A country with diverse origins
The population of the Maldives is a reflection of its history. Genes from different origins mix to form the unique cocktail that forms the basis of the "indigenous" population. The Maldivians belong to the Indo-Aryan group. Tests have detected genetic attributes typical of Middle Eastern Arabs, South Asians (present-day India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh), Austronesians and Africans. This diverse profile confirms that the Maldives have long been known to sailors who cruised this part of the Indian Ocean. However, it is impossible to determine the exact period of colonization of the Maldivian islands. It is likely that the occupation of the Maldives began around 500 BC. The Mahavamsa, afifth century BC chronicle of the early Sinhalese kings, refers to the arrival of the first settlers in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The text clearly states that the first migrants went directly from India to the Maldives, without passing through Sri Lanka. Identical boat building methods and a similar hallmark on silver coins are found between parts of India and the Maldives. However, some researchers believe that the colonization of the archipelago predates this period. Some of the islands are named after a Dravidian language, the mark of the peoples of southern India. It is also known that the island of Giraavaru was inhabited by a people from Tamil Nadu in India. The island was evacuated in 1968 due to its intense erosion and the Giraavaru people merged with the rest of the Maldivian population. Barely 200 islands have been settled by the local population, which has developed very little over the centuries. Sailing from island to atoll was not always easy and travel times were incredibly long.
Distribution of the population
The Maldives had a population of only 72,000 in 1911. It is still the second least populated country in Asia, after the Sultanate of Brunei. The United Nations has estimated the population of the Maldives to be 557,426 in 2020. The opening of the country to tourists in the 1970s resulted in a population explosion. The population more than doubled between 1966 and 2000, and doubled again between 2000 and 2020. This strong demographic growth is linked to various factors: immigration, increase in life expectancy and decrease in infant mortality. The strong development of tourism in the 1970s was coupled with high immigration. The Maldivian government wanted to avoid mixing the tourist and Maldivian populations. As a result, a foreign workforce had to be brought in to build and run the island hotels. Today, immigration accounts for one third of the population, or 177,585 people. Of these migrants, one third are undocumented. The largest contingent comes from Bangladesh (112,588), followed by India (28,840), Sri Lanka (15,670), Nepal (5,029), China (3,506) and the Philippines (3,000). Many residents come from Western countries to work in hotels and diving clubs. The inflow of foreign currency into the country has allowed it to develop. Hospitals and dispensaries have been built. Vaccination and hygiene campaigns have led to a drastic drop in infant mortality. It was 12.7% in 1977 and is now 1.2%. The same is true for life expectancy, which was at a ceiling of 46 years in 1978. It rose to 72 years in the 2000s.
Only 4 islands have more than 10 000 inhabitants. Malé, the capital, has 67,742 inhabitants on its 5 km². This makes it not only the smallest capital in the world, but also one of the most densely populated. So much so that it can no longer hold everyone. The government has artificially developed the island of Hulhumale, which is located directly opposite, and built a bridge between the two islands. Other bridges are planned between Male and Villingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi to create a "Greater Male". The second most populous city is Addu City with its 33,876 inhabitants, the southernmost city in the Maldives. Fuvahmulah in Gnaviyani Atoll and Kulhudhuffushi in Haa Daalhu Atoll have 13,037 and 10,210 inhabitants respectively.The Maldivian language
Divehi is the official language of the Maldives. Its origin comes from the Sanskrit dvipa which means "island". Its full form divehi-bas means "the language of the islanders". The language is spoken in the Maldives as well as in the Lacquedives, an Indian-administered territory located in the north of the archipelago. The language combines many influences including Arabic, Sinhalese, Malayalam, Hindi and English. These influences and the geographical elongation of the archipelago give rise to differences in pronunciation and vocabulary. Maldivians from the north do not understand the dialects used in the south and vice versa. There are three levels of language in Maldivian. Low Reethi was used by the upper and royal classes. It is now used by the media. Laabah-dhuruvun marks the respect of a person towards elders, officials or foreigners. Divehi-bas is the usual form used in the family and friendship sphere. Divehi has its own alphabet, Thaana, which was introduced in the 12th century. It is derived from Arabic, is written from right to left and was introduced with the introduction of Islam in the Maldives. Prior to this period, Divehi was transcribed using Dhives Akuru, which was written from left to right. Its use continued until the beginning of the 20th century, as it was used for writing official texts. Its use continued until the late 1960s in some remote islands. The last user of Akuru dhives died at the end of the 20th century. There is no word for "hello" or greeting in Divehi. However, there is a word for saying goodbye. French has incorporated a Divehi word into its dictionary: "atoll". In the days when the Maldives was a kingdom, the term referred to an administrative province under the authority of a chief called a naybon.
