Global InformationMaldives information
Republic of Maldives
| |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Emblem
| |
| Motto: الدولة المحلديبية (Arabic) Ad-Dawlat Al-Mahaldibiyya "State of the Mahal Dibiyat" [1] | |
| Anthem: ޤައުމީ ސަލާމް (Dhivehi) Qaumee Salaam "National Salute" | |
  | |
| Capital and largest city | Malé 4°10′31″N 73°30′32″E / 4.17528°N 73.50889°E |
| Official language and national language | Maldivian (Dhivehi) |
| Common languages | English |
| Religion [2] |
|
| Demonym(s) | Maldivian |
| Government | Unitary presidential republic |
• President | Mohamed Muizzu |
• Vice-President | Hussain Mohamed Latheef |
• Speaker of the Majlis | Incumbent |
• Chief Justice | Ahmed Muthasim Adnan[3] |
| Legislature | People's Majlis |
| Independence from the United Kingdom | |
• Independence declared | 26 July 1965 |
• Admitted to the United Nations | 21 September 1965 |
• Republic proclaimed | 11 November 1968 [a] |
• Current constitution | 7 August 2008 |
| Area | |
• Total | 298 km2 (115 sq mi)[4] (187th) |
| Population | |
• 2022 census | 515,132[5] (167th) |
• Density | 1,728.63/km2 (4,477.1/sq mi) (7th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total |  $14.740 billion[6] (157th) |
• Per capita | $50,093[6] (54th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $11.977 billion[6] (161st) |
• Per capita | $19,558[6] (58th) |
| Gini (2024) |  31.3[7]medium |
| HDI (2022) | 0.762[8] high (87th) |
| Currency | Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR) [b] |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (Maldives Time) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +960 |
| ISO 3166 code | MV |
| Internet TLD | .mv |
The Maldives,[c] officially the Republic of Maldives,[d] and historically known as Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean.[9] The Maldives is named after the main island and capital, Malé. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent's mainland. The Maldives' chain of 26 atolls stretches across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south.
The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia. Including the sea, the territory spans roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), and a land area of 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi). The Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed sovereign states, and the smallest Muslim-majority country by land area. With a population of 515,132 in the 2022 census, it is the 2nd least populous country in Asia and the ninth-smallest country in the world by area. Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island", where the ancient royal dynasties ruled from its central location.[10] The Maldivian Archipelago is located on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean; this also forms a terrestrial ecoregion with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep.[11] The Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level,[12] and a highest natural point of only 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in), making it the world's lowest-lying country. Some sources state the highest point, Mount Villingili, as 5.1 metres or 17 feet.[12]
The 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.[13] The Maldives was soon consolidated as a 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 colonial powers, with the Maldives becoming a British protectorate in 1887. Independence from the United Kingdom came in 1965, and a presidential republic was established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. The ensuing decades have seen political instability, efforts at democratic reform,[14] and environmental challenges posed by climate change and rising sea levels.[15] The Maldives became a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The Maldives is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement. The World Bank classifies the Maldives as having an upper-middle income economy.[16] The Maldives is a Dialogue Partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.[17] Fishing has historically been the dominant economic activity, and remains the largest sector by far, followed by the rapidly growing tourism industry. The Maldives rates "high" on the Human Development Index,[18] with per capita income significantly higher than other SAARC nations.[19] The Maldives was a member of the Commonwealth of Nations from July 1982 until withdrawing from the organisation in October 2016 in protest of allegations by other nations of its human rights abuses and failing democracy. The Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth on 1 February 2020 after showing evidence of functioning democratic processes and popular support.[20]
- ^ "Maldives Mission to the United Nations". Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
- ^ "Regional Profiles: Maldives". The Association of Religion Data Archives. World Religion Database.
- ^ "President appoints Chief Justice and Supreme Court Justice". presidency.gov.mv. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "Maldives". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Census Results Summary". census.gov.mv. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Maldives)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Gini Index coefficient". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "Designating Leaders and Financial Facilitators of ISIS and al-Qa'ida Cells in Maldives". United States Department of State. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Male | Geography, Facts, & Points of Interest". Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
- ^ a b Henley, Jon (11 November 2008). "The last days of paradise". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
[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.
- ^ http://www.maldivesmission.com/history
- ^ "Maldives – Country report – Freedom in the World – 2015". 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ National Adaptation Program of Action: Republic of Maldives (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water. 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ Upper middle income Archived 28 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine World Bank. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Nepal, Maldives To Join Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.As Observer". Spotlight. 1 August 2022.
- ^ Human Development Report 2020 The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 15 December 2020. pp. 343–346. ISBN 978-92-1-126442-5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ "2016 Human Development Report Statistical Annex" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 2016. p. 13. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Maldives rejoins Commonwealth after evidence of reforms". The Guardian. February 2020. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).