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Full country name: Republic of Maldives Area: 298 sq km (115 sq mi) Population: 301,475 Capital city: Malé (pop. 62,973) People: Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, African Language: Maldivian Divehi Religion: Sunni Muslim Government: Republic President: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom |
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for further information on any of the following:
Malé Seenu (Addu Atoll) Resorts Fuamulaku Kudahuvadhoo Baa Atoll |
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Resorts in the Maldives woo tourists with promises of 'the last paradise on earth', and if your idea of paradise is a pristine tropical island with swaying palm trees, pure white beaches and brilliant turquoise lagoons, then the Maldives will not disappoint. It's also a major destination for scuba divers, who come for the fabulous coral reefs and the wealth of marine life. But it's not a place for low budget backpackers or amateur anthropologists who want to travel independently and live as the locals do. Tourism in the Maldives is carefully managed. The country's tourism master plan identifies both the underwater environment and 'the Robinson Crusoe factor' as major attractions, but these are not seen as compatible with large-scale, low budget, mass tourism. The lack of local resources makes it necessary to import virtually everything a visitor needs, from furniture to fresh vegetables, so the Maldives cannot really compete on price. The strategy has been to develop a limited number of quality resorts, each on its own uninhabited island, free from traffic, crime and crass commercialism. The Maldivian tourism strategy also aims to minimise the adverse effects of tourism on traditional Muslim communities. Tourists can make short guided visits to local fishing villages, but must then return to their resort. Most are satisfied with this glimpse of local life and culture, but to stay longer or to travel to atolls outside the tourist zone requires a good reason, a special permit, and a local person to sponsor the visitor. Most tourists come to understand the restrictions after a short visit to an accessible island - it is difficult to imagine how isolated Maldivian communities would benefit from extended stays by an uncontrolled number of tourists. Like it or not, this highly regulated tourist industry has been enormously successful - there are more and better resorts, a steady increase in visitor numbers, and a minimal impact on the natural and social environment. The Maldives is internationally recognised as a model for sustainable, environment-friendly tourist development. Full
country name: Republic of Maldives
The Maldives is a chain of 26 coral atolls south-west of Sri Lanka, extending across the equator in a north-south strip 754km (468mi) long and 118km (73mi) wide. The 1192 low-lying coral islands are so small that dry land makes up less than 4% of the country's total territory. Some islands are uninhabited sandbars with a patch of scrub, while others are several km across and quite well vegetated. Most of the time the lagoons are a brilliant blue, with amazing coral reefs and abundant marine life. Although strict local regulation of fishing and commercial exploitation has kept the marine environment in a near-pristine state, in 1998 the reefs began feeling the effects of El Ninõ. A rise in sea temperature, lasting two weeks, stripped the reefs of a symbiotic algae that caused 'bleaching' of the coral polyps. While bleaching can be devastating, most of the Maldive coral reefs emerged unscathed, and it appears the process has not harmed any other marine life. Marine biologists and reef-watchers believe the process to be cyclical and are watching the growth of the new coral with avid interest. In short, the reefs are still a scuba diving and snorkelling wonder world, although they have temporarily lost some of their technicolour splendour. Though many of the bigger islands look like the picture-perfect, palm-fringed tropical fantasy, most have poor, sandy soil which supports only a limited range of plants - bamboo, pandanus, banana, mangroves, breadfruit trees, banyans, tropical vines and numerous coconut palms. The larger, wetter islands have small areas of rainforest. The main crops are limited to sweet potatoes, yams, taro, millet and watermelon, though a few more fertile islands have citrus fruits and pineapples. Natural fauna is sparse - giant fruit bats, colourful lizards and the occasional rat. Domestic animals include cats, a few chickens, goats and some rabbits. The most exciting wildlife is under the water. Anyone with a mask and snorkel will see butterfly fish, angel fish, parrot fish, rock cod, unicorn fish, trumpet fish, bluestripe snapper, Moorish idols, oriental sweetlips and more. Larger life forms, eagerly sought by scuba divers, include sharks, stingrays, manta rays, turtles and dolphins. The first inhabitants probably arrived in the archipelago from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and southern India before 500 BC. One theory is that the islands were at the trading crossroads of several maritime nations as early as 2000 BC. Maldivians believe that an ancient race of sun-worshipping people called the Redin were the first settlers, and left a heritage of beliefs and customs involving evil spirits, or jinnis, still evident today. The Redin left around 500 BC or were absorbed by Buddhists from Ceylon and by Hindus from India. Because building materials were limited, each group built its important structures on top of those left by previous inhabitants. This is why many Maldivian mosques are oriented towards the sun and not Mecca. Arab traders en route to the Far East recorded visits to the Maldives from the 2nd century AD. Known as the 'Money Isles', they provided enormous quantities of cowrie shells, an international currency of the early ages. The conversion to Islam, in 1153 AD, is a watershed in Maldivian history. According to legend, a sea jinni called Rannamaari demanded regular sacrifices of young virgin girls in Malé. Abu Al Barakat, a visiting North African Arab took the place of a sacrificial virgin, and drove the demon away by reading from the Koran, the Islamic holy book. The Maldivian king at the time was sold on Islam, and Barakat later became the first sultan. A series of six sultanic dynasties followed - 84 sultans and sultanas in all. At one stage, when the Portuguese first arrived in the 16th century, there were actually two ruling dynasties: the Malei and the Hilali. The Portuguese, eager for a greater share of the profitable trade routes of the Indian Ocean, were granted permission to build a fort and a factory in Malé, but it wasn' t long before they wanted more from the Maldives. In 1558, Captain Andreas Andre led a Portuguese invasion which killed Sultan Ali VI. Andre ruled Malé and much of the country for the next 15 years. Portuguese occupation came to a sticky end in 1573 when an island chief, Mohammed Thakurufaan, led an attack on the main Portuguese garrison and slew the lot. In the 17th century, the Maldives came under the protection of the Dutch and later the British, but neither established a colonial administration. In the 1860s Borah merchants from Bombay set up warehouses and shops in Malé, and quickly acquired an almost exclusive monopoly on foreign trade. Sultan Mohammed Mueenuddin II, weary of the Borahs' economic grip, signed an agreement with the British in 1867 which guaranteed the islands' full independence. The Maldives subsequently became a British protectorate, and allowed the British to establish defence facilities. The sultanate became an elected rather than a hereditary position when the islands' first constitution was drawn up in 1932. In 1953 the sultanate was abolished and a republic proclaimed with Amin Didi as the first president. Less than a year later Didi was overthrown; the sultanate was returned with Mohammed Farid Didi elected as the 94th sultan of the Maldives. Around the same time, the British secured permission to re-establish its wartime airfield on Addu Atoll in the far south of the country. In 1956 the Royal Air Force began developing the base as a staging post, employing hundreds of Maldivians and undertaking the resettlement of the Gan islanders. But when Ibrahim Nasir was elected prime minister in 1957 he immediately called for a review of the agreement, demanding that the lease be shortened and the annual payment increased. This was followed by an insurrection against the government by the inhabitants of Addu and Suvadiva (Huvadu) atolls who objected to Nasir's demand that the British cease employing local labour. Influenced by the British presence, they decided to cut ties altogether and form an independent state. In 1962 Nasir sent gunboats to the southern atolls and the rebellion was quashed. Britain recognised the islands' sovereignty soon after and in 1965, the Maldives became fully independent. Following a referendum in 1968 the sultanate was again abolished and a new republic inaugurated with Nasir as president. His autocratic rule ended a decade later when, fearing for his life, he fled the country for Singapore. The progressive Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was elected president in his place. Gayoom has been in power ever since, surviving coup attempts in 1980 and 1988. He was nominated for a fourth five-year term in 1993, and his presidency was confirmed by an overwhelming referendum. Recent years have been characterized by modernisation, rapid economic growth, and improvement in most social indicators. The main contributors to this growth have been the fishing industry, tourism and foreign aid. There are pressures for political liberalisation on one hand and for a more traditional Muslim way of life on the other. The government also needs to strike a balance between preserving the environmental quality of the islands and further developing tourism and fishing. |
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Click here to view a map of The Maldives
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