Outline of Maldives

The location of the Maldives
An enlargeable map of the Republic of Maldives

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Maldives:

The Maldives – island nation comprising a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean.[1] The Maldives is located south of India's Lakshadweep islands, and about seven hundred kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka. The twenty-six atolls of Maldives' encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, two hundred and fifty islands of which are inhabited.

The name "Maldives" may derive from Maale Dhivehi Raajje ("The Island Kingdom [under the authority of] Malé")."[2] Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands",[3] or from mahila dvipa, meaning "island of women", but these names are not found in ancient Sanskrit literature. Instead, classical Sanskrit texts mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" (Lakshadweepa); a generic name which would include not only the Maldives, but also the Laccadives and the Chagos island groups. Another theory suggests that the name "Maldives" derives from the Tamil "malai tivu" meaning "island of hills." Some medieval Arab travellers such as Ibn Batuta called the islands "Mahal Dibiyat" from the Arabic word Mahal ("palace")." [4] This is the name presently inscribed in the scroll of the Maldive state emblem.

The inhabitants were Buddhist, probably since Ashoka's period, in the 3rd century BC. Islam was introduced in 1153. The Maldives came then under the influence of the Portuguese (1558) and the Dutch (1654) seaborne empires. And in 1887 it became a British protectorate. In 1965, the Maldives obtained independence from Britain (originally under the name "Maldive Islands"), and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic.

The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.

General reference

An enlargeable basic map of Maldives

Geography of Maldives

Main article: Geography of Maldives

Environment of Maldives

An enlargeable satellite image of Maldives

Natural geographic features of Maldives

Regions of Maldives

Administrative divisions of Maldives

None

Municipalities of Maldives

Demography of Maldives

Government and politics of Maldives

Politics of Maldives

Branches of the government of Maldives

Executive branch of the government of Maldives

Legislative branch of the government of Maldives

Judicial branch of the government of Maldives

Foreign relations of Maldives

International organization membership

The Republic of Maldives is a member of:[1]

Law and order in Maldives

Military of Maldives

Main article: Military of Maldives

History of Maldives

Main article: History of Maldives, Timeline of the history of Maldives, and Current events of Maldives

Culture of Maldives

Main article: Culture of Maldives

Art in Maldives

Sports in Maldives

Economy and infrastructure of Maldives

Main article: Economy of Maldives

Education in Maldives

Main article: Education in Maldives

See also

Divehi language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Main article: Maldives

References

  1. 1 2 "Maldives". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 7, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  2. ↑ Caldwell, Comparative Dravidian Grammar, p. 27-28
  3. ↑ J Hogendorn and M Johnson, The Shell Money of the Slave Trade, p. 20-22
  4. ↑ Ibn Batuta, Travels in Asia and Africa, translated by A.R. Gibb

Wikimedia Atlas of Maldives

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