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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.
Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of 8.30 square kilometres (3.20 sq mi), it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll.
The Maldives has remained an independent nation throughout its recorded history, save for a brief spell of Portuguese occupation in the mid-16th century. From 1887 to 1965, the country was a British protectorate while retaining full internal sovereignty. At its independence in 1965, the Maldives joined the United Nations on 20 September.
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.
Noonu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives corresponding to the southern section of Miladhunmadulu Atoll. The capital is Manadhoo. Total population of Noonu Atoll is around 10,000 people.
Baa Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of three separate natural atolls, namely southern Maalhosmadulu Atoll, the Fasdūtherē Atoll and the smaller natural atoll known as Goifulhafehendhu Atoll.
Kaafu Atoll is the code name given to an administrative division in the Republic of Maldives which consists of the geographical atolls of Kaashidhoo Island, Gaafaru, North Malé Atoll and South Malé Atoll. As the two Malé Atolls are the main islands of the administrative district, the entire Kaafu Atoll administrative division is officially named Malé Atoll or Malé Atolhu in the Maldivian language, Dhivehi.
Alif Alif Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It was created on March 1, 1984, combining northern section of Ari Atoll, the small Rasdhukuramathi Atoll, and the isolated island of Thoddoo. Many of the islands in this atoll have been inhabited since ancient times and have archaeological remains from the Maldivian Buddhist period.
Alifu Dhaalu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives.
Vaavu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives, comprising the natural atolls of Felidhu Atoll and the Vattaru Reef.
Gaafu Dhaalu is an administrative district of the Maldives formed by the southwestern section of Huvadhu Atoll. It was created on February 8, 1962 when Huvadhu Atoll was divided into two districts. Gaafu Dhaalu corresponds to the Southwestern section of this large natural atoll, south of the line extending between the channels of Footukandu and Vaarulu Kandu. The capital of this region is Thinadhoo. There are 153 islands in this district, 10 of which are inhabited. This district is located about 340 kilometers south of the capital Malé.
Thenadu or Thinadhoo is the capital of Gaafu Dhaalu region in the atoll of Huvadhu and the proposed capital for the Upper South Province of the Maldives. It has its own dialect of Dhivehi which is considerably different from northern speech.
Kolhufushi is one of the inhabited islands of Meemu Atoll.
Hinnavaru is one of the inhabited islands of Lhaviyani Atoll. The island has a population of more than 5,000 people.
Foakaidhoo is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division and geographically part of the Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives.
Makunudhoo is one of the inhabited islands of Haa Dhaalu Atoll administrative division and geographically part of Māmakunudhoo Atoll in the north of the Maldives. It is the westernmost inhabited island in the Maldives.
Medianet is the largest Pay TV and cable TV operator in the Maldives. The company was established as a subsidiary of the Maldives Electronic Services Company in 2001 as CableNET. Today the company is the leading Pay TV provider in all the atolls of the country, providing more than 90 TV channels today. The company renewed itself in 2010, with the launch of ‘MediaNet Digital’; through which a high-definition television and a personal video recorder service were introduced.
Japan–Maldives relations are foreign relations between Japan and Maldives. Diplomatic relations were established in 1967.
Climate change in the Maldives is a major issue for the country. As an archipelago of low-lying islands and atolls, many parts of the Maldives are threatened by sea level rise, with some predictions suggesting most of the nation will become uninhabitable during the 21st century. The country is striving to adapt to climate change, and Maldivian authorities have been prominent in international political advocacy to implement climate change mitigation.
References
- ↑ "The Ministry Reveals Names of 10 Islands for Second Round of Bids". Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Republic of Maldives. 2006-12-18. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
- ↑ Neville, Adrian (2006). Resorts of Maldives. SevenHolidays. p. 21. ISBN 978-99915-2-165-7.
