Dear Guest,
We would like to give you a warm welcome to our island paradise of Reethi Beach – and whether as destination for sunbathing, water sports activities, honeymooning or simply to unwind, a resort island in Maldives will be as close to paradise as one can hope to get.
For our team to operate in such a surrounding is a privilege and a source of pride and we have always maintained the position that it is our duty to preserve the fragile beauty around us.
Thank you for taking some time to browse through the following pages. You will find an overview of our efforts to keep the impact on the environment as little as possible and answers to question which are often asked.
We would greatly appreciate your full support in our efforts to preserve the Maldives’ unspoiled nature throughout your stay and invite you, our guest, to participate in and experience first-hand our efforts to protect the environment.
You will discover that being green does not mean to give up comfort, but to indulge in luxury sensibly. And you will also better understand why the resort’s motto has always been “Nature with Comfort and Style”.
Thank you very much for your participation
Peter Gremes General Manager
PS Please let us know if you have any other suggestions what we could do!
PPS Please leave this information brochure for others to read. Leave us your email – we’ll be happy to send you a soft copy.
REETHI BEACH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Since the management take-over of the resort in 2000, addressing environmental concerns, raising awareness and taking positive action have always been on the top of every agenda.
Investing in technical innovations and pursuing the most efficient exploitation of resources (sometimes through state-of-the-art technology, sometimes through ingenious alterations to existing concepts and, yes, sometimes with less success than hoped for) has already helped us to a carbon footprint far lower than most other resorts operating under similar conditions.
Credentials and Participations
Awarded Travelife Gold Accreditation for sustainable tourism (partnered by the Federation of Tour Operators) since 2011.
Green Planet Award (precursor of Travelife) for six consecutive years up to 2011.
Founder of BAARU in 2007, an NGO of all resorts and dive schools in Baa Atoll networking on environmental and social issues within the atoll and beyond.
Instrumental in the declaration of Baa Atoll as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a nationwide ban of trade with all shark products.
Partnering with IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) to introduce Marine Managed Areas as a nationwide best practice network to help to increase resilience of the reefs.
Participation World Environment Day since 2005 Earth Hour since 2008 Earth Day since 2009 and many more
ENERGY & WATER
ENERGY RECOVERY
Background: water with a high potential (sweet water) will flow towards water with a low potential (salt water). This energy is called the osmotic pressure.
To produce sweet water from salt water the process of reverse osmosis is applied: sea water is pumped through a membrane at very high pressure to overcome the natural osmotic pressure. The salt is retained by the membrane.
Most of the pressure applied is lost.
An Energy Recovery System installed at one of our three desalination units channels parts of the lost energy back into the process.
Did You Know Production of sweet water is among the most energy consuming processes on the island.
Our sweet water consumption is around 150 – 160 tons every day…
RAIN WATER HARVESTING
Underground tanks totaling 170 tons capacity already installed. HEAT EXCHANGE
Background: The generator needs to be cooled through a radiator much like any car engine. In the cooling cycle water reaches temperatures close to 100°C.
This water is run through a number of pipe loops in a separate tank filled with tap water. The tap water is thereby heated to around 60°C.
Apart from heating the entire water for the island with no additional energy input, the system also reduces the temperature of the generator cooling cycle.
Re-converting the energy once again (!), the hot water is also used for laundry drying.
ENERGY ASSESSMENT
A comprehensive assessment of energy and water usage on the island is conducted regularly by an independent consultancy firm.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
RE-USABLE GLASS BOTTLES
The drinking water plant helps us to avoid around 125,000 plastic bottles every year!
NO PLASTIC
No plastic straws used on the island, no plastic bags, drinks coasters, portioned packaging, disposable guest toiletries…
Did You Know Drinking straws alone would add up to around 170 kg of plastic per year on Reethi Beach. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
All solid waste is segregated and compacted for proper disposal, household batteries are transferred to Europe.
Did You Know Burning is still the common waste disposal method on many islands and an incinerator is mandatory. We haven’t operated ours for the past four or five years…
TAKE-YOUR-WASTE-HOME
Initiative launched in 2014 for guest participation.
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL LOGISTICS
Provided to all three local islands in Goidhoo Atoll since 2012.
THE ISLAND AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
SOFT EROSION MITIGATION
The geotextile bags and tubes in use in various locations are among the most sustainable methods to mitigate erosion. They are filled from the island’s own ‘sand budget’ and can be shifted or removed if required.
Did You Know The geotextile tubes are made of 100% recycled PET polymer.
BUILD-UP FREEZE
Freezing the Built-Up Area of the resort at just over 16% of the total land area – including the water villas. By law 20% are set as the cap for resort islands, up to 30% are granted in exceptional cases.
MAINTENANCE OF ISLANDS
Surrounding uninhabited islands are regularly visited for cleaning and upkeep.
TEMPERATURE MONITORING
Supporting data collection for local and regional assessment of stress factors, 12 temperature loggers are installed on the reef systems of Reethi Beach and surrounding areas.
CHEMICALS
CHLORINE
Since 2010 we sanitize the swimming pool with the chlorine-free ionization process.
Ionization: A low current creates positively charged silver and copper ions. All bacteria, viruses, algae and fungi spores are negatively charged and attracted to the ions where their cells are destroyed. There is no effect on the human body. The spa Jacuzzi is treated with the same system since 2011.
Did You Know Exposure to chlorine can have many adverse effects on humans. Chlorine is especially harmful to organisms living in water and in soil.
MOSQUITO CONTROL
Since 2011, we practice a 100% chemical-free mosquito control.
A dedicated member of the team scours the entire island daily to eliminate potential breeding grounds – avoiding large quantities of harmful chemicals with very limited effect.
ORGANIC NEEM OIL AND BACTERIA
Widely used for various pesticide or pest-deterring applications, organic neem oil replaces many chemical products. Organic bacteria is already in use in sewage treatment and in trial stages of composting.
BIODEGRADABLE, PHOSPHATE-FREE CLEANING PRODUCTS
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE
Close ties kept with island councils, NGOs, schools, citizens’ associations of neighboring communities for cooperation and support. Promotion of local customs and traditions and interaction with close-by islands is encouraged and promoted.
FUNDRAISING
Annual collection for Tiny Hearts, a local NGO supporting children with heart problems.
Fundraising for Male’ Orphanage.
Did You Know Through a fundraising event in 2014, Nic from Reservations managed to raise the staggering amount of US$ 16,500!
The average cost to home, feed, educate and take care of one child is around US$ 1,000 per month…
Annual contribution of the first prize for fundraising raffle by Their Future Today, a UK-based charity in support of an orphanage in Sri Lanka.
HOW WE ALL
CAN CONTRIBUTE
TAKE NON-DECOMPOSING WASTE BACK The items will not fill your luggage more than on the way here and recycling/disposal facilities will be much better in your home country.
Of course you are very welcome to leave behind your books – they will see the best use if they are accessible to many people.
In turn please also feel free to take with you any books from our library you haven’t finished reading here or you found interesting for reading later.
And… DON’T LEAVE YOUR CIGARETTES ON THE BEACH OR ANYWHERE ELSE! SAVE ENERGY Please switch off all unneeded lights and appliances.
Did You Know Even chargers which are not charging, consume energy – unplug them or switch off at the socket.
AIR CONDITIONING Don’t leave the air condition running with windows and doors open. In the Water Villas the units will automatically switch off after 2 minutes. We recommend a setting of 24°C to 26°C at low to medium fan-speed. The room will cool down quickly to a temperature most comfortable for the body given the outside climate.
POWER KEYS Mechanisms to interrupt power supply are used in most hotel rooms around the world – regardless of their classification – and if used conscientiously the results are measurable.
In order to allow for medicine or perishable items to be kept cooled at the necessary temperature, the mini bar fridges are not connected to the power keys. The fridges are however kept empty and turned off when not in use.
Did You Know Hotel mini bars – filled with items of which only a few will meet the personal preference of the guest - usually run even when the room is vacant for longer periods and more often than not they are unsuitably ventilated.
Do not attempt to bypass the mechanism – it may result in serious damage to the power supply and/or electrocution.
JOIN THE TECHNICAL TOUR
Why don’t you join one of our regular guided technical tours through the back of the house for a closer look at our day-to-day operations and to learn about some of our projects? Info at Reception.
Works at home too! SAVE WATER Help us to save water by using towels and bed sheets more than once.
Place your towels on the floor, if you want them to be exchanged. Put the provided wooden card on your bed, if you want your sheets to be exchanged.
Did You Know For guests and staff the Housekeeping Team washes an average of 1,100 towels of various sizes every day. And close to 600 bed sheets and pillow cases.
Please do not leave water running for longer than you need.
Did You Know Aerators and/or pressure reducing valves in water taps can significantly reduce water consumption.
CHOOSE
Draught beer over beer in disposable bottles or cans.
Ecologically friendly versions of products such as sun lotion.
Did You Know Over 6,000 tons of sun screen products end up in the oceans every year. Almost all of them contain substances harmful to marine life.
Jogging path over tread mill.
Fish over meat – with tuna being the most sustainable…
Thank you !
Works at home too! ?FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ? Why don’t we use more solar panels?
Solar panels installed on roofs can directly heat water and/or produce sufficient electricity to light the island at night.
During longer periods of cloud cover or increased usage it is however possible that the hot water runs out – making the installation of a back-up heater necessary and cancelling out much of the previous savings. And the energy consumed by lights is insubstantial compared to the big users, such as water production, kitchen, laundry, dive compressors, air conditioning units…
Solar panels also become high maintenance installations when exposed to the local humidity and salinity levels in the air.
Energy collection through photovoltaic cells on the other hand calls for large installations to generate any significant amount of electricity. An area the size of our two tennis courts on a sunny day may power one or two of the bakery ovens. Storage batteries to use an oven also at night will double the cost of the installation – and are again questionable from the environmental point of view when it comes to maintenance or replacing.
For other renewable energy sources – wind energy, geothermal energy, wave energy, tide energy, etc. – the prevalent climate conditions are never sufficient to harvest energy in any practical quantity: the winds will not blow consistently enough, the tidal range is not pronounced enough…
Of course, we hope for swift progress and new developments in any of the areas of alternative renewable energy sources. A number of projects are under consideration and the issues will remain on top of our agenda.
In the meantime no resort can operate without a stationary generator set as a source of electricity and our goal needs to be to utilize the fossil fuels to run the generators to their maximum efficiency. To this effect regular evaluations of our power grid and its use are conducted by an independent assessor.
Since 2011 the waste heat from running generators is even used to produce hot water for the entire island. And this water is then again used to operate a ‘Dry- Room’ in the laundry, replacing one large commercial dryer.
We are now among the most efficiently run resorts in the Maldives in terms of energy consumption and will keep trying to become even better.
? What is Reethi Fen?
Sea water is pumped through a membrane at high pressure to retain salt. After a filtration process the resulting sweet water is the tap water for use in bathrooms, the laundry, open sweet water taps.
Some of the tap water is then passed through the filtration process a second time for what we term drinking water, which is used in kitchens and bars. The water is safe to drink but we do not recommend its use as regular fluid intake as it does not contain anything in terms of essential minerals, trace elements or micronutrients.
The drinking water is then led through another set of filters and UV-filters, mineralized and filled in sanitized re-usable glass bottles – Reethi Fen. The water is tested by an independent institution.
Did You Know The team members have access to mineral water on tap at various locations in the staff area.
The glass bottles are produced in UK and very costly. Thanks for not leaving them lying around on the beach or in the sun.
If you wish to purchase the glass bottles with the Reethi Fen logo as a souvenir, please contact reception.
? Why don’t we have more beverages in re-usable bottles?
Simply because there aren’t any. Three types of soft-drinks and draught beer – plus our own Reethi Fen mineralized water – are the only beverages available in re-usable packaging.
Requests to both local as well as international suppliers for additional beverages and food products to be made available in returnable packing and/or larger units have recently increased from many parties in the country.
PLEASE NOTE the date figuring on the soft drink bottles is the date of production. Expiry will be 6 months later.
Did You Know Almost 10,000 soft drink bottles per month are reused.
Around 5,000 more soft drinks every month still come in plastic bottles and cans…
? Why can’t we clear more vegetation for beach access?
Bushes and trees around the island are for the most part of a very resilient type, suitable for the harsh conditions of poor soil and salty breeze. These trees and shrubs then provide an indispensable shoreline protection and are best left undisturbed.
Trimming and pruning is scheduled on a regular basis as a measure to support and enhance the local vegetation. The growth of certain plants will be carefully controlled, such as creepers or the Dhiggaa tree, a fast-growing but soft-wooded tree that will quickly smother other plants around it and whose roots will grow just as fast and will penetrate joints of water piping or electrical conduits.
Each island in Maldives has a very distinctive plant cover, which is sometimes reflected in the local island name. The most famous plant on Reethi Beach is the Magoo, a thick-leaved bush well suited for shoreline protection and which can be found in the island’s Dhivehi name, Fonimagoodhoo.
Magoo, Sea Lettuce or Scaevola, Scaevola taccada
? Why aren’t there more flowers? In most cases flowers do not figure very prominently in the natural vegetation of any Maldivian island – at least not such flowers, which would commonly be seen as tropical.
Many trees and bushes however bloom all year round and their flowers fall all day – Kaani, Dhiggaa, … – and many bushes and shrubs have rather unremarkable little white blossoms – Boshi, Magoo, …
Kaani Dhiggaa Magoo Boshi Sea Trumpet Sea Hibiscus Sea Lettuce Beach Heliotrope Cordia subcordata Calophyllum Scaevola taccada Tournefortia argenta illophyllum
Foreign plants are also introduced in gardens, but only in very limited numbers. They require very special treatment and any imported plant may also introduce foreign pests or diseases.
? What do we spray on plants? To fight the common pests while maintaining a natural balance we try to use as few pesticides as possible. The landscaping team does regular rounds spraying diluted neem oil – the organic nut-extract of a tree also widely used in shampoos or toothpaste – which serves as deterrent for many leaf pests. Hithi Gas, Neem Azadirachta indica
! Mosquito control is done ENTIRELY WITHOUT CHEMICALS simply by eliminating their breeding grounds. One team member does nothing but scout the island all day in search of stagnant water in tree holes, coconut husks, etc.
? Why are there insects in my bathroom/room? Insects will always be a part of the natural environment on a small island such as ours. And with most buildings being open structures it is not possible to prevent them from entering.
Most insects experience short seasonal peaks, such as after a period of rainfall and will again disappear within a few days. Obviously we will try to get rid of disturbing insects in your bathrooms, such as ants. But chances are very high, that they will reappear within a very short time – and disappear again by themselves.
None of the insects found on Reethi Beach – and none of the animals either, for that matter – pose any risk to humans.
Geckos in the rooms should be welcome companions, as they will contribute their own share towards keeping insect populations under control.
Did You Know Pay attention to geckos during a conversation. If a gecko makes the clicking sound three times, what has just been said, was the truth.
Glupschi, # 801 Fred, # 126 Hemidactylus frenatus Hemidactylus frenatus ? Why do we pump sand? Maldivian Islands are all subjected to currents, which will move their beaches from one side to the other, depending on the prevailing monsoon.
Shifting of beaches can reach huge proportions. The “tail” at the Water Villas on the northern tip of the island – hundreds of tons of sand – quite literally wiggles back and forth, disappears and reemerges with the change of the monsoons.
North-East Monsoon South-West Monsoon
This movement is natural and entire islands shift or may slowly disappear, only to reemerge elsewhere, slowly starting off as a sandbank. And the movement is crucial, if water stagnates, algae and dead coral are the consequence.
However, erosion is intensifying through extreme weather events and it has become unavoidable to channel this movement, reducing it on one side, supporting it on the other.
Unfortunately it is not possible to schedule protective measures in advance and huge amounts of sand may shift within a matter of days. Once an intervention becomes necessary it cannot be delayed.
We will always the least impact on the environment assure you that all steps taken will be done keeping the least always
We thank you, our guest, for your understanding in this matter.
Did You Know Baa Atoll has been affected by erosion more than other areas of Maldives over the past years.
PLEASE NOTE: There will always be sufficient parasols and sun lounges around the island for all of our guests. Due to the naturally shifting shapes and locations of the beaches around the island we can however not guarantee that we will always be able to place a parasol right in front of every room. ? With what are the breakwater tubes filled?
The tubes, which come from Australia and are made of 100% recycled PET polymer, feature a special layer which supports coral growth. The tubes and bags are filled with sand from our own sand budget – the sand, which will flow around an island – and can be emptied and replaced.
? Why do we need to change the thatch on the roofs?
Almost all of the roofs on Reethi Beach are thatched with cadjan – dried coconut leaves gathered into mats. Cadjan is a traditional, local product and fully natural and adds to the local color and atmosphere of the resort.
Being an untreated product it is also subject to aging and will decompose after some time. With nets tightened over it, we manage to retain a layer of cadjan thatch for a year at most.
With so many thatch-covered roofs on the island then there will almost always be someone busy changing thatch somewhere. The roof of the Reethi Grill restaurant as an example requires 90 bundles of thatch and a team of eight will be busy for two days to place them.
The replacing of thatch must be viewed as a necessary regular maintenance, much like mowing the lawn or raking leaves, and not as a renovation project and will never be scheduled in any place for longer than one day.
? Why is there rubbish on my Robinson island? As the name already suggests, Robinson islands will not only be uninhabited but to a great extent also not maintained.
For the comfort of visiting guests we try to control the mosquito populations (by the same chemical-free method of eliminating their breeding grounds) and clean the beach of washed-up waste once or twice a week.
Unfortunately, we cannot give any guarantee that more waste will not be washed up on the shores the moment our cleaning team leaves the island. Parties from other resorts, safari boats or locals sometimes also visit the islands and unfortunately do not care as much about the environment, leaving behind their own waste.
Please note: Large crab populations are an integral part of an island and all natural material on the beach – coral pieces, branches, sea-grass, etc. – should not be removed.
MOST IMPORTANT: PROTECT
CORALS!
DO NOT STEP ON CORALS !!! DO NOT TOUCH CORALS !!! DO NOT SWIRL UP SAND AROUND CORALS !!!
Corals may appear as rocks or plants but they are actually ANIMALS huddled up together in one colony. These animals die if you step on them or sometimes even just touch them. Even swirling up sand can be very damaging…
Therefore keep your feet off the reef floor at all times and only use the marked snorkel channels. Be aware that every step you take under water which is not specifically on sand could potentially kill animals. Even if what you step on may only appear as rock, everything under water is either coral or dead coral on which new coral are trying to grow or beach rock (compressed sand) on which coral are trying to grow.
DON’T TOUCH!
NO GLOVES!
Wearing gloves will lower the inhibition threshold to touch…
AVOID ALL CONTACT WITH CORALS !!!
Please take extra care during low tide …
… or while treading water …
… and also while practising other water sport activities.
ALWAYS USE THE SNORKELLING CHANNELS
Three snorkel channels on the west side of the island are clearly marked for you to snorkel safely from the beach to the reef crest (where the reef drops into deeper waters). ONLY USE these channels to enter or exit the reef – swimmers as well as snorkelers and divers. The coral in the shallow areas in between the channels could recover if they were not exposed to frequent accidental touches or damage.
PLEASE ALSO STUDY THE SNORKELING MAP AND INSTRUCTIONS PLACED IN EVERY ROOM AND AT THE INFORMATION BOARDS ON THE BEACH MARKING THE CHANNELS.
THE DIVE SCHOOL TEAM GIVES REGULAR BRIEFINGS EVERY EVENING AND WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
DO NOT TOUCH OR CHASE MARINE LIFE (unless explicitly allowed to do so)
The general rule is: animals can be disturbed if you touch them or become stressed if you chase them around for a nice picture. If that happens too often, these animals may leave and will not return to their home-reef.
This can result in an adverse knock-on effect for other species and the underwater life will become a little less colourful for future snorkelers or divers.
Please note that underwater life is not inherently dangerous but some fish, corals, shells, etc. have sharp teeth or scales, stings, poison – all defence mechanisms they will deploy to protect themselves or their offspring. Coral can leave nasty bruises, which will take weeks to heal.
DO NOT BUY SOUVENIRS MADE WITH MARINE PRODUCTS DO NOT TAKE SHELLS, CORAL PIECES HOME
Taking shells and corals from reefs and beaches – mainly the large scale commercial harvesting for all kinds of decorative household items and souvenirs – has a negative impact on the ocean’s chemistry that can be measured. Our oceans have started to become more acidic. Limestone, the material shells and corals are made of, helps to neutralize this effect.
Hermit crabs are always on the look for the next bigger size of shell to move into. With all the nice shells already taken, many end up settling in coconut shells or plastic cups instead or have to move away altogether.
Please leave shells and coral pieces behind when you leave. At home they will just gather dust, then be transferred to some box and serve no purpose.
Most of the shiny shells, which are unfortunately still for sale in souvenir shops or at the airport, have been harvested as live animals. Most likely in other parts of the world but the damaging effect will not be much smaller there…
TRADE WITH SHARK PRODUCTS IS ILLEGAL
DO NOT LITTER
A cigarette easily ends up in the sand on the beach. A plastic bag is blown away by the wind just too quickly. At present, pollution is the biggest problem oceans have ever faced. Plastic litter floats around the oceans for decades, splits into ever smaller fragments, but it will never disappear. The tiny pieces already find their way into the food chain and will eventually be found in our own bodies.
TAKE YOUR WASTE HOME
Some airlines and tour operators provide plastic bags for their guests to take their non-decomposing waste back home. We support this practice. Recycling mechanisms will be much better in your home country, while here tons of waste still end up on the waste-island Thilafushi every day, where it may be simply burned. ދި ދހެ ިރއާ ޖް ގ ެެ ދމް އާ ޖ ގި ޔާ ރ
Dhivehi Raa'jeyge Jumhooriyya Republic of Maldives
The world over Maldives is a synonym for the most beautiful dive spots and romantic holidays, all in a picture perfect setting of luxurious resorts and tiny tropical islands. Beyond that, little may be known and to familiarize the visitors with this unique destination we have compiled a few background facts and interesting figures.
ETHYMOLOGY
Maldives may derive from the Malayaalam or Tamil – both languages from South India – words for garland ("maala" or “maalai” respectively) and island (“dweepu” and “theevu”). With some 1,200 islands spread along a submarine ridge of around 960 km in length stretching north to south, this hardly needs to be questioned further.
GEOGRAPHY
The 1,200 islands are scattered in a double chain of 26 atolls between latitudes 1°S and 8°N, 75 km or so lie south of the equator. Around 200 islands are inhabited, over 100 have been developed as resorts but none rises above sea level higher than two and a half meters. The average height of 1.5 meters makes Maldives the record holder for the country with the “lowest natural highest point” – or simply the planet’s lowest country.
Most islands are very small and it will not even take you 20 minutes to walk around them. The largest is Gan in the south, in Addu Atoll, where a number of islands are connected by a road along the reef to form a combined land area of 9.4 km2. The connecting road, Link Road, with a length of 14 km is the longest stretch of road in the Maldives.
The total territory of the country is given at roughly 90,000 km2 while the land area accounts for 300 km2 – making Maldives one of the world's most geographically dispersed countries. It is also the smallest Asian country in both land area and in population. The land area in fact is so small that the small population – around 305,000 as per the census of 2014 – is still big enough to make Maldives the fifth most densely populated country in the world by land area.
Almost half of the population is found in the capital, Male’, on a land area of 5.8 km2. This makes Male’ one of the most densely populated cities in the world and one of the smallest capitals in the world (for sure it is the flattest) and being the country’s commercial hub and center of administration and bureaucracy, the migration of islanders to Male’ will persist. Large-scale reclamation projects are ongoing on close by islands and reefs in order to accommodate this influx.
HISTORY
The early history of the Maldives is somewhat indistinct, full of myths and heroic tales of kings and their wondrous deeds, but little before the conversion to Islam in 1153 is known with certainty. Some archaeologists believe that Maldives was already recognized from around 2000 BC as a trading connection for ancient maritime civilizations from Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia and traders from the Indus Valley but conclusive archeological discoveries have been rather scarce.
In the Mahawamsa, a text on kings in Sri Lanka, the written history of Maldives takes its beginning. The Sinhalese people, descended from an exiled Indian prince, were mentioned to have settled in Sri Lanka and the Maldives circa 543 to 483 BC.
Following settlements then came from the southwest coast of the Indian subcontinent and the western shores of Sri Lanka. Boat building techniques show similarities between Maldives and South Asia and Dravidian-Malayalam influences in the language can be made out in place names, kinship terms, poetry and in dance. Indeed the connection to India and Sri Lanka has always been the predominating one though impacts in many facets of Maldivian culture, traditions and demography can be traced back to Arab and African origins as well as to the Austronesian reed boat migrants which were to settle Madagascar.
Maldivians had practiced an ancient form of Hinduism when, at the time of Emperor Ashoka's expansion around 268 to 232 BC, Buddhism came to the Maldives and became the dominant religion for the next 13 centuries. Maldives was known as the “Money Isles” as the principal supplier of the cowry shells, a widespread international currency of ancient times (and today the symbol of the Maldives Monetary Authority), and for many years Arab traders had also stopped in the Maldives going to the Far East. One of these, Abu Al Bakrat, a North African Arab, is credited for the conversion of Maldives to Islam in 1153. He is said to have saved a young woman from being sacrificed to a sea jinni, driving away the demon by reciting from the Islamic holy book, the Quran, and the king of Maldives at the time ordered the whole country to convert.
A series of six dynasties with altogether 84 sultans and sultanas followed until the arrival of the Portuguese in the early 16th century. Originally simply given permission to build a fort in Male’ the new settlers soon wanted more, in 1558 Sultan Ali VI was killed and the Portuguese ruled the country for the next 15 years.
The Portuguese demand that the country convert to Christianity met fierce opposition which culminated in an attack on Male’ by Mohammed Thakurufaanu in which all the Portuguese were killed, effectively ending the only time the Maldives were occupied by another country (save for a few months of Malabar domination in the 18th century).
The Portuguese occupation however is still contested as a historical fact in the official terminology of the word, as there is no record of it – neither in Portuguese nor in Maldivian archives – and the fort built in Male’ may have been a private endeavor by a Portuguese merchant.
This victory is commemorated each year as National Day on the first day of the third month of the lunar year. The main road along the seafront in Male’, briefly known as Marine Drive, is now named after Thakurufaanu.
Another dynasty of sultans followed – as well as renewed attacks by the Portuguese and south Indian rajahs, who had previously assisted Thakurufaanu. In the 17th century Maldives accepted protection by the Dutch, then rulers of Ceylon and briefly held a defense treaty with the French. Relations with the British, who took possession of Ceylon in 1796, were always good.
Such allegiances allowed Maldives to keep threats from outside at bay while at the same time being able to rule autonomously.
To boost commerce, Bohra merchants from Bombay (a Sunni community renowned as traders) were invited to set up warehouses and shops in Male’ in the 1860s. When it appeared that they were monopolizing the entire foreign trade sultan Mueenuddin II approached the British for intervention. In 1887 an agreement was signed, in which the statehood of the country was formalized and Maldives was officially made a Protectorate.
The first constitution was introduced in 1932, demanding for the sultan to be elected rather than attaining his position through a hereditary process. In the following years sultans were voted, deposed, modernization programs were introduced as well as a new constitution in 1942. During WWII, trade to and from Maldives almost came to a standstill, and the population had to bemoan many casualties from illness or malnutrition.
In 1948, when they had already lost Ceylon and India, the British were able to maintain a foothold in the region, when they were provided facilities for their defense forces, mainly the establishment of an airfield on the southern island of Gan, with a lease guarantee of 100 years.
The sultanate was abolished in 1953 for a republic but this only lasted for one year when a 94th sultan of Maldives was introduced.
Ibrahim Nasir – after whom the international airport in Male’ is now named – was voted Prime Minister in 1957 and demanded the agreement on Gan to be reviewed, with a shorter lease period and higher annual fees. The objection from Maldivians in the south, who feared the loss of work opportunities, led to their declaration of an independent state under Abdulla Afif Didi as their own president. The rebellion was suppressed, Afif fled to the Seychelles, which was then a British colony and he later became Foreign Minster there.
Maldives was recognized by Britain as a completely sovereign and independent state on July 26th 1965 and became a member of the UN. The use of Gan as a British air force base and the payment of rent ceased in 1976.
CULTURE
With its location at a crossroads in the central Indian Ocean, Maldives was bound to experience the influence of many different cultures, much of which can be found in traces in various dances, songs and music, sometimes even localized to one particular Atoll or island. The traditional Bodu Beru music borrows much from African beats, on northern islands a festival is celebrated with the throwing of water balloons, reminiscent of the Hindu festival of Holi and many words from other backgrounds have found their way into the local Dhivehi. As a nation of small islands depending largely on the sea as a source of food, ideals common to areas where agriculture would be this source, are not as prominent. The result is a more easy-going, hospitable people, less confined by property. Perhaps, in combination with comparatively liberal Islamic rules on separation, this may also account for Maldives finding frequent mention as the country with the highest divorce rate.
Much like in a land based nation of 1,000 km length you will find different dialects from north to south but sometimes even islands lying next to each other on the same reef can be very diverse in the livelihood of their inhabitants, their attitude towards life, nowadays obviously also their political affiliation. One island may be known for its fishermen, the other for its boat building, a third for net mending.
Here in Baa Atoll some examples are Kihaadhoo, where traditional reed weaving of baskets is still practiced, Thulhadhoo, famous for its lacquer works, Goidhoo, which is considered an agricultural island. A privately run local museum can be visited on nearby Kudarikilu, where the committed curator displays old artefacts along with curios from the past – and alongside he will engage in the traditional art of Mundhoo-weaving (the local sarong).
TODAY
Maldives faces a number of challenges in the modern world. The most obvious is the rise in sea level and temperature, which is a staple for the media. Positive and negative theories abound as to whether the islands will be submerged and by when, or whether they will grow upwards along with the rising tides. Maldives is actually one country of the little known Fourth World – small nations whose existence is threatened by the environment. Erosion at any rate is a natural phenomenon and has shaped the islands long before they were even settled or any changes in sea level made the news.
Perhaps less talked about is the fishing by industrial fleets under foreign flags in the surrounding waters, which puts the traditional Maldivian pole and line fishing at risk. And more and more of the waste found in the seas around the globe also finds its way into Maldivian waters, exacerbating the already existing challenging task to properly dispose of locally produced garbage.
In the meantime tourism as the main supporting leg of the economy is booming and infrastructure and services have to be brought up to par. Local airports are being developed, additional commercial and industrial hubs are planned for the far north and the far south of the country. The ongoing migration to Male’ and the future hubs will also entail more local communities becoming too small to warrant the development of infrastructure there. As a result already some smaller island communities are earmarked for relocation to central larger islands, where access to health, sanitation, education can be guaranteed.
The Maldives boasts a 99-percent literacy rate among adults, life expectancy rose from 46 years in 1978 to 72 today, while infant mortality has declined from 12.7% to 1.2% in the same period. Recently a pension scheme was introduced.
The political situation may be a bit shady at times but Maldives is managing to retain a delicate balance on the national and international stage. Today like in the past, foreign powers vie for influence in the region and Maldives still maintains the delicate balance. Chinese as well as Indian delegations of state, industry, military are equally welcomed and the good relations to UK/US (who have their own air force base in the archipelago of Diego Garcia in the south) persist.
Maldives is a truly unique place, but faced with many threats from a changing world. The awareness of the fragility of the environment is rising among the population and the adaptation to a new reality is gradually happening. As guests and visitors it is then also our duty to minimize effects for which we are partly responsible and together we can work towards protecting these wonderful
islands – to return and visit again and again.
Sources: Maldives Government Ministries, Google Earth, Michael Friedel, Lonely Planet, Wikipedia