Country: Republic of Maldives
Capital: Malé
Population: 104,403 inhabitant
Independence: July 26, 1965 in England
Official Languages: Maldivian
Currency: Rufiyaa
Population source: Arab, African, and Indonesian.
Continent: Asia
Flora and Fauna: The flora and fauna of the islands of the Maldives is truly exceptional.It is a land rich and varied vegetation composed mainly of coconut palms, tropical shrubs, palm trees and colorful flowers and fragrances fascinating. On the seabed, undoubtedly his mostattractive, will find many types of algae, tropical gardens, 200 species of hard coral, 600 species of fish ranging from angelfish, Emperor, clownfish, parrotfish up tuna, barracuda, rainbow fish andoccasionally some sharks, manta rays, dolphins and squirrels TuesCrustaceans abound and one of the most respected animal on the islands has made the name is a protected species is the sea turtle
History
Main article: History of Maldives
Comparative studies of oral traditions and customs, language and culture confirm that the first inhabitants of the archipelago weredravídicos4 villages of Kerala, mainly fishermen from the southwest coast of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka.
Among the first communities with these characteristics is thedescendant of ancient Giraavaru people Tamils. He is mentioned in ancient legends and effect in the folklore of the founding of the city and kingdom Malé, there is also a strong Tamil population and culture of the Maldives. Also, Gujaratis are probably among the first settlers of the islands, from Gujarat in the early Indus Valley culture.The Jataka tales and puranas traces reveal important maritime trade held by these groups. You may also have been submittedAsiático.5 migration from South
Between VI and V century a. C. reached the islands the Sinhalese, descendants of the prince in exile in Kalinga, Vijaya Sri Lanka,from the kingdoms of Orissa and Sinhapura in northwest India.According to the Mahavansa historical poem, one of the ships on which sailed the monarch came to the archipelago, and othersources speak of their residents travel to the islands. Theirestablishments in Sri Lanka and the Maldives some marks an important shift in demographics and Dhivehi language development.
Tsunami
On December 26, 2004, the islands were devastated by a tsunami, which followed the Indian Ocean earthquake waves produced2004.6 1.2 to 1.5 meters high flooding the country almostcompletely. At least eighty-two people died, including six foreigners, and the infrastructure was completely destroyed in 13 inhabited islands and twenty-nine of the tourist islands.
Agriculture
Agriculture is limited due to the scarcity of arable land. Despite thisthere are small plantations of coconut palms, papaya and breadfruit.The coconut is the main agricultural resource, developed its fiber and fabrics being used for local food. Traditionally the coconut was so important that the value of an island is determined by the number of coconut palms that he possessed. This number was strictlycontrolled by the head of the island (Katibu) each year. In the larger islands are small plantations of fruits and vegetables, which are limited by the scarcity of water and soil salinity. There have also been some experiments with hydroponics, with little success.
The culture of the Maldives recognizes different sources and the development of the Maldives has been influenced by several factors. Highlights have been its proximity to Sri Lanka andsouthern India, East Africa, the Malay Archipelago and the Middle East following his conversion to Islam in the twelfth century, as well as its location in the Indian Ocean in the crossroads of variousshipping routes. There are also elements of Arab, African, and Indonesian. Maldivian culture shares many characteristics with Sri Lanka and Kerala, in particular a strong matriarchal tradition.
Minaret of the mosque in Male.
The music of the Maldives, such as the Bodu Beru, (literally "big drum") recognizes African roots, while other cultural features havesimilarities with Arab elements and regions of northern India.