

islands that are clustered into 26 major atolls. An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef or a
string of closely spaced coral islands. The natural coral reefs of Maldives
surrounded by lagoons make each island stand out as a pearl in the Indian Ocean. The
Maldives stand at eighth position amongst the smallest countries in the world with an
area of 300 square kilometres only. It is also the smallest Asian country with respect
to population and size.
People have been living on the islands of the Maldives from as long as 3000 years
ago. They set sail from different parts of the world- Asia, Arabia, Europe and the
Americas- to come to these islands. The earliest settlers of the Maldives were
probably from southern India and Sri Lanka who came to these islands in the fourth
and fifth centuries BC. In the 12th century AD, sailors from East Africa and Arab
countries came to the Maldives. As a result, the Maldivians who were originally
Buddhists were converted to Sunni Islam in the mid-12th century. In 1344 Ibn
Batuta, a famous Arab historian and scholar travelled around the Maldives.
In the 16th century, the Portuguese conquered the Maldives and they ruled the
country for 15 years. Although governed as an independent Islamic sultanate for
most of its history from 1153 to 1968, the Maldives was a British colony from 1887
to 1965. Following independence from Britain in 1965, the sultanate continued to
operate for another 3 years. On November 11, 1968, it was abolished and replaced by
a republic and the country assumed its present name.
The Maldives is famous as a tourist destination because of its enjoyable weather,
heavenly beaches and lagoons, luxurious holiday resorts and the peace-loving people.
Being an island country, it enjoys a pleasant weather throughout the year. The
Maldives has been ranked as the best country brand for beach, rest and relaxation in
2008. In the same year, it was also ranked second as the best country brand for
natural beauty.
The Maldives is well known for being the lowest country in the world.
Unfortunately, this small country with idyllic natural beauty is under threat from
rising sea levels due to global warming. Most of the country is just 1.5 metres above
sea level with a highest point of 2.3 metres! Many predictions have been made with
respect to Maldives being swept away by the rising water level in the Indian Ocean.
It was even seen during the tsunami of
2004, that many of the island's dry parts
were flooded by waters shrinking the
island. The government of the Maldives
has begun to purchase land from nearby
countries in case the islands go under
water! Underwater meeting
In order to highlight the threats of global warming to its low lying islands, the
government of Maldives held a cabinet meeting underwater in 2009. That was the
first ever cabinet meeting in the world that took place underwater. The meeting took
place about 5 meter underwater, in a blue-green lagoon on a small island. While
underwater, the cabinet signed a document calling on all nations to cut their carbon
emissions.