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Contents 1 Historical setting 2 Early Age 3 Introduction of Islam 4 Era of colonial powers 4.1 Portuguese 4.2 Dutch 4.3 British 5 Independence 5.1 Nasir 5.2 Gayoom 6 External links 7 Sources and references Historical setting Maldives is a nation consisting of 26 natural atolls comprising of 1192 islands. In olden times, the islands provided the main source of cowrie shells, then used as a currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast. Moreover, historically Maldives has had a strategic importance because of its location on the major marine routes of the Indian Ocean. Maldives' nearest neighbors are Sri Lanka and India, both of which have had cultural and economic ties with Maldives for centuries. Although under nominal Portuguese, Dutch, and British influences after the 16th century, Maldivians were left to govern themselves under a long line of sultans and occasionally sultanas. Cowry shells (also spelled cowrie), are marine snails of the genus Cypraea (family Cypraeidae), found chiefly in tropical regions, especially around the Maldives or the East Indies. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Eastern Africa ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... The term Sultana is used for a few Muslim women rulers in history. ... Maldives gained independence in 1965. The British, who had been Maldives' last colonial power, continued to maintain an air base on the island of Gan in the southernmost atoll until 1976. The British departure in 1976 almost immediately triggered foreign speculation about the future of the air base; the Soviet Union requested use of the base, but Maldives refused. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character 甘 (Gān), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (Gàn), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... An atoll is a type of low, coral island found in tropical oceans and consisting of a coral-algal reef surrounding a central depression. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... The greatest challenge facing the republic in the early 1990s was the need for rapid economic development and modernization, given the country's limited resource base in fishing, agriculture and tourism. Concern was also evident over a projected long-term rise in sea level, which would prove disastrous to the low-lying coral islands. Fortunately in the early 2000s it was found sea level had fallen during preceding decades. [1] This article is about the year. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Maldivians consider the introduction of Islam in A.D. 1153 as the cornerstone of their country's history. Islam remains the state religion in the 1990s. Except for a brief period of Portuguese occupation from 1558-73, Maldives also has remained independent. Because the Muslim religion prohibits images portraying gods, local interest in ancient statues of the pre-Islamic period is not only slight but at times even hostile; villagers have been known to destroy such statues recently unearthed. Events January 6 - Henry of Anjou arrives in England. ... This article is about the year. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... Early Age Western interest in the archaeological remains of early cultures on Maldives began with the work of H.C.P. Bell, a British commissioner of the Ceylon Civil Service. Bell was shipwrecked on the islands in 1879, and he returned several times to investigate ancient Buddhist ruins. Historians have established that by the fourth century A.D. Theravada Buddhism originating from Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) became the dominant religion of the people of Maldives. Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands." 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following his death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम् ; pronunciation : ) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... In the mid-1980s, the Maldivian government allowed the noted explorer and expert on early marine navigation, Thor Heyerdahl, to excavate ancient sites. Heyerdahl studied the ancient mounds, called hawitta by the Maldivians, found on many of the atolls. Some of his archaeological discoveries of stone figures and carvings from pre-Islamic civilizations are today exhibited in a side room of the small National Museum on Malé. Thor Heyerdahl Thor Heyerdahl (October 6, 1914 in Larvik, Norway–April 18, 2002 in Colla Micheri, Italy) was a world-famous Norwegian marine biologist with a great interest in anthropology, who became famous for his Kon-Tiki Expedition in which he sailed by raft 4,300 miles from South America... An atoll is a type of low, coral island found in tropical oceans and consisting of a coral-algal reef surrounding a central depression. ... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... Heyerdahl's research indicates that as early as 2,000 B.C. Maldives lay on the maritime trading routes of early Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Indus Valley civilizations. Heyerdahl believes that early sun-worshipping seafarers, called the Redin, first settled on the islands. Even today, many mosques in Maldives face the sun and not Mecca, lending credence to this theory. Because building space and materials were scarce, successive cultures constructed their places of worship on the foundations of previous buildings. Heyerdahl thus surmises that these sun-facing mosques were built on the ancient foundations of the Redin culture temples. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Indus (सिन्‍धु नदी) (known as Sindhu in ancient times) is the principal river of Pakistan. ... The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan with an iwan at center, three domes, and five visible minarets A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... CITY OF TRASH ... Introduction of Islam See also: Islam in Maldives With the exception of Shia members of the Indian trading community, Maldivians are Sunni Muslims; adherence to Islam, the state religion since the twelfth century, is required for citizenship. ... The interest of Middle Eastern peoples in Maldives resulted from its strategic location and its abundant supply of cowrie shells, a form of currency that was widely used throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast since ancient times. Middle Eastern seafarers had just begun to take over the Indian Ocean trade routes in the tenth century A.D. and found Maldives to be an important link in those routes. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Cowry shells (also spelled cowrie), are marine snails of the genus Cypraea (family Cypraeidae), found chiefly in tropical regions, especially around the Maldives or the East Indies. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The importance of the Arabs as traders in the Indian Ocean by the twelfth century A.D. may partly explain why the last Buddhist king of Maldives converted to Islam in the year 1153. The king thereupon adopted the Muslim title and name (in Arabic) of Sultan (besides the old Divehi title of Maha radun or Ras Kilege) Muhammad al Adil, initiating a series of six islamic dynasties consisting of eighty-four sultans and sultanas that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective. The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are a large and heterogeneous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ,meaning Peace in English,( ) is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the Quran. ... Events January 6 - Henry of Anjou arrives in England. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... Sultana has multiple meanings: the Sultana grape. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... The person responsible for this conversion was a Sunni Muslim visitor named Abu al Barakat. His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds of Hukuru Mosque, or miski, in the capital of Malé. Built in 1656, this is the oldest mosque in Maldives. Arab interest in Maldives also was reflected in the residence there in the 1340s of the well-known North African traveler Ibn Battutah. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... // Events Mehmed Köprülü becomes Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. ... Events Europe has about 74 million inhabitants. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta (February 24, 1304 - 1377) was a Moroccan Berber traveller and explorer. ... Era of colonial powers Portuguese In 1558 the Portuguese established themselves on Maldives, which they administered from Goa on India's west coast. Fifteen years later, a local guerrilla leader named Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Azam organized a popular revolt and drove the Portuguese out of Maldives. This event is now commemorated as National Day, and a small museum and memorial center honor the hero on his home island of Utheemu on South Thiladhummathi Atoll. Events January 7 - French troops led by Francis, Duke of Guise take Calais, the last continental possession of England July 13 - Battle of Gravelines: In France, Spanish forces led by Count Lamoral of Egmont defeat the French forces of Marshal Paul des Thermes at Gravelines. ... For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation). ... Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Azam also known as Al-Sultan Ghazi Muhammad Bodu Thakurufaanu ruled over the Maldive Islands (Dhivehhi Rajje) from 1573 to 1585 AD. He is one of the most celebrated Maldivian heroes who saved Maldives from the Portuguese conquerors who ruled over the Maldives from 1558-1573 after... Dutch In the mid-seventeenth century, the Dutch, who had replaced the Portuguese as the dominant power in Ceylon, established hegemony over Maldivian affairs without involving themselves directly in local matters, which were governed according to centuries-old Islamic customs. However, the British expelled the Dutch from Ceylon in 1796 and included Maldives as a British protected area. The status of Maldives as a British protectorate was officially recorded in an 1887 agreement in which the sultan accepted British influence over Maldivian external relations and defense. The British had no presence, however, on the leading island community of Malé. They left the islanders alone, as had the Dutch, with regard to internal administration to continue to be regulated by Muslim traditional institutions. 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... A protectorate is, in international law, a political entity (a sovereign state or a less developed native polity, such as a tribal chiefstainship or feudal princely state) that formally agrees (voluntarily or under pressure) by treaty to enter into an unequal relationship with another, stronger state, called the protector, which... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... British During the British era from 1887 to 1965, Maldives continued to be ruled under a succession of sultans. The sultans were hereditary until 1932 when an attempt was made to make the sultanate elective, thereby limiting the absolute powers of sultans. At that time, a constitution was introduced for the first time, although the sultanate was retained for an additional 21 years. Maldives remained a British crown protectorate until 1953 when the sultanate was suspended and the First Republic was declared under the short-lived presidency of Muhammad Amin Didi. 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... A protectorate is, in international law, a political entity (a sovereign state or a less developed native polity, such as a tribal chiefstainship or feudal princely state) that formally agrees (voluntarily or under pressure) by treaty to enter into an unequal relationship with another, stronger state, called the protector, which... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... Mohamed Amin Didi Al Ameer Mohamed Amin Dhoshimeynaa Kilegefaanu (އަލްއަމީރު މުހައްމަދް އަމީން ދޮށިމޭނާ ކިލެގެފާނު) (born 19XX) popularly known as Mohamed Amin Didi was a Maldivian political figure. ... This first elected president of the country introduced several reforms. While serving as prime minister during the 1940s, Didi nationalized the fish export industry. As president he is remembered as a reformer of the education system and a promoter of women's rights. Muslim conservatives in Malé eventually ousted his government, and during a riot over food shortages, Didi was beaten by a mob and died on a nearby island. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... Beginning in the 1950s, political history in Maldives was largely influenced by the British military presence in the islands. In 1954 the restoration of the sultanate perpetuated the rule of the past. Two years later, the United Kingdom obtained permission to reestablish its wartime airfield on Gan in the southernmost Addu Atoll. Maldives granted the British a 100 year lease on Gan that required them to pay £2,000 a year, as well as some 440,000 square metres on Hitaddu for radio installations. 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character 甘 (Gān), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (Gàn), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... Addu or Seenu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Republic of Maldives. ... In 1957, however, the new prime minister, Ibrahim Nasir, called for a review of the agreement in the interest of shortening the lease and increasing the annual payment. But Nasir, who was theoretically responsible to then sultan Muhammad Farid Didi, was challenged in 1959 by a local secessionist movement in the southern atolls that benefited economically from the British presence on Gan. This group cut ties with the Maldives government and formed an independent state with Abdulla Afif Didi as president. 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, NGIV (born 1926) is a Maldivian statesman who served as his countrys Prime Minister under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi (from 1957 to 1968 ) and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from 1968 to 1978. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... Muhammad Farid Didi was once sultan and once king of the Maldives. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character 甘 (Gān), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (Gàn), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... The short-lived state (1959-62), called the United Suvadivan Republic, had a combined population of 20,000 inhabitants scattered in the atolls then named Suvadiva--since renamed North Huvadu and South Huvadu--and Addu and Fua Mulaku. In 1962 Nasir sent gunboats from Malé with government police on board to eliminate elements opposed to his rule. Abdulla Afif Didi fled to the then British colony of Seychelles, where he was granted political asylum. Huvadhu or Huvadhoo- the largest atoll in the Maldives and in the whole world. ... Huvadhu or Huvadhoo- the largest atoll in the Maldives and in the whole world. ... Addu or Seenu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Republic of Maldives. ... Fua Mulaku or Gnaviyani Atoll is the smallest atoll in the Maldives, situated in the Equatorial channel between Huvadhu and Addu. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... Meanwhile, in 1960 Maldives allowed the United Kingdom to continue to use both the Gan and the Hitaddu facilities for a thirty-year period, with the payment of £750,000 over the period of 1960 to 1965 for the purpose of Maldives' economic development. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character 甘 (Gān), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (Gàn), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Independence On July 26, 1965, Maldives gained independence under an agreement signed with United Kingdom. The British government retained the use of the Gan and Hitaddu facilities. In a national referendum in March 1968, Maldivians abolished the sultanate and established a republic. July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character 甘 (Gān), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (Gàn), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... Nasir The Second Republic was proclaimed in November 1968 under the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir, who had increasingly dominated the political scene. Under the new constitution, Nasir was elected indirectly to a four-year presidential term by the Majlis (legislature). He appointed Ahmed Zaki as the new prime minister. 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, NGIV (born 1926) is a Maldivian statesman who served as his countrys Prime Minister under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi (from 1957 to 1968 ) and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from 1968 to 1978. ... Majlis is an Arabic term used to describe various types of formal legislative assemblies in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to Islamic countries. ... In 1973 Nasir was elected to a second term under the constitution as amended in 1972, which extended the presidential term to five years and which also provided for the election of the prime minister by the Majlis. In March 1975, newly elected prime minister Zaki was arrested in a bloodless coup and was banished to a remote atoll. Observers suggested that Zaki was becoming too popular and hence posed a threat to the Nasir faction. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... Majlis is an Arabic term used to describe various types of formal legislative assemblies in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to Islamic countries. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... During the 1970s, the economic situation in Maldives suffered a setback when the Sri Lankan market for Maldives' main export of dried fish collapsed. Adding to the problems was the British decision in 1975 to close its airfield on Gan in line with its new policy of abandoning defense commitments east of the Suez Canal. A steep commercial decline followed the evacuation of Gan in March 1976. As a result, the popularity of Nasir's government suffered. Maldives's 20 year period of authoritarian rule under Nasir abruptly ended in 1978 when he fled to Singapore. A subsequent investigation revealed that he had absconded with millions of dollars from the state treasury. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character 甘 (Gān), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (Gàn), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... 1881 drawing of the Suez Canal. ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character 甘 (Gān), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (Gàn), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Gayoom Elected to replace Nasir for a five-year presidential term in 1978 was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a former university lecturer and Maldivian ambassador to the United Nations (UN). The peaceful election was seen as ushering in a period of political stability and economic development in view of Gayoom's priority to develop the poorer islands. In 1978 Maldives joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Tourism also gained in importance to the local economy, reaching more than 120,000 visitors in 1985. The local populace appeared to benefit from increased tourism and the corresponding increase in foreign contacts involving various development projects. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (Dhivehi: Þ‰Þ¦Þ‡ÞªÞ‰Þ«Þ‚Þª އަބްދުލް ÞŽÞ¦Þ‡Þ°Þ”Þ«Þ‰Þ°) (born December 29, 1937), has been the president of the Republic of Maldives since November 11, 1978, having succeeded Ibrahim Nasir. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... The logo of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... This article is about the year. ... Despite coup attempts in 1980, 1983, and 1988, Gayoom's popularity remained strong, allowing him to win three more presidential terms. In the 1983, 1988, and 1993 elections, Gayoom received more than 95 % of the vote. Although the government did not allow any legal opposition, Gayoom was opposed in the early 1990s by Islamists (also seen as fundamentalists) who wanted to impose a more traditional way of life and by some powerful local business leaders. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... This article is about the year. ... Fundamentalism is a movement to maintain strict adherence to founding principles. ... Whereas the 1980 and 1983 coup attempts against Gayoom's presidency were not considered serious, the third coup attempt in November 1988 alarmed the international community. About 80 armed Tamil mercenaries landed on Malé before dawn aboard speedboats from a freighter. Disguised as visitors, a similar number had already infiltrated Malé earlier. Although the mercenaries quickly gained the nearby airport on Hulele, they failed to capture President Gayoom, who fled from house to house and asked for military intervention from India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi immediately dispatched 1,600 troops by air to restore order in Malé. Less than 12 hours later, Indian paratroopers arrived on Hulele, causing some of the mercenaries to flee toward Sri Lanka in their freighter. Those unable to reach the ship in time were quickly rounded up. Nineteen people reportedly died in the fighting, and several taken hostage also died. Three days later an Indian frigate captured the mercenaries on their freighter near the Sri Lankan coast. In July 1989, a number of the mercenaries were returned to Maldives to stand trial. Gayoom commuted the death sentences passed against them to life imprisonment. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tamil people are an ethnic group from South Asia with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... Rajiv Ratna Gandhi (राजीव गान्धी) (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991), the eldest son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi, was the 6th Prime Minister of India (and the 3rd from their family) from his mothers death on 31 October 1984 until his resignation on 2 December 1989 following a general election... Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1988 coup had been headed by a once prominent Maldivian businessperson named Abdullah Luthufi, who was operating a farm on Sri Lanka. Ex-president Nasir denied any involvement in the coup. In fact, in July 1990, President Gayoom officially pardoned Nasir in absentia in recognition of his role in obtaining Maldives' independence. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... External links Maldives History – original records, articles and translations Sources and references Skjølsvold, Arne. 1991. Archaeological Test-Excavations On The Maldive Islands. The Kon-Tiki Museum Occasional Papers, Vol. 2. Oslo. This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies which, as a United States government publication, is in the public domain. WorldStatesmen Categories: Country Studies | History of the Maldives The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA), freely available for use by researchers. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

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	History of the Maldives Summary (3030 words) The history of the Maldives is buried in obscurity owing to the islands' geographical isolation and their comparative insignificance throughout the centuries, even though they are strategically located along the sea routes between Europe and the Far East and were well known to ancient Arabian sailors. The history of the Maldives under the ruling sultans is recorded continuously from 1153 to 1821 in the Maldivian Tarikh (a chronicle); it covers the reign of eighty-three sultans. Meanwhile, in 1960 Maldives allowed the United Kingdom to continue to use both the Gan and the Hitaddu facilities for a thirty-year period, with the payment of £750,000 over the period of 1960 to 1965 for the purpose of Maldives' economic development. History of the Maldives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2153 words) Maldives is a nation consisting of 26 natural atolls comprising of 1192 islands. Maldives remained a British crown protectorate until 1953 when the sultanate was suspended and the First Republic was declared under the short-lived presidency of Muhammad Amin Didi. Beginning in the 1950s, political history in Maldives was largely influenced by the British military presence in the islands.
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