The Maldives

Author: J. J. Robinson
Publisher: Hurst & Company
ISBN: 9781849045896
Category : Democracy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The Maldives is a small and beautiful archipelago south of India, more renowned for luxury resorts than experiments in democracy. It is a country of contradictions, where tourists sip cocktails on the beach while on nearby islands local women are flogged for extramarital sex and blackmarket vodka costs $140 a bottle. Until 2008 the Maldives also hosted Asia's longest-serving dictator, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. A former political prisoner, Mohamed Nasheed, an environmental activist, journalist, and politician, brought Gayoom's thirty-year autocracy to a sudden end, in the Maldives' first democratic elections. Young, progressive and charismatic, President Nasheed thrust the Maldives into the spotlight as a symbol of the fight against climate change and the struggle for democracy and human rights in one of the world's strictest Islamic societies. But dictatorships are hard to defeat, enduring in a country's institutions and the minds of people conditioned to autocracy over three decades. Democracy brought turmoil, protests, violence and intense political polarization. The ousted dictatorship overthrew Nasheed's government in February 2012, supported by Islamic radicals and mutinying security forces. Amid Byzantine intrigue, the fight for democracy was just beginning.

Lonely Planet Maldives

Author: Lonely Planet
Publisher: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 1788681479
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 307

Book Description
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet's Maldives is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Encounter hammerhead sharks on a dawn dive, find your perfect luxury beach resort or family-run guesthouse, and hop around by seaplane for a view of coral atolls, blue lagoons and tiny desert islands - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Maldives and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Maldives: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Covers Male, North & South Male Atolls, Ari & Rasdhoo Atoll, Northern Atolls, Southern Atolls The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Maldives is our most comprehensive guide to the country, and is perfect for discovering both popular and offbeat experiences. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Folk Tales of the Maldives

Author: Xavier Romero-Frías
Publisher: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies
ISBN: 9788776941048
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A collection of 80 traditional short stories and legends from the local oral tradition. These folk tales offer insights into the history, culture and beliefs of the people of the Maldives and into the world they live in.

The Complete Travel Guide for The Maldives

Author: YouGuide
Publisher: Youguide International BV
ISBN:
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 251

Book Description
"The Complete Travel Guide Series" offers a comprehensive exploration of diverse destinations worldwide. Each book provides detailed insights into local culture, history, attractions, and practical travel tips, ensuring travellers are well-prepared to embark on memorable journeys. With vibrant illustrations, beautiful pictures and up to date information, this series is an essential companion for any type of traveller seeking enriching experiences.

Atolls of the Maldives

Author: Stefano Malatesta
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1786606623
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Book Description
Beyond the tropical paradise and beyond the fear of climate change effects, the Maldives is a fascinating island country that faces social, cultural, economic and environmental transformations. Atolls of the Maldives: Nissology and Geography provides a spatial analysis on some key challenges the Maldivian society has to deal with, and guides the reader in the discovery of the human and environmental geography of this Indian Ocean archipelago. Geographers, political scientists, sociologists, geologists, biologists and experts in environmental policies help the audience to move through the complex systems of interrelations, connections and disconnections that shape the environment and the geography of this extraordinary archipelagic country.

Travel Guide To The Maldives

Author: Nicky Huys
Publisher: Nicky Huys Books
ISBN:
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 75

Book Description
"Travel Guide to the Maldives" is your ultimate companion to experiencing the breathtaking beauty and unique allure of this tropical paradise. From pristine white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters to world-class diving and snorkeling opportunities, this guide provides comprehensive insights into the Maldives' top attractions, luxurious resorts, cultural experiences, and outdoor adventures. Whether you seek a romantic honeymoon retreat, an adrenaline-filled water sports vacation, or a serene beach getaway, this guide offers practical tips, stunning visuals, and insider recommendations to help you make the most of your Maldives adventure. Immerse yourself in the vibrant marine life, indulge in sumptuous cuisine, and discover the rich heritage of this enchanting destination. Embark on a journey of discovery with "Travel Guide to the Maldives" and unearth the wonders of this idyllic island nation.

Islam and Democracy in the Maldives

Author: Azim Zahir
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000505030
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 171

Book Description
This book examines Islam’s relationship to democratization in the Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives. It explores how and why an electoral democracy based in a constitution that has many liberal features but also Islam-based limitations, especially lack of religious freedom, emerged in the country by 2009. In doing so, the book interrogates a major approach to Muslim politics that assumes reformist interpretations of Islam are a positive, and even a necessary, force for liberalization and democratization in Muslim-majority contexts. This book shows reformist Islam did play certain positive roles in democratization in the Maldives. However, the book suggests reformist Islam may not be an invariably uncontroversial force in the space of politics. It argues that modern nation building in the Maldives shaped by political actors with reformist Islamic orientations, since around the 1930s, has also completely transformed Islam as a modern institutional and discursive political religion. These transformations of Islam as a modern political religion have existed as path-dependent constraints on the depth of democratization, ensuring religion-based limitations and intensifying controversy over religion vis-à-vis the state and individual rights. An original empirical contribution towards a better understanding of Islam and politics in the Maldives, this book will be of interest to academics and students working on democracy, and Islam in particular, and in the fields of political science and area studies, especially South Asian politics.

Atlas of the Maldives, 6th Edition (2018)

Author: Tim Godfrey
Publisher: Atoll Editions
ISBN: 1876410035
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 108

Book Description
Now in hard cover and fully revised and updated with detailed maps of all atolls and features including dive sites, surfing sites, mangroves, turtle and bird nesting islands, protected marine areas and a complete island index with a new grid referencing system. Includes a history of early mapping and information on atoll structure and formation, based on the latest science. This book has stunning colour photos of islands and useful information for travelling in the atolls. Blurb: This 6th edition of Atlas of the Maldives has been fully revised and updated to reflect the many changes occurring on both land and at sea since the last edition in 2007. It includes new material on the early mapping of the Maldives and its impact on science. The writings of Moresby, Darwin and other recent researchers, are used to explain the formation, structure and geological history of the Maldives. • Detailed Atoll Maps • Islands & Features • History & Shipwrecks • Diving & Surfing • Wetlands & Lakes • Protected Marine Areas • Marine LIfe • Turtles & Birds "The first view of these Islands from seaward, is imposing, and impresses a stranger with a favorable idea of them. Imagine a beautiful verdant fringe, of a mile or so in extent emerging suddenly from the sea on the distant horizon." Mr ‘Prentice’ Boyce, Purser aboard Captain Robert Moresby’s survey ship Benares, 1836.

Archaeological Investigations of the Maldives in the Medieval Islamic Period

Author: Anne Haour
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000521532
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 361

Book Description
This book presents pioneering research on the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives in the medieval period. Primarily archaeological, the book has an interdisciplinary slant, examining the material culture, history, and environment of the islands. Featuring contributions by leading archaeologists and material culture researchers, the book is the first systematic archaeological monograph devoted to the Maldives. Offering an archaeological account of this island-nation from the beginnings of the Islamic period, it complements and nuances the picture presented by external historical data, which identify the Maldives as a key player in global networks. The book describes excavations and surveys at a medieval site on the island of Kinolhas. It offers a comprehensive analysis of finds of pottery, glass, and cowries, relating them to regional assemblages to add valuable new data to an under-researched field. The artefacts suggest links with India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Arabia, central Asia, southeast Asia, and China, offering tangible evidence of wider connections. The research also evidences diet, crafts, and funerary practices. The rigorous presentation of the primary material is framed by chapters setting the context, conceptual approaches, and historical interpretation, placing the Maldives within broader dynamics of Islamic and Indian Ocean history and opening the research results to a wide readership. The book is aimed at students and researchers interested in the archaeology and history of the Indian Ocean, Islamic studies, island and coastal communities, maritime networks, and the medieval period, with special relevance for the ‘Global Middle Ages’. It will appeal to art historians, archaeologists, museologists, and heritage and material culture studies researchers with related interests.

Portuguese Encounters with Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Author: Chandra R. de Silva
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351909797
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Book Description
Portuguese Encounters with Sri Lanka and the Maldives: Translated Texts from the Age of the Discoveries is designed to provide access to translations of 16th- and 17th-century documents which illustrate various aspects of this encounter, combining texts from indigenous sources with those from the Portuguese histories and archives. These documents contribute to the growing understanding that different groups of European colonizers - missionaries, traders and soldiers - had conflicting motivations and objectives. Scholars have also begun to emphasize that the colonized were not mere victims but had their own agendas and that they occasionally successfully manipulated colonial powers. The texts in this volume help to substantiate these assertions while also illustrating the changing nature of the interactions. The present volume contains chapters covering the Portuguese arrival in Sri Lanka and their first encounters with the island and its peoples, their subsequent relations with Kandy and Jaffna, and a final chapter on Portuguese relations with the Maldive Islands. A historical introduction provides the context in which the documents can be read and a select bibliography indicates the most recent and authoritative secondary works on the subject