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People
Maldivians are homogenous. They are of one race, one culture, and
one religion - Islam. Physically, Maldivians resemble Asian, Arab,
Negroid and a Mongoloid mix. The population is 270,000, where 1/3
of them, live in the capital, Male. The population density is 883.2
per sq km.
Language
Dhivehi is the national Maldivian language. It is a combination
of Sinahalese, Tamil, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Hindi and English words
due to its historical links with its first settlers (believed to
be from India and Sri Lanka) as well as the many traders who visited
Maldives. "Elu", an archaic form of Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka)
shows great similarities to Dhivehi. English is widely used as a
business language in government offices and the commercial sector.
Other languages are widely used within tourist areas. Historical
remains from as far back as 400 BC, shows strong evidence that Buddhism
was widely practised among the people before Islam was introduced.
However, Maldives has remained a 100% Muslim nation for more than
800 years. The Maldivian script known as "Thaana" is written from
left to right.
Religion
According to legend, the Arabian traveler Abul Barakhat Al-Bar Bari
brought Islam to the Maldivians in the 12th century. Historical
remains from as far back as 400 BC, shows strong evidence that Buddhism
was widely practised among the people before Islam was introduced.
However, Maldives has remained a 100% Muslim nation for more than
800 years.
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