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Introduction

The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an archipelagic country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean, near the southeastern boundary of the Arabian Sea. The Maldives is located southwest of India and Sri Lanka, about 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) 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.

Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island", where the ancient royal dynasties ruled from its central location. The Maldives has been inhabited for over 2,500 years. Documented contact with the outside world began around 947 AD when Arab travellers began visiting the islands. In the 12th century, partly due to the importance of the Arabs and Persians as traders in the Indian Ocean, Islam reached the Maldivian Archipelago. The Maldives was soon consolidated as a sultanate, developing strong commercial and cultural ties with Asia and Africa. From the mid-16th century, the region came under the increasing influence of European colonial powers, with the Maldives becoming a British protectorate in 1887. Independence from the United Kingdom came in 1965, and a presidential republic was established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. The ensuing decades have seen political instability, efforts at democratic reform, and environmental challenges posed by climate change and rising sea levels. The Maldives became a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Fishing has historically been the dominant economic activity, and remains the second largest sector, behind the rapidly growing tourism industry. The Maldives rates "high" on the Human Development Index, with a per capita income significantly higher than other SAARC nations. The World Bank classifies the Maldives as having an upper-middle income economy. (Full article...)

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Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din (Muhammed Manikufaanu; 15 June 1710 – 7 October 1774), the son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II, was the sultan of the Maldives from 1767 to 1773. As per the will of his predecessor Dhon Bandaarain, Muhammed Manifufaanu ascended the throne and reigned as Sultan Al-Haj Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din Iskandar Sri Kula Sundara Maha Radun. He was the last sultan of the Dhiyamigili Dynasty; he was deposed while away on a pilgrimage, and later, on his return trip he drowned, or was murdered by Muhammad Shamsuddeen II. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from Maldives-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Seaplane Terminal (from Maldives)
Image 2A mechanised traditional inter-island dhoni stripped of its sails (from Maldives)
Image 3President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulates Mohamed Nasheed Speaker of the People's Majlis in May 2019 (from Maldives)
Image 4Isdhoo Lōmāfānu is the oldest copper plate book to have been discovered in the Maldives to date; the book was written in 1194 A.D., in the Evēla form of the Divehi akuru, during the reign of Siri Fennaadheettha Mahaa Radun (Dhinei Kalaminja) (from History of the Maldives)
Image 516th-century Portuguese illustration from the Códice Casanatense, depicting workers (from Maldives)
Image 6Isdhoo Lōmāfānu is the oldest copper-plate book to have been discovered in Maldives to date. The book was written in 1194 CE (590 AH) in the Evēla form of the Divehi akuru, during the reign of Siri Fennaadheettha Mahaa Radun (Dhinei Kalaminja). (from Maldives)
Image 718th-century map by Pierre Mortier from the Netherlands, depicting with detail the islands of Maldives (from Maldives)
Image 8Copy of a magical drawing. Diguvando. Fuvahmulah. (from Culture of the Maldives)
Image 9A beach of Bathala island (from Maldives)
Image 10Life expectancy in the Maldives (from Maldives)
Image 1117th SAARC summit in Addu City, Maldives (from Maldives)
Image 12Malé Friday Mosque minaret (1981) (from History of the Maldives)
Image 13Dark clouds bringing heavy rain, common in the rainy season (from Maldives)
Image 14The resort island of Landaa Giraavaru (Baa atoll) (from Maldives)
Image 1517th-century Portuguese drawing of the fortress of Maldives and the archipelago. In Antonio Bocarro's book of Fortress (1632) (from Maldives)
Image 16Maldivian soldiers at a presidential address in February 2024 (from Maldives)
Image 17An RAF Short Sunderland moored in the lagoon at Addu Atoll, during WWII (from Maldives)
Image 18The tsunami that struck Malé on 26 December 2004; photo taken by Sofwathulla Mohamed while standing on his doorstep; his apartment was entirely washed out, damaging all his belongings (from History of the Maldives)
Image 19Mohamed Waheed Hassan (from History of the Maldives)
Image 20Malé harbour (from Maldives)
Image 211598 Bertius map of the Maldives, issued in Middelburg, Netherlands (from History of the Maldives)
Image 22Protesters in Malé in August 2005 (from History of the Maldives)
Image 23Protesters in Malé in August 2004 (from History of the Maldives)
Image 24The Buddhist stupa at Kuruhinna in Gan Island (Haddhunmathi Atoll), western side (from History of the Maldives)
Image 25Yameen in 2014 (from History of the Maldives)
Image 26Muizzu in January 2024 (from History of the Maldives)
Image 27Oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus) at Meeru Island, North Male Atoll (from Maldives)
Image 28Thaana script (from Maldives)
Image 29Flag of the Sultan of Maldives (from Maldives)
Image 30A boy sandboarding in Fuvahmulah, Maldives (from Culture of the Maldives)
Image 31A selection of traditional Maldivian oarblade patterns (from Culture of the Maldives)
Image 32Filitheyo island beach with tall palm trees and blue fresh lagoons (from Maldives)
Image 33Masroshi. Maldivian savoury snacks (from Culture of the Maldives)
Image 3418th-century map by Pierre Mortier of the Netherlands depicting, with detail, the islands of the Maldives (from History of the Maldives)
Image 35Maahefun Festival in Fuvahmulah (from Maldives)
Image 36Butorides striata in the Maldives (from Maldives)
Image 37Velana International Airport (from Maldives)
Image 38Each administrative atoll is marked, along with the thaana letter used to identify the atoll. Natural atolls are labelled in light blue. (from Maldives)
Image 39Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir signs independence agreement with the British on 26 July 1965. (from Maldives)
Image 40Flyboarding in Maldives (from Maldives)
Image 41Portuguese presence in Maldives was established in 1558, by order of Constantino of Braganza, Viceroy of Portuguese India. (from Maldives)
Image 42Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Maldives (1978–2008) (from History of the Maldives)
Image 43Sign outside the Velana International Airport (from Maldives)
Image 44Map from the 1662 Tabula Indiae orientalis by Frederik de Wit (from History of the Maldives)
Image 45A demonstration (Muzhaahira) in Fua Mulaku in support of the government (1981) (from History of the Maldives)
Image 46Maldives against Bangladesh at the 2021 SAFF Championship (from Maldives)
Image 47The wreck of the Corbin, 1865 (from History of the Maldives)
Image 48Building set on fire in Malé during the September 2003 protests (from History of the Maldives)
Image 49Maalhosmadulu Atoll seen from space. Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll and Southern Maalhosmadulu Atoll can be seen in this picture. (from Maldives)
Image 501753 Van Keulen map of Huvadu Atoll (inaccurate) (from History of the Maldives)

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Selected biography

Aishath Lahfa (born 21 November 1997) is a Maldivian film actress. Before pursuing a career in acting, Lahfa was an active TikTok user, which won her recognition as a performer. She made her acting debut in the web series Girlfriends (2021) and continued playing main roles in several other web series including four-part anthology crime web series Mazloom (2021–2022), family romantic dramas Rimsha (2022) and Yasna (2022). In 2023, she made her first appearance in a feature film with the horror film Kalhaki. (Full article...)

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

The Maldives competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. The delegation's participation in the Athens Olympics marked the Maldives' fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics since their debut at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Four athletes competed across two sports; Sultan Saeed and Shifana Ali in track and field, and Hassan Mubah and Aminath Rouya Hussain in swimming. None of the track or swimming athletes advanced past the first round in their events, and no Maldivian has won a medal in any events. Sultan Saeed bore the Maldives' flag during the parade of nations of the opening ceremony. (Full article...)

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... that Ithaa in Maldives is the world's first and only underwater restaurant?
... that Fathimath Dheema Ali is the first Olympic qualifier from the Maldives?
... that the minaret adjoining the Malé Friday Mosque has a wide base like a ship's funnel and resembles a wedding cake?
... that after being shipwrecked on Malé Atoll in 1973, Tony Hussein Hinde pioneered surfing in the Maldives, which was previously unknown in the country?
... that Indo-Maldivian relations grew stronger after India responded to Maldives' request for help and thwarted a militant plot to overthrow the government in 1988?

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Hulhulé Island in 2007

Hulhulé (Dhivehi: ހުޅުލެ), located at , is an island in the North Malé Atoll of the Maldives where the city's airport, Velana International Airport, is located. The island has no permanent population. (Full article...)

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... that there are 1,192 islands in the Maldives.
... that Maldives is the flattest country in the world.
... that The Maldives held the first underwater cabinet meeting.
... that Maldivian passport is the strongest passport in South Asia
... that The Maldives has the biggest whale shark population in the world.
... that Maldives is the world's leading destination in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
... that the longest underwater kiss ever made has takes place in a Maldives' Resort.