Some 87 tourist resorts exist in the Maldives tion vowed change. They pledged expanded and more than 500,000 tourists visit the coun- political freedoms and a more representative try each year. Unfortunately, much of this political system for the Maldivians. revenue does not trickle down to the common The government legalized political parties people in the Maldives, the majority of whom in 2005 and a new constitution was drafted live in poverty. and ratifi ed in 2008. That same year, the Mal- The Maldives’ fi rst inhabitants were Bud- dives held its fi rst multi-candidate, multi- dhist until Islam was introduced in 1153. party presidential elections. Nasheed, a po- The country next was infl uenced by the Por- litical activist who had previously been jailed tuguese (1558) and Dutch (1654) empires. by Gayoom’s regime, defeated Gayoom in a Today, the country is predominately Sunni runoff. THE MALDIVES Muslim. Nasheed’s presidency had been relatively Ruled by a sultan from the 12th century un- quiet until now. In February of this year, how- The Maldives’ fi rst democratically elected til the late 1800’s, the Maldives became a Brit- ever, Nasheed fi red a top judge, accusing him president, Mohamed Nasheed, recently was ish protectorate in 1887. The country received of blocking human rights and corruption cas- forced from power after he arrested the coun- its independence from Britain in 1965 and the es against opposition fi gures. That spawned try’s top judge. Nasheed’s supporters have monarchy was replaced with a republic in several weeks of street protests. Nasheed, called the ouster a coup d’état who claims to have resigned the backed by the previous presi- The Maldive Islands presidency at gunpoint, handed dent, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. power over to Vice President Some authorities, however, are Mohammed Waheed Hassan denying that charge. CHINA Manik. The Maldives (maul-DEVES), Waheed now appears to be or Maldive Islands, is an island linked with Gayoom, appoint- BHUTAN country consisting of a group of PAKISTAN ing top positions to men linked atolls and other tiny islands in NEPAL to the former president, includ- the Indian Ocean. Located south Delhi ing the judge who was ousted by Nasheed. of India’s Lakshadweep islands, R BANGLADESH the Maldives are about 435 miles Allahabad A Though the Maldives does M (700 km) southwest of Sri Lanka. N not play a huge role on the Kolkata A Y global stage, the country has Twenty-six atolls and 1,190 M coral islets make up the Mal- INDIA been prominent in global climate dives, but only about 200 are change discussions on the U.N. inhabited. The total land area is Human Rights Council. Also, only 116 square miles (300 sq. Mumbai Bay of Bengal the Maldives government has km), about 1.7 times the size of encouraged regional cooperation Washington, D.C. Nearly 400,000 between India and Pakistan. Arabian In this tropical paradise, tour- people reside in the Maldives, Sea dominated mostly by South In- ists are kept insulated from the dians, Sinhalese and Arabs. lives of normal Maldivians, mak- Bangalore 0 200 mi The Maldives holds the re- ing it unlikely non-residents cord for being the fl attest coun- 0 200 km would experience the unrest. To try on earth, with a maximum limit outsiders’ impact on tra- natural ground level of only 7.5 ditional Muslim communities, feet (2.3 m). With 80 percent of SRI they are only allowed to stop LANKA the country lying 3.3 feet (1 m) THE MALDIVES over on inhabited islands (other or less above sea level, global than the capital island, Malé) for warming and sea level rise are a brief visits. substantial concern to the Mal- Male While the political crisis in the dives’ population. In fact, during Maldives appears to be quiet for the last century, sea levels have now, its affects on tourism may INDIAN risen about eight inches (20 cm) OCEAN be felt if there are protests on the streets. In this island country threatening the very existence of © 2012 the Maldives. Geography in the News 3/9/12 M. Shears where many live in poverty, the Fishing remains the primary loss of tourism could be devas- occupation for most Maldivians and the gov- 1968. tating. ernment gives special priority to the develop- The Maldives did not hold true democratic And that is Geography in the News™. March ment of the fi sheries sector. Tourism, though, elections until much later, however. Instead, 9, 2012. #1136. is mainly responsible for fostering the overall Gayoom, elected to six successive terms by Co-authors are Neal growth of the country’s modern economy. single-party referendums, controlled the is- Lineback, Appalachian As the Maldives’ largest economic activity, lands’ national politics for 30 years. When State University Professor tourism contributes 28 percent of the gross Maldivians became disenchanted with the Emeritus of Geography, government and began rioting in the capital, domestic product (GDP) and more than 60 and Geographer Mandy percent of the foreign exchange receipts. Malé, in 2003, Gayoom and his administra- Lineback Gritzner. University News Director Sources: GITN #913, “Terrorism Reaches the Maldives,” Nov. 30, 2007; Jane Nicholson serves as https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mv.html; technical editor. and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16950214.