2. Contd.
• Maldives is the
country full of
beaches.
• deep blue seas.
• turquoise reefs.
• white sandy
beaches.
• palm trees.
3. Welcome to Maldives
In horizon of the vast Indian Ocean grow green
palms
This is my homeland, this is the Maldives
From the clear blue seas, we grow like pearls,
This is my homeland, this is the Maldives
(folk song of maldives)
4. Country at glance
Time:GMT+5hrs
Capital island:Male’
Total islands:1,190
Inhabited islands:200
Resort islands:105
Population:Approx. 350,000
Major industries:Tourism and Fishing
Currency:Rufiyaa (USD 1 = MRF 15.42)
Electricity:240 AC
Capital:Malé
Independence - from the United Kingdom is 26 July 1965
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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 .
8. Contd.
• There is the story of Bodu Thakurufaanu,
renowned for its length, who saved the Maldives
from Portuguese Invaders. These stories, while
very
much 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.
9. Maldives culture
Maldivian languages-
• Maldivian, or Dhivehi (ހހ ހހ ހހ Dive hi) is
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.
10. Language contd.
• The word "Dhivehi" is Dhiv+ve hi 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
11. 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):
– ދދ ދދ ދދ1 – ، ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ
ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ
ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ . ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ
ނނ ނނ. ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ
ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ
ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ ނނ
13. 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
16. 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.
17.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
23. 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%
• Laborforce - 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: calenderyear
Population - January 2012 estimate is 328,536 , Density1,102.5/km2
24. 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.