Maldives
Maldives, 1968 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an archipelagic country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean, near the southeastern boundary of the Arabian Sea. 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. 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.
Seat of power: Malé
Rulers
Ibrahim Nasir
President of the Maldives, 1968–1978
He served as the Prime Minister of the Maldives from 1957 to 1968 under the monarchy, and later as the first President of the Second Republic of Maldives from 1968 to 1978. Nasir is remembered as an independence hero for guiding the Maldives to independence from the British Empire, he is also credited for establishing the tourism industry in the Maldives, as well as rapidly modernizing and developing the country and economy.
Portrait of Ibrahim Nasir: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives, CC BY 4.0, file
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
President of the Maldives, 1978–2008
He served as the 3rd president of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. Gayoom is the longest-serving president in Maldivian history.
Portrait of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom: The President's Office, CC-BY-4.0, file
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Mohamed Nasheed
President of the Maldives, 2008–2012
He is the first democratically elected president of the Maldives and the only president to resign from office. As the President, Nasheed played a role in drawing international attention to the threat of climate change to the Maldives. His government focused on anti-corruption measures, free healthcare, political and press freedom.
Portrait of Mohamed Nasheed: The President's Office, CC BY 4.0, file
Mohamed Waheed Hassan
President of the Maldives, 2012–2013
He served as the fifth President of the Maldives from 7 February 2012 to 17 November 2013, having previously served as Vice President from 2008 to 2012. He assumed the presidency following the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed.
Portrait of Mohamed Waheed Hassan: The President's Office, Maldives, CC BY 4.0, file
Abdulla Yameen
President of the Maldives, 2013–2018
Yameen's presidential tenure oversaw a number of infrastructure development projects, such as airports and healthcare facilities, most of which were financed through loans from the Chinese government. His presidency was rife with allegations of human rights infringements and corruption.
Portrait of Abdulla Yameen: The President's Office, CC BY 4.0, file
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Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
President of the Maldives, 2018–2023
Solih was elected president on 23 September 2018 after winning the 2018 presidential election as the candidate for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). His presidency focused on democratic governance, environmental sustainability, and strengthening international relations.
Portrait of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives, CC BY 4.0, file
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Mohamed Muizzu
President of the Maldives, 2023 to today
Muizzu was nominated as the People's National Congress's 2023 presidential candidate following the imprisonment of former president Abdulla Yameen on corruption charges. Muizzu defeated the incumbent president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, receiving the second-highest number of votes for a presidential candidate in Maldivian history.
Portrait of Mohamed Muizzu: The President's Office, Maldives, CC BY 4.0, file
Culture
- The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia.
- The Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of around 1.5 metres above sea level, and a highest natural point of only 2.4 metres, making it the world's lowest-lying country.
- The Maldives' chain of 26 atolls stretches across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south.
- Fishing has historically been the dominant economic activity, and remains the second largest sector, behind the rapidly growing tourism industry.
Picture
Hulhumalé is a reclaimed island in the south of North Malé Atoll, built up with sand pumped from the sea floor to meet housing, industrial and commercial development demands.
Image: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.