A Nation of Islands
The Maldives, renowned for its mesmerizing natural beauty and home to the Dhivehin (Maldivians), consists of 1,192 tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean. The islands are extremely flat and low-lying with their highest peaks rarely exceeding two meters above sea level. The islands rest atop the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, an underwater mountain range southwest off the coast of India and Sri Lanka, and northwest of Seychelles.
The islands are grouped into 26 natural atolls of various shapes and sizes, covering a vast oceanic area of 115,300 square kilometers. Despite this expansive spread, the total land area of the Maldives is just 298 square kilometers with even less being habitable, making it one of the smallest nations in the world by land size.
The population of the Maldives is approximately 514,000 people of which 382,000 are Maldivians and 132,000 are expatriates). Around 41% of the population lives in the capital city, Malé, and the nearby Hulhumalé and Villimale islands. The remaining population is spread across 187 inhabited islands while many of the other islands remain uninhabited. About 200 islands are dedicated to tourism, and a few islands are used for agriculture or light industry.
Early History
The history of the Maldives is a rich tapestry, shaped by its strategic location. The earliest settlers in the country are thought to have arrived from India and Sri Lanka before the 5th century BCE. By the 12th century, the Maldives had become a pit stop on the spice route for sailors from East Africa and Arab nations. Maldivian ethnicity today reflects this blend of cultures, deeply intertwined with religion and language.
The influence of Arab traders played a key role in the Maldives' adoption of Islam in 1153 AD, a defining moment in the nation's history. Since then, the Maldives remained largely independent, except for a brief period in the 16th century when the Portuguese ruled from 1558 to 1573. This 15-year occupation ended with the defeat of the Portuguese garrison in the country by a group of Maldivians led by the national hero Mohammed Thakurufaan. This victory is commemorated annually as National Day in the Maldives.
In 1887, the Maldives became a British Protectorate. It remained so until 26 July 1965, when the country regained full independence.
Governance
From the 12 century AD, the Maldives remained a Sultanate until 1953 when the First Republic was declared under the short-lived Presidency of Mohamed Amin Didi. In 1954 the country reverted to a Sultanate. A new constitution adopted by a referendum in 1968 once again instituted a second Republic with executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.
Ibrahim Nasir, who served as Prime Minister under the pre-1968 sultanate, became the first president of the second republic and held office until his resignation in 1978. He was succeeded by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who remained in power for 30 years. In 2008, Gayoom was defeated in the first multiparty election by Mohamed Nasheed.
President Nasheed resigned under duress in 2012, leading to his Vice-President, Mohamed Waheed Hasan Manik, assuming the presidency. He was followed by President Yameen Abdul Gayoom in 2013, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2018, and the current President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who took office in 2023.
The current unicameral Majlis, elected in 2014, consists of 93 members. They were directly elected by the public to serve a five-year term.
The Maldives has a three-tier court system comprising a Supreme Court, a High Court, and Superior Courts. The entire judicial system is overseen by a Judicial Services Commission.
