About Maldives

History

The Dhivehin, as the islanders are called, are a mixed people of Aryan, Negroid, Sinhalese, Dravidian and Arab descent. The islands were under Muslim control from the 12th century, and then Portuguese rule from 1518 before becoming a dependency of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1645. They became a British Protectorate, with an elected Sultan as head of state, in 1887. The islands became a republic, briefly, in 1953-4 and achieved full independence as a sultanate in 1965. Three years later, the Republic of the Maldive Islands was re-established and Ibrahim Nasir, Prime Minister since 1954, became President In 1978, President Nasir decided against a third term as President, and was succeeded by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Gayoom – the dominant figure in the islands’ politics since then – established a ‘Citizens’ Special Majlis’ (legislature), which began work in 1980 with a brief to revise the constitution. After 17 years of work, the new model constitution was ratified by President Gayoom and came into effect in January 1998. In 1985, the Maldives was a founder member of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) and hosted regional summits in 1990 and 1997.

Islam is a central feature of the country’s life and is now supervised by a Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, working under direct presidential control. With no formal political parties, the Maldives’ politics are personality based; no credible threat to Gayoom has emerged in the 25 years during which he has held power, not least because dissent is firmly repressed by Gayoom’s security forces. The only overt sign of discontent in recent years came in September 2003 when the death of several prisoners sparked riots in the capital. Nonetheless, after the riots were quelled, Gayoom – underpinned by his reputation for good economic management – went on to secure a record sixth term of office at the presidential poll in November 2003.

The government’s other major concern is global warming. The Maldives are among those small low-lying islands – 80 per cent of the territory is less than 1m above sea level – whose very existence is threatened. American rejection of the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gas emissions caused some bitterness.

Since The Maldives are so low-lying, they are also additionally vulnerable when it comes to any natural catastrophe. However, the devastating tsunami triggered by a southeast Asian earthquake on December 26 2004, would have caused calamitous effects, regardless - such was its magnitude. Twenty of The Maldives' 199 inhabited islands were totally destroyed. For once, the low-lying and shallow waters of The Maldives may even have positively hampered the total destructive effects of the tsunami but flooding was still extensive. World Bank figures in January 2005 unveiled the shocking statistic that tourism arrivals were down nearly 70 per cent of those in January 2004. The Asian Development Bank has now declared that reconstruction will cost around $304 million, and the government is seeking $1.3 billion over the next three to five years. However, only a fraction of this amount has been pledged so far. Temporary units for those displaced by the tsunami are still being assembled.

Maldivian culture
The Maldivian culture is rich with flavors from most of the seafarers who set foot on its soil. Traditional dances and music may not be an everyday event but there are occasions where traditional music and dances are performed. Though traditional dresses are not used by present day generation there are many types of traditional dresses made for both sexes.
Like the unique geographical formation, the cultural events and ceremonials are unique according to the event that is celebrated or performed. Naming a newborn child, Bodumaloodhu (a prayer accompanied with festive meal), Eid festival and circumcision of male child are few events that take place where the taste of rich cultural 'cocktail' can be experienced. Bodu beru (big drum) performance is the best-known form of performance of traditional music and dance where females and males participate. Bandiyaa (a dance performed by woman), Thaara (dance performed by male) is among the top traditional music and dances practiced in the Maldives Islands.

Traditional food basically fish used as the main component has been influenced from the Indian subcontinent. Garudhya (tuna soup), spicy curry and rice are the stable food of most of the population. Most other dishes such as western meals like pasta are normally modified with a flavour of tuna in it when prepared for local consumption. Other meats and chicken are normally eaten in special occasions.

Communications
The international access code for the Maldives is +960. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 001 for the United States). No area codes are required. IDD facilities are available at all resorts and card phones are available on all inhabited islands. The major islands are covered by the mobile network; the local operators use a GSM 900 network, which is compatible with many international cell phone operators, but it is best to check whether your network has roaming agreements with the Maldives. Dhiraagu, the Maldives Telecommunications Company provides mobile telephones for daily rental. Internet access is available in hotels and main tourist resorts.

Health
Immunisation against typhoid, hepatitis A and polio is recommended. Precautions should be taken to avoid sunburn and dehydration. There is a good private hospital on Malé and first aid facilities are available on all the resort islands. In the event of diving emergencies, a decompression chamber is available. Food and water in the resort hotels is generally risk-free. Medical insurance is advised.

Public Holidays
Jan 1 2006:	New Year’s Day.
Jan 10:	Hajj Day.
Jan 10:	Eidal Al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
Jan 31:	Islamic New Year.
Apr 11:	Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
Apr 21:	National Day.
Jul :	Huravee Day.
Jul 26-27:	Independence Day.
Sep :	Martyrs’ Day.
Sep 24:	Start of Ramadan.
Oct 22-24 :	Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
Nov 3:	Victory Day.
Nov 11-12:	Republic Day.
Dec 31 :	Eidal Al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
Jan 1 2007 :	New Year’s Day.
Jan 20:	Hajj Day.
Feb 10:	Islamic New Year.
Mar 31:	Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
Apr 21:	National Day.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2006-June 2007 period.

Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on drinking in public places. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself, although this is generally unlikely to affect life on the resort islands. Eid al-Fitr and Eid el-Kebir may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.