The history of the Maldives is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions, comprising the areas of South Asia and the Indian Ocean. The modern nation is formed of 26 natural atolls, comprising 1194 islands. Historically, the Maldives has held strategic importance due to its location on the major marine routes of the Indian Ocean. The Maldives's nearest neighbors are the British Indian Ocean Territory, Sri Lanka and India. The United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, and some Indian kingdoms have had cultural and economic ties with the Maldives for centuries. In addition to these countries, Maldivians also traded with Aceh and many other kingdoms in what is today Indonesia and Malaysia. The Maldives provided the primary source of cowrie shells, which were then used as currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast. Most likely, the Maldives were influenced by the Kalingas of ancient India. The Kalingas were the earliest region of India to trade with Sri Lanka and the Maldives and were responsible for the spread of Buddhism. Stashes of Chinese crockery found buried in various locations in the Maldives also show that there was direct or indirect trade contact between China and the Maldives. In 1411 and 1430, the Chinese admiral Zheng He (鄭和) visited the Maldives. The Chinese also became the first country to establish a diplomatic office in the Maldives when the Chinese nationalist government based in Taipei opened an embassy in Malé in 1966. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China has since replaced this office.
The Transport in the Maldives is highly facilitated by road, bridges, highways, air and water networks. The country has no railways. Transportation in the Maldives primarily revolves around its maritime and air travel systems, given the archipelagic nature of the country, which consists of 26 atolls and over 1,000 coral islands. The absence of extensive road networks between islands necessitates a heavy reliance on boats and seaplanes for inter-island connectivity. Dhoni, traditional Maldivian wooden boats, and modern speedboats are widely used for short distances and local travel, while ferries provide regular services between inhabited islands. For longer journeys, the Maldives domestic airlines operate seaplane and airplane services that link the capital, Malé, with outlying atolls, enhancing both passenger and cargo transport across the islands.
Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, , commonly known as Ibrahim Nasir, was a Maldivian politician who adhered to the non-aligned ideology and was a staunch anti-imperialist. Nasir served as the Prime Minister of the Maldives from 1957 to 1968 under the monarchy, and later the first President of the Second Republic of Maldives from 1968 to 1978. Nasir served two terms, then he decided to retire, even though the People's Majlis voted him in for a third term. 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.
Royal Air Force Gan, commonly known as RAF Gan, is a former Royal Air Force station on Gan island, the southern-most island of Addu Atoll, which is part of the larger groups of islands which form the Maldives, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Its motto is En Route, which signifies its importance as a strategic staging post for enabling RAF aircraft to reach their onward destinations at their bases in the Far East.
Addu City is a city in Maldives that consists of the inhabited islands of Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll of the archipelago. Addu City is the second-largest urban area in Maldives, in terms of population, and is one of the two urban areas to get the status of "city" other than the capital city, Malé, and Fuvahmulah. Addu City has 6 districts. They are Hithadhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Maradhoo, Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo. These divisions are naturally islands, but are well connected. In addition, Addu Atoll has other uninhabited islands.
Trans Maldivian Airways (Pvt) Ltd. (TMA) is a private airline headquartered on the grounds of Velana International Airport in Malé, Maldives.
Maradhoo is one of the inhabited islands of the Addu Atoll.
Velana International Airport (VIA), also known as Malé-Velana International Airport is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the southern Malé Atoll, nearby the capital island Malé. The airport is well connected with major airports around the world, mostly serving as the main gateway into the Maldives for tourists. It is managed financially and administratively by a state owned company known as Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
The president of the Republic of Maldives is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Maldives and the commander-in-chief of the Maldives National Defence Force.
Maldivian is the airline division of Island Aviation Services and is based in Malé, in the Maldives. It is the flag carrier airline of the Maldives. It operates international flights in addition to inter-island services. Its main base is Velana International Airport.
The United Suvadive Republic was a short-lived breakaway state from the Sultanate of Maldives between 1958 and 1963, consisting of the three southern atolls of the Maldive archipelago: Addu Atoll, Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah. The first president of the new nation was Abdulla Afeef Didi. The secession occurred in the context of the struggle of the Maldives’ emergence as a modern nation. The United Suvadive Republic inherited a Westminster system of governance cloned from the United Kingdom, along with other institutional structures.
Air Maldives was the first national airline and flag carrier of the Maldives. It was established on 1 October 1974 during the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir. After operating for about 26 years, the airline declared bankruptcy and stopped all operations in 2000.
Hanimaadhoo International Airport is an airport located on the island of Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives, opened as a domestic airport. It was upgraded to an international airport on 2 February 2012, with the introduction of direct flights to Thiruvananthapuram in India by Maldivian. As of June 2019, it is one of three international airports in the Maldives.
Kadhdhoo Airport is a domestic airport located on the island of Kadhdhoo in Laamu Atoll, Maldives. The airport is 3.7 km (2.0 NM) northeast of Fonadhoo.
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 a net worth of around MVR 18 billion.
Maldives Airways was an airline based in Malé, Maldives. It was operational between 1984 and 1986, offering scheduled passenger flights using a fleet of Four Douglas DC-8 aircraft, and three Fokker F-27 aircraft. The usage of American-made airplanes was quite impressive, considering that Air Maldives, the state airline, was operating only one Short Skyvan at that time.
The Asian Academy of Aeronautics (AAA) is a flight training academy located at Gan International Airport, Addu Atoll, Maldives. Now permanently closed due to issues faced by the school during the time of COVID-19.
Dharavandhoo Airport is a domestic airport located on the island of Dharavandhoo, part of the Baa Atoll in Maldives. It was opened on 17 October 2012 by President Mohamed Waheed Hassan. Flight operations began to the airport on 15th of that month.
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivian politician who served as president of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Maldives on 6 April 2019. The result was a landslide victory for the Maldivian Democratic Party, which won 65 of the 87 seats in the People's Majlis. This was the first time in Maldivian history that one party was able to secure a supermajority in parliament.
