The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic state in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres 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.
In ancient times, Maldives were renowned for cowries, coir rope, dried tuna fish, ambergris (maavaharu) and coco de mer (tavakkaashi). Local and foreign trading ships used to load these products in the Maldives and bring them abroad.
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivian politician who served as the President of Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis (Parliament) of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir in 1978. He was defeated in the October 2008 presidential election. In opposition, he continued to serve as leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party until January 2010, when he retired from active politics.
Tourism is the largest economic industry in the Maldives, as it plays an important role in earning foreign exchange revenues and employing 25,000 people in the tertiary sector of the country. The archipelago of the Maldives is the main source of attraction to many tourists visiting the island country.
Mahibadhoo is an island town in central Maldives, and is the capital of South Ari Atoll.
Dhiffushi is one of the inhabited islands of Kaafu Atoll.
The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) is the central bank of the republic of Maldives and was established on July 1, 1981, under the mandate provided by the "MMA Act" of 1981, located in the capital city of Malé. The current governor and chairperson is Ali Hashim and deputy governor is Mr. Ahmed Imad. It is a member of the Asian Clearing Union.
Qasim Ibrahim, also known as Burumaa Qasim is a Maldivian politician, business magnate and philanthropist. As the chairman and founder of the Villa Group, he is one of the country's wealthiest businessmen, with MVR 1 billion.
The 2007 Malé bombing was a bomb blast on September 29, 2007, in Sultan Park near the Islamic Centre in the Maldivian capital Malé, injuring 12 foreign tourists. The park is located in the shadow Maldivian Army (MNDF) Headquarters where several surveillance cameras are trained. It was the first known bombing to take place in the Maldives.
Funaadu is an administrative division of Fuvahmulah, Maldives. This is one of the largest wards in Fuvahmulah. The origin of its name lies in some large groves of the tree known locally as "Funa" that were located on its southern end.
The Cabinet of the Maldives is the most senior level of the executive branch of the Government of the Maldives. It is made up of the President, the Vice President, Attorney General and the Ministers.
Fazeel Najeeb is former governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority (2008-2013) where he is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors. A native of Fuvahmulah, Fazeel is also the Governor of Maldives to the International Monetary Fund, and the current Chairman of SAARC Finance, a network of Central Banks in South Asia. He began his public service in 1987 at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He also had his own consulting firm, before taking up his doctoral studies in London. He assumed office at Maldives Monetary Authority in 2008.
Ali Waheed was the Tourism Minister of Maldives, a Maldivian politician, former MP and the Chairperson of Jumhoory Party. He was also the Chairman of New Radiant Sports Club.
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivian politician who was President of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. He left office on 17 November 2018 following his defeat in the 2018 presidential election, in which he sought to win a second 5-year term.
The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) is a fully autonomous body responsible for tax administration in the Maldives. MIRA collected 78.1% of the total revenue collected by the government of Maldives in 2018. The main responsibilities of MIRA include execution of tax laws, implementation of tax policies and providing technical advice to the government in determining tax policies. The Tax Administration Act stipulates the other responsibilities of MIRA.
Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor is a Maldivian politician who briefly served as Vice President of Maldives in 2015. Prior to his appointment on 22 July 2015, he served as the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The Capital Market Development Authority (CMDA) is the state entity responsible for the development and regulation of the securities market, and the capital market of Maldives. CMDA was established as an independent institution in 2006 with the passing of the Maldives Securities Act 2006. Prior to that, it was functioning as a separate Division of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).
Abdulla Jihad served as Vice President of Maldives from 22 June 2016 to 17 November 2018. Prior to his appointment on 22 June 2016, he served as the Minister of Finance.
Ali Naseer Mohamed is a Maldivian diplomat who was Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations and Ambassador of the Maldives to the United States and Canada from July 2017 to May 2019.
Faisal Naseem is a Maldivian politician who is Vice President of the Maldives, following the election of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on 23 September 2018. He assumed office on 17 November 2018, and succeeded the former Vice President Abdulla Jihad. Prior to his election, Naseem served for many years in the social sector, particularly in tourism.
