Abstract
Divehi-speaking people (a language related to Sinhalese) have lived on the Maldives since at least AD 400. Visited by Middle Eastern merchants from around AD 1000, the archipelago became an Islamic sultanate in 1153. Portuguese explorers occupied the island of Malé (the modern capital) from 1558 until they were expelled by Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Azam in 1573. The Dutch, who replaced the Portuguese as the dominant power in Ceylon in the mid-1600s, controlled Maldivian affairs until 1796, although the sultanate held sway over local administration. Thereafter the Maldives came under British protection (formalized in an agreement in 1887) until complete independence was achieved on 26 July 1965. A republic was declared on 11 Nov. 1968.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Further Reading
Gayoom, M. A., The Maldives: A Nation in Peril. 1998
National Statistical Office: Statistics Section, Ministry of Planning and National Development.
Website: http://www.planning.gov.mv
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2014 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Turner, B. (2014). Maldives. In: Turner, B. (eds) The Statesman’s Yearbook. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-67278-3_269
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-67278-3_269
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-32324-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-67278-3
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political Science CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)