Mulaku Atoll or Meemu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name, also known as Mulak Atoll or ‘Mulakatolhu’.
There is a mosque of historical value in Kolhufushi Island, but no Buddhist remains have been found on this atoll. Also of historic importance is the 1573 wreck of Kalhuohfummi off the south eastern reef of Kolhuvaariyaafushi island.
As a Republic the Constitution came into force in 1968 (and amended in 1970, 1972, and 1975) has been repealed and replaced by a another Constitution assented to by the President Gayoom on 27 November 1997. This Constitution came into force on 1 January 1998. All stated that the president was the Head of State, Head of Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Police of the Maldives. Under Intense pressure from the opposition a new Constitution was Ratified, dated 7 August 2008, whereby the power of judiciary was separated from the head of state.
According to the constitution of Maldives, “The judges are independent, and subject only to the constitution and the law. When deciding matters on which the Constitution or the law is silent, judges must consider Islamic Shari’ah.”
The independent Judicial Services Commission is the core of the judiciary, who oversee the appointment and dismissal of judges, and act as a ‘watchdog’ to ensure that Judges uphold their own codes of conduct. Currently in an interim stage, one is appointed by the president other member from the Civil Service Commission, parliament, the public, high court judge, lower court judge and a supreme court member. Contradiction in the commission’s makeup, which requires a Supreme Court member to be present on the commission, even though the Supreme Court must be composed with the advice of the commission.
The Maldivian economy was entirely dependent on fishing and other marine products for many centuries. Fishing remains the main occupation of the people and the government gives special priority to the development of the fisheries sector.
The mechanization of the traditional fishing boat called dhoni in 1974 was a major milestone in the development of the fisheries industry and the country’s economy in general. A fish canning plant was installed in the island of Felivaru in 1977, as a joint venture with a Japanese firm. In 1979, a Fisheries Advisory Board was set up with the mandate of advising the government on policy guidelines for the overall development of the fisheries sector. Manpower development programs were begun in the early 1980s, and fisheries education was incorporated into the school curriculum.
Fish aggregating devices and navigational aids were located at various strategic points. Moreover, the opening up of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Maldives for fisheries has further enhanced the growth of the fisheries sector. Today, fisheries contribute over fifteen percent of the GDP and engage about thirty percent of the country’s work force. It is also the second-largest foreign exchange earner after tourism.
The development of the tourism sector gave a major boost to the country’s fledging traditional cottage industries such as mat weaving, lacquer work, handicraft, and coir rope making. New industries that have since emerged include printing, production of PVC pipes, brick making, marine engine repairs, bottling of aerated water, and garment production.
If you’re looking for a few extra hours of sunshine then you should visit the Maldives between December and April, which is also the brilliant height of the dry season. However, this is also the main season for tourism – resorts can be fully booked and prices are higher than the rest of the year. The Christmas-New Year period is the busiest and most expensive part of the high season, when many of the all-inclusive package tourists arrive from Europe and America. Between May and November it’s still warm, but the skies can be cloudy, humidity is higher and rain squalls and tropical storms blow in on the southwest monsoon. This is the official low season – prices are lower and there are fewer tourists but some resorts close for annual repairs. The transition months of November and April are said to be associated with increased water clarity and better visibility for divers.
Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), (pronounced: “Maa-lay”) population 81,647 (2004), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Male’ Atoll Kaafu Atoll. It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King’s Island from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located. Formerly it was a walled city surrounded by fortifications and gates (doroshi). The Royal Palace (Gan’duvaru) was destroyed along with the picturesque forts (kotte) and bastions (buruzu), when the city was remodelled under President Ibrahim Nasir’s rule after the abolition of the monarchy. Although Malé is geographically located in Male’ Atoll, Kaafu Atoll, administratively it is not considered part of it. A commercial harbour is located in the Island. It is the heart of all commercial activities in the country. Many government buildings and agencies are located on the waterfront. Malé International Airport is on adjacent Hulhule Island which includes a seaplane base for internal transportation. Several land reclamation projects have expanded the harbour. The island is heavily urbanized, with the city taking up essentially its entire landmass. Slightly less than one third of the nation’s population lives in the capital city. Many, if not most, Maldivians and foreign workers in Maldives find themselves in occasional short term residence on the island since it is the only entry point to the nation and the centre of all administration and bureaucracy. The town is divided into four divisions; Henveiru, Galolhu, Maafannu and Macchangolhi. The nearby island of Vilingili, formerly a tourist resort is the fifth division (Male’viligili) considered by the government. Malé was struck by the tsunami that followed the Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004, which swept across the western coast of Sumatra and flooded two-thirds of the city with its waves. The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis reportedly killed over 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean. On 29th September 2007 a bomb exploded near a mosque in Malé injuring 12 foreign tourists. It was the first known bombing in the history of the Maldives
The Maldives (or Maldive Islands) (IPA: /ˈmɒldaɪvz/ or /ˈmɒldiːvz/), 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 kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka. The Maldives’ twenty-six atolls encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, two hundred and fifty islands are inhabited.
The name “Maldives” may derive from Maale Dhivehi Raajje (“The Island Kingdom [under the authority of] Malé”).”[1] 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” (Lakshadweepa); 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”)”[2] . This is the name presently inscribed in the scroll of the Maldive state emblem.
The inhabitants were Buddhist, probably since Ashoka’s period, in the 3rd century BC. Islam was introduced in 1153. The Maldives came then under the influence of the Portuguese (1558) and the Dutch (1654) seaborne empires. And in 1887 it became a British protectorate. In 1965, the Maldives obtained independence from Britain (originally under the name “Maldive Islands”), and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic.
The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.
