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 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 probably,Maldives were influenced by Kalingas of ancient India who were earliest sea traders to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from India,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 Maléin 1966. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China has since replaced this office.
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom,,is a Maldivian politician and Islamic scholar who served as President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as transport minister,he was nominated president by the People's Majlis and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir in 1978. He was defeated in 2008 during the first Presidential Elections after democratic reforms in the Maldives. He holds the nations highest award,"The Most Honourable Order of the Distinguished Rule of Ghazi",presented to him in 2013. Maumoon was the longest-serving president in Asia.
Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan,KCMG,NGIV 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.
Fathulla Jameel,was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives from 1978 to 2005.
Dunya Maumoon is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–2016) of the Government of Maldives.
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.
Mohamed Zahir Hussain,is the chancellor of the Islamic University of Maldives.
The vice president of the Republic of Maldives is the second-highest official in the executive branch of the government of the Maldives,after the president of the Maldives,and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is directly elected together with the president to a five-year term of office.
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.
The Progressive Party of Maldives,is a political party in the Maldives with a total membership of 35,044 as of 25 April 2024. The stated goal of the party is driving Maldives towards an independent and democratic,safe and secure,high income,high human capital,developed nation state with a diversified and robust economy whilst preserving its Islamic heritage.
The Maldives Reform Movement is a political party in the Maldives officially founded on 20 November 2019. The Elections Commission authorized the formation on 2 October 2019. The party was conceived by founder of MRM Yumna Maumoon's father and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom after disagreements with Abdulla Yameen about the direction of the Progressive Party of Maldives.
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivian politician who served as president of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018.
Kuramey Vadhaaee Salaam is a 2006 Maldivian romantic family television series directed by Abdul Faththaah. The series stars Mohamed Manik,Mariyam Zuhura and Mariyam Afeefa in lead roles. The series marks Afeefa's first appearance in a television series.
Umar Zahir,was a Maldivian politician. He was the first sports minister of the Maldives,serving from 1988 to 1993. As public works minister from 1993 to 2004,he oversaw the first construction phase of Hulhumalé,as well as the construction of Thilafushi and the Maléseawall.
Ahmed Faris Maumoon,commonly known as Faris,is a Maldivian politician who currently serves as the President of the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM),a political party established in 2019 by his father and former president,Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He has served as Minister of State for Economic Development from November 2013 to June 2015. He was also elected as a Member of Parliament from June 2015 to May 2019 for Dhiggaru constituency.
Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon is a Maldivian politician and incumbent Minister of Defence of the Maldives. He has held many ministerial positions in past administrations of the government. He is member of Parliament from Guraidhoo constituency. He is serving as Vice President of the Progressive Party of Maldives.
Maldivian presidential assassination attempts have been numerous,ranging from the early twentieth century since the establishment of the first republic of the Maldives. In 1980,President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was first Maldivian president to experience an assassination attempt,when three attempts were made to overthrow Maumoon's government and assassinate the president.
Sheikh Abdul Gayoom Ibrahim,commonly known as Maafaiygey Dhon Seedhi,was a Maldivian politician and judge who served as 7th Attorney General of the Maldive Islands from 1950 to 1951.
