Maldives















Brief History of Maldives: 
The Maldives is a country in the Indian Ocean made up of 1,191 islands. The area was first settled by people from southern India. Other peoples arrived over time including the Muslims in the 12th century. Starting in 1153 the country was governed as a independent Islamic sultanate. It remained this way until 1887 when the land was colonized by the British. In 1965 the Maldives was granted independence from Britain. Initially the country was ran as a sultanate, but in 1968 the sultanate was abolished and the country became a republic with the name Maldives.


The Geography of Maldives 
Total Size: 300 square km 
Size Comparison: about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
 Geographical Coordinates: 3 15 N, 73 00 E 
World Region or Continent: Asia 
General Terrain: flat, with white sandy beaches 
Geographical Low Point: Indian Ocean 0 m 
Geographical High Point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
 Major cities: MALE (capital) 120,000 (2009) 

The People of Maldives 
Type of Government: republic 
Languages Spoken: Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials 
Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK) 
National Holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965) 
Nationality: Maldivian(s) 
Religions: Sunni Muslim 
National Symbol: crescent moon 
National Anthem or Song: Gaumee Salaam (National Salute) 

Economy of Maldives 
Major Industries: fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining 
Agricultural Products: coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish 
Natural Resources: fish 
Major Exports: fish, clothing Major Imports: petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, intermediate and capital goods 
Currency: rufiyaa (MVR) 
National GDP: $2,800,000,000