolls of North and South [[Malé]], [[Thulusdhoo]], and [[Himmafushi]] offer ideal surfing conditions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thulusdhoo Island Surf Guide – Maldives Local Island Surfing! |url=https://www.stokedfortravel.com/thulusdhoo-island-surf-guide-maldives-local-island/ |website=Stoked For Travel |date=15 September 2020 |access-date=15 September 2020 |archive-date=25 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925030355/https://www.stokedfortravel.com/thulusdhoo-island-surf-guide-maldives-local-island/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, diving and snorkelling are immensely popular.<ref>{{cite web |title=SNORKELING IN THE MALDIVES |url=https://www.snorkeling-report.com/destination/snorkeling-maldives/ |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=Snorkeling Report |archive-date=1 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301023117/https://www.snorkeling-report.com/destination/snorkeling-maldives/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Topu_Barman_in_action_against_Maldives_in_the_2021_SAFF_Championship.jpg|thumb|[[Maldives national football team|Maldives]] against [[Bangladesh national football team|Bangladesh]] at the [[2021 SAFF Championship]].]]
[[Football in the Maldives|Football in Maldives]] is one of the most widely played and passionately-followed sports in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title=Future of Football: When will a country from South Asia emerge as a powerhouse in the global game? |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12932480/future-of-football-when-will-a-country-from-south-asia-emerge-as-a-powerhouse-in-the-global-game |access-date=4 August 2023 |agency=Sky Sports |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110145607/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12932480/future-of-football-when-will-a-country-from-south-asia-emerge-as-a-powerhouse-in-the-global-game |archive-date=10 January 2024}}</ref> Maldives [[Maldives national football team|national football team]] competes in regional and international tournaments. The country has its own domestic football league, the [[Dhivehi Premier League]], featuring clubs from various atolls vying for supremacy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maldives |url=https://us.soccerway.com/teams/maldives/maldives/1443/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326175708/https://us.soccerway.com/teams/maldives/maldives/1443/ |archive-date=26 March 2023 |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=Soccerway}}</ref> Matches often draw large crowds. [[Futsal]] is also popular, especially among younger generations, with numerous indoor facilities providing spaces for friendly matches and competitive leagues.

Bodu Beru, a rhythmic drumming and [[dance performance]], often accompanies events for traditional sports such as "Baibalaa", a game resembling [[volleyball]] but played with a woven ball made from dried [[coconut palm]] leaves, and "Fenei Bashi", a form of [[wrestling]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Maldives|Asia}}
* [[List of Maldives-related topics]]
* [[Outline of the Maldives|Outline of Maldives]]
* [[Maldives Sign Language]]
* [[Maldives Inland Revenue Authority]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* ''Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru''. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee. G.Sōsanī. Malé 1999.
* [[H. C. P. Bell]], ''The Maldive Islands, An account of the Physical Features, History, Inhabitants, Productions and Trade''. Colombo 1883, {{ISBN|81-206-1222-1}}.
* H.C.P. Bell, ''The Maldive Islands; Monograph on the History, Archaeology and Epigraphy''. Reprint Colombo 1940. Council for Linguistic and Historical Research. Malé 1989.
* H.C.P. Bell, ''Excerpta Maldiviana''. Reprint Colombo 1922/35 edn. Asian Educational Services. New Delhi 1999.
* ''Divehi Tārīkhah Au Alikameh. Divehi Bahāi Tārikhah Khidmaiykurā Qaumī Markazu''. Reprint 1958 edn. Malé, Maldives 1990.
* Christopher, William (1836–38). ''Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society'', Vol. I. Bombay.
* Lieut. I.A. Young & W. Christopher, ''Memoirs on the Inhabitants of the Maldive Islands''.
* [[Wilhelm Geiger|Geiger, Wilhelm]]. ''Maldivian Linguistic Studies''. Reprint 1919 edn. Asian Educational Services. Delhi 1999.
* Hockly, T.W. ''The Two Thousand Isles''. Reprint 1835 edn. Asian Educational Services. Delhi 2003.
* Hideyuki Takahashi, ''Maldivian National Security – And the Threats of Mercenaries'', The Round Table (London), No. 351, July 1999, pp.&nbsp;433–444.
* Malten, Thomas: Malediven und Lakkadiven. Materialien zur Bibliographie der Atolle im Indischen Ozean. Beiträge zur Südasien-Forschung Südasien-Institut Universität Heidelberg, Nr. 87. Franz Steiner Verlag. Wiesbaden, 1983.
* Vilgon, Lars: Maldive and Minicoy Islands Bibliography with the Laccadive Islands. Published by the author. Stockholm, 1994.
* [[Clarence Maloney]], ''People of the Maldive Islands'', Orient Black Swan, 2013
* [[Xavier Romero-Frias]], ''The Maldive Islanders: a study of the popular culture of an ancient ocean kingdom'', NEI, 1999
* Xavier Romero-Frias, ''Folk Tales of the Maldives'', Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 2012
* Djan Sauerborn, ''[http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?id=168645 The Perils of Rising Fundamentalism in the Maldives] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164455/https://css.ethz.ch/en/services.html |date=14 January 2021 }}'', International Relations and Security Network (ISN), Zürich, September 2013
* Djan Sauerborn, ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20171010151310/http://sadf.eu/new/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SauerbornD.-SADF-Comment-Nr.1-FEBRUARY-2015.pdf Failing to Transition: Democratization under Stress in the Maldives]'', South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), February 2015
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Maldives|b=no|v=no|The Maldives}}
* [https://visitmaldives.com/ Official tourist guide to Maldives]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116105604/https://visitmaldives.com/ |date=16 January 2020 }}
* [https://www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv/ President's Office]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530232213/https://www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv/ |date=30 May 2023 }}
* [https://www.gov.mv/ Official website of the Government of Maldives]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612131552/https://www.gov.mv/ |date=12 June 2020 }}
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/maldives/ Maldives]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729125757/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/maldives/ |date=29 July 2022 }}. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120829212541/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/maldives.htm Maldives] from UCB Libraries GovPubs
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12651486 Maldives]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729053826/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12651486 |date=29 July 2018 }} from [[BBC News]]
* [https://www.britannica.com/place/Maldives Maldives]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202175356/https://www.britannica.com/place/Maldives |date=2 December 2022 }} ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' entry
* {{Wikiatlas|Maldives}}
* {{OSM relation|536773}}
* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=MV Key Development Forecasts for Maldives]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706030400/http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=MV |date=6 July 2012 }} from [[International Futures]]
* [https://storage.googleapis.com/presidency.gov.mv/Documents/ConstitutionOfMaldives.pdf Constitution of the Republic of Maldives]

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