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Maldives

Maldives or Maldive Islands, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives are located south of India's Lakshadweep islands, and about seven hundred kilometers (435 miles) south-west of Sri Lanka. The twenty-six atolls encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, roughly two hundred of which are inhabited by local communities. Islands housing Hotels, antennae, fuel tanks, and other such premises, are not counted as inhabited islands by the administration. The name "Maldives" derives from Maale Dhivehi Raajje ("The Island Kingdom [under the authority of] Male"). Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands", or from mahila dvipa, meaning "island of women", but these names are not found in ancient Sanskrit literature. Instead, classical Sanskrit texts mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" (Lakshadweep); a generic name which would include not only the Maldives, but also the Laccadives and the Chagos island groups. Some medieval Arab travellers such as Ibn Batuta called the islands "Mahal Dibiyat" from the Arabic word Mahal ("palace"). This is the name presently inscribed in the scroll of the Maldive state emblem. Originally a Buddhist nation, Islam was introduced in 1153. It later became a Portuguese (1558), Dutch (1654), and British (1887) colonial possession. In 1965, Maldives obtained independence from Britain (originally under the name "Maldive Islands"), and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic. However, in thirty-eight years, the Maldives have seen only two Presidents, though political restrictions have loosened somewhat recently. Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.

Country:

Alternative Name:

Date Became
a United Nations Member:

Date of Independence:

UN Mission Website:

http://www.un.org/

Government Website:

http://www.visitmaldives.com/intro.html

UN Mission E-mail:

maldives@un.int

Wikipedia Entry:

CIA Factbook Entry:

UN CyberschoolBus:

Google News Search:

 

Maldives Maps and Flags

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Maps are for educational purposes only. Not to be used for navigation. Adobe PDF files can be enlarged without losing resolution on large format printers.

Maldives Color Flag (Cutout Size)  285.5 KB

Color flag for mounting on a dowel or straw. Flags are approximately 3" x 5" when cut out. Letter size document.

Maldives Color Flag (Letter Size) 368 KB

This flag is suitable for applications where a letter size, full-color flag is required. Printed flag measures approximately 8" x 10". Can be enlarged to almost any size on large format printers. Includes small illustration of where country is located on the globe (orthographic perspective format).

Maldives Color Flag (Tabloid Size) 174.6 KB

This flag is suitable for applications where a tabloid size, full-color flag is required. Printed flag measures approximately 10" x 15". Can be enlarged to almost any size on large format printers.

Maldives Color Map (Orthographic Perspective Letter Size) 398.4 KB

This map is suitable for applications where a letter size, full-color orthographic perspective (globe) map showing Afghanistan's location is required. Printed map measures 8" wide. Can be enlarged on wide format printers without losing resolution.

Maldives Outline Flag (Cutout Size) 275 KB

Color your own flag for your favorite country! Letter size outline flag for mounting on a dowel or straw. Flags are approximately 3" x 5" when cut out. Letter size document.

Maldives Outline Flag (Letter Size) 354.6 KB

This flag is suitable for applications where a letter size, outline flag is required. Students can color their own versions. Printed flag measures approximately 8" x 10". Size can vary. Can be enlarged to almost any size on large format printers. Includes small illustration of where country is located on the globe (orthographic perspective format).

Maldives Microsoft PowerPoint 143.5 KB

This Microsoft PowerPoint file includes full color maps and flags. Contents can be immediately used in onscreen presentations, or cut and pasted into other PowerPoint documents.

Maldives Microsoft Word 144 KB

This Microsoft Word file includes full color maps and flags and can be scaled to print on large format printers, or cut and pasted into other Word documents.

Maldives Zip Archive 1.9 MB

Complete your map collection with all of the PDFs available from unforkids.com! The set includes all available full color and outline maps and flags in one easily downloadable file. Zip compression format.

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