maldives

MALDIVES

A country of beaches

Contd.

• Maldives is the country full of beaches.

• deep blue seas.

• turquoise reefs.

• white sandy beaches.

• palm trees.

Welcome to Maldives

In horizon of the vast Indian Ocean grow green

palmsThis is my homeland, this is the MaldivesFrom the clear blue seas, we grow like pearls,This is my homeland, this is the Maldives(folk song of maldives)

Country at glance

Time:GMT+5hrsCapital island:Male’Total islands:1,190Inhabited islands:200Resort islands:105Population:Approx. 350,000Major industries:Tourism and FishingCurrency:Rufiyaa (USD 1 = MRF 15.42)Electricity:240 ACCapital:Malé Independence - from the United Kingdom is 26 July 1965 

Location and Geography

• The Maldives lies in two rows of atolls in the Indian Ocean, just across the equator.

• made up of 1,190 coral islands formed around 26 natural ring-like atolls, spread over 90,000 square kilometers.

Contd.

• Ninety-nine percent of the Maldives is made up of sea. The people of the islands are widely dispersed across the atolls, with about 200 inhabited islands. About 90 islands are developed as tourist resort and the rest are uninhabited or used for agriculture and other livelihood purposes.

History

• . There is the story of the Rannamaari, a tale about a sea monster than demands a virgin sacrifice every full moon, until a brave man from Morocco, Mr Abdul Barakaath-Ul Barbary decides to confront the monster and prohibit him from coming into the Maldives .

Contd.

• There is the story of Bodu Thakurufaanu, renowned for its length, who saved the Maldives from Portuguese Invaders. These stories, while verymuch anecdotal, are based on the real facts that form the history of the country. Written accounts portray a Maldives whose people have traveled far and wide, adventurers whose geographical isolation had not limited the boundaries of their world. Maldives today remains very much like it had then – small, but not lacking;isolated, but not invisible.

Maldives culture

Maldivian languages-• Maldivian, or Dhivehi ( ިހ� ެވ� Divehi) is ިދ�

main language of maldives.

• It is an indo-aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people.

• It is also the national language of maldives.

• Maldivian is closely related to the Sinhala language. 

Language contd.

•  The word "Dhivehi" is Dhiv+vehi meaning "Islanders'

• Maldivian is descended from Maharashtri, a Prakrit of ancient and medieval India.

• Maldivian is semi-official language in Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India.

• Maldivian is presently written using a different script, called Thaana or Thaana, written from right to left.

• The literacy rate of the Maldives is very high (98%) compared to other South Asian countries.

Sample text of maldivian.

• The following is a sample text in Maldivian, of the Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (by the United Nations):– ާދ� ުޤ�  – 1ާމ�ްއ� ްއ� ަޙ ްއ�ްއ� ަޖ ަރ ިދ ، ީނ� ެވ ީނ� ަފ ްއ� ްސ� ެވ� ީނ� ީނ� ްސ� ީނ� ްއ� ިހ� ަރ� ިހ�

ެވ� ްއ� ަގ ަގ�ުތ� ަގ� ްއ� ްއ� ަބ ެވ� ީނ� ަގ� ަބ� ިލ� ީނ� ަކ ަމ ިހ ަމ ިހ ަމ�ްއ� ަކ ީނ� ެވ ީނ� ަމ� ްއ� ަގ ަކ� . ުތ . ެވ� ްއ� ެވ� ީނ� ަގ� ަބ� ިލ� ަރ� ަބ� ަގ� ިދ� ްއ� ަބ� ޮޔ� ިހ� ަމ�ްއ� ީނ� ެވ�ްސ� ޮޔ� ިހ� ްށ� ީނ ީނ� ިހ� ަމ� ްއ�ެވ�ީނ� ީނ� ަރ ަކ� ިލ�ުތ� ާޢ�ަމ ަމ� ިދ� ަމ� ަކ� ަކ ީނ� ްއ ަކ� ަކ ްއ� ީނ� ިހ� ަމ� ްއ� ިދ� ްއ

ެވ� ްއ� ަގ ްއ� ަރ�ަޙ� ަގ� ަމ� ަކ ަރ� ުތ� ުތ� ެވ ްއ� ުޚ� ްއ�

Loamaafanu

Maldivian Art• Maldivians are renowned for their skillfulness and

creativity.’• The most distinctive type of Maldivian handicraft

is the production of wooden lacquer work, which is the process of shaping and hollowing out pieces of wood to form beautifully crafted boxes, containers and other ornamental objects.

• Mat-weaving is another traditional craft.

• Boat-building, Dhonis are mainly used for fishing but some are modified to be used for transportation of passengers from one island to another,

Contd.

Each of these skills is usually confined to certain atolls or islands:

• Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll-fine hand-woven mats.

• Thulaadhoo, Baa Atoll-The finest lacquer work.

• Ribudhoo,Dhaalu Atoll- goldsmiths.

Art works

Music & Dance• The most popular form, as all Maldivians would

agree, is ‘Boduberu’, widely enjoyed by both the young and old alike.

• The Boduberu which is in the form of small barrels, are made from hollowed coconut wood with both ends sealed with goat hide or manta ray skin. The Boduberu troupe consists of a lead singer, background singers and a number of members who plays an assortment of percussion instruments .

• In many celebrations, three or four such drums would be beaten.

•

Bandiyaa jehun

•  women use these pots and sway in colourful garments while tapping the rhythm on the pots with rings that adorn their fingers. This unique dance is very popular among the locals and an entertaining sight as the young women sing and dance to melodious tunes ,swinging with their pots.

Dhandi jehun

• This type of dance is performed and enjoyed by both sexes. ‘Dhandi’ are the two pieces of sticks roughly the length of drumsticks, which are colourfully decorated and used in the dance. As the dancers sing, the two sticks are brought together according to the beat. Women performers use shorter sticks and move to faster beats, moving in patterns in colorful costumes as they bringing their sticks together while also beating their sticks against those of the other dancers.

Economy

•Tourism, Maldives' largest economic activity, accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.

•Fishing is the second leading sector.

• The government has privatized the main airport and is partially privatizing the energy sector. Tourism will remain the engine of the economy.

• Due to increasing tourist arrivals, GDP growth climbed to 8% in 2010 and around 6% in 2011.

Thaara

• The men are attired in white in long-sleeved shirts and sarongs, wearing white turbans. These performers sit on the ground in two rows and sway to a slow song beating the ‘thaara’ which is a tambourine-like instrument minus the bells. Some dancers dance between the rows, turning

slowly with the slow lyrics chanted in unison.

Clothing

An overview

• GDP - real growth rate- 6.5% (2012 est.) • GDP - composition by sector-agriculture: 5.6%,industry: 16.9%,services: 77.5% (2012

est.)• Population below poverty line- 16% • Labor force - by occupation-agriculture: 11%,industry: 23%,services: 65%. • Inflation rate (consumer prices)-6% (2010)• Exchange rate- rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar is 12.8 in 2011.

• Fiscal year: calender year

Population - January 2012 estimate is 328,536 , Density1,102.5/km2 

Marriage

• The legal age for marriage is eighteen, although half of the women marry by age fifteen. Marriages are not arranged. In accordance with Islamic law, a man can have four wives at any time if he can support them financially, but polygamy is uncommon. Sex before marriage is a punishable offense. Marriages can take place only between Muslims. Maldives has one of the highest divorce rates in the world; according to a 1977 census, nearly half of the women over the age of thirty had been married four times or more.

Maldives tourism:places must to visit

Maldive Victory, North Male Atoll:

Sun Island beach

Alimatha Island, Vaavu Atoll

Banana Reef, North Male Atoll

National Museum, Male

Manta Point

Hukuru Miskiiy (Old Friday Mosque), Male

HP Reef, North Male Atoll

Veligandu Island beach, North Male Atoll

Sea Explorer, Baa Atoll

Maldives….

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