Republic of Maldives

Republic of Maldives ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: الدولة المحلديبية
Capital and largest city	Malé
Official languages	Dhivehi
Common languages	English
Demonym(s)	Maldivian
Dominant mode of production	Capitalism
Government	Unitary presidential republic under a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie
• President	Mohamed Muizzu
• Vice President	Hussain Mohamed Latheef
• Speaker	Abdul Raheem Abdulla
• Chief Justice	Abdul Ghanee Mohamed
Legislature	People's Majlis
Area
• Total	298 km²
Population
• 2022 census	515,132
Currency	Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR)
Calling code	+960
ISO 3166 code	MV
Internet TLD	.mv

The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives is an Asian archipelagic country made up of 1,100 islands situated in the Indian Ocean. It is located near the southeastern boundary of the Arabian Sea and to the southwest of India and Sri Lanka.

The Maldives is the lowest lying country in the world, and faces an existential threat from rising sea levels due to climate change. At the present rate of warming, it is predicted that by 2050, almost 80% of the Maldives could be uninhabitable.

History

Colonization

The islands were first occupied by Europeans in 1558 by the Portuguese before they were pushed out by a local rebellion in 1573. The next Europeans to arrive were the Dutch in the 17th century, who controlled nearby Ceylon, and established a protectorate over the Maldives. The British ejected the Dutch from Ceylon in 1796 and included the Maldives as a protectorate which was formalized in a 1887 unequal treaty.

Independence

The Maldives achieved independence from the UK in 1965 and the Sultan was removed in 1968 after a referendum in favour of a republic.