Background
The Commonwealth's country profile describes the Maldives as a low-lying island country in the north-central Indian Ocean. It is made up of around 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks. Around 200 of these are inhabited. Barrier reefs protect the islands. The profile's key facts give the capital city as Malé, the area as 300 square kilometres and the population as 540,542 (2022). It records that its closest neighbours are India, about 600 kilometres north-east, and Sri Lanka, about 645 kilometres north-east, so both of the country's nearest neighbours are reached across open sea rather than over a land frontier.
Capital city:
Malé
Islands and sandbanks:
around 1,200
Inhabited islands:
around 200
Area:
300 square kilometres
Population:
540,542 (2022)
Why it matters for exams: Capital, island count, area and nearest neighbours are the standing geography facts asked about the Maldives in Kerala PSC and UPSC prelims.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Atoll — A ring-shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon, the form most Maldivian island groups take.
Barrier reef — A reef lying offshore and parallel to a coast, breaking incoming waves before they reach land.
Background
A release of the President's Office of the Maldives records the ratification of the National Language (Priority) Bill passed by the People's Majlis, the country's legislature, and its publication in the Government Gazette. The release states that the Act aims to protect, develop, preserve and promote the use of the national language, Dhivehi, as declared in the Article 11 of the Constitution. It adds that the Act stipulates that all state communications and correspondences should be in Dhivehi, while not restricting the use of other languages in communicating with people who do not speak Dhivehi. The Act also states that the President should establish a Dhivehi Language Academy and appoint members to the Academy within 90 days of the commencement of the Act.
National language:
Dhivehi
Constitutional provision:
Article 11
Legislature that passed the Act:
People's Majlis
Body the Act requires:
Dhivehi Language Academy
Why it matters for exams: The official language of each neighbouring country, and the constitutional article that fixes it, is a recurring one-mark question in Kerala PSC and UPSC general studies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
People's Majlis — The legislature of the Maldives, which passes Bills that the President then ratifies.
Dhivehi — The national language of the Maldives, named as such in Article 11 of its Constitution.
Background
The United Nations Member States page lists Maldives Date of Admission: 21-09-1965, so the country has been a UN Member State since 1965. The Commonwealth's own country profile for the Maldives records under Joined the Commonwealth: 1982; withdrew 13 October 2016, rejoined 1 February 2020. The Maldives therefore stood outside the Commonwealth for a little over three years, while its United Nations membership has run without a break. The profile also notes that the Maldives is a member of the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance, the Blue Charter Action Group on tackling marine plastic pollution.
UN date of admission:
21-09-1965
Joined the Commonwealth:
1982
Withdrew from the Commonwealth:
13 October 2016
Rejoined the Commonwealth:
1 February 2020
Why it matters for exams: Year of UN admission and the broken-then-restored Commonwealth membership are both standard one-mark questions, and the two are easy to confuse.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Commonwealth of Nations — A voluntary association of states that a member may leave and later rejoin.
Background
The World Trade Organization's member information page, Maldives and the WTO, states that the country has been a member of GATT since 19 April 1983 and a member of WTO since 31 May 1995, within the first year of the organisation's work. The Indian Ocean Rim Association's member states page lists each member with the year it came in: the Republic of Maldives appears with 2018. The Republic of India, the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of South Africa and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka all carry 1997, the year the association was formed, and only the French Republic, at 2020, came in later than the Maldives.
GATT member since:
19 April 1983
WTO member since:
31 May 1995
Year listed by IORA:
2018
Why it matters for exams: Trade-body membership dates separate the careful candidate from the guesser, and the Maldives is a classic trap because its GATT date is far older than its IORA date.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade — The post-war trade agreement whose work the World Trade Organization took over in 1995.
IORA Indian Ocean Rim Association — A regional grouping of states bordering the Indian Ocean, formed in 1997.
Background
UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme profile for Baa Atoll in the Maldives gives its surface area as 144,024.00 ha, of which the total marine area is 142,984.00 ha and the terrestrial area only 1,040.00 ha, with a Year of Nomination: 2011. The Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve comprises 75 islands, 13 of which are inhabited. Baa Atoll has a warm, humid tropical climate, and the weather is dominated by two monsoon periods, a rainy monsoon from May to November and a dry monsoon from January to March. Coral reefs are the most important in terms of area and biodiversity, and the profile states that Maldivian coral reefs hold the richest diversity in the region and are the seventh largest in the world, accounting for about 5 per cent of the world's reef area, with approximately 250 coral species, 1,200 reef and reef-associated fish species, marine turtles, manta rays and whale sharks. The most important human activities are tourism and fisheries, and six islands have been developed as resorts for tourism.
Surface area:
144,024.00 ha
Marine area:
142,984.00 ha
Terrestrial area:
1,040.00 ha
Islands in the reserve:
75, of which 13 inhabited
Year of nomination:
2011
Why it matters for exams: UNESCO designations in neighbouring countries are standard prelims material, and Baa Atoll is the Maldives' best-known entry on any UNESCO list.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Biosphere reserve — An area recognised under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme where conservation and local livelihoods are managed together.
Faro — A small ring-shaped reef within a larger Maldivian atoll, often enclosing its own shallow lagoon.
Background
Britannica describes the Maldives as an independent island country in the north-central Indian Ocean.
It consists of about 1,200 low-lying small coral islands and sandbanks, only some 200 of which are inhabited.
The Commonwealth Secretariat likewise says it is made up of around 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks, with around 200 inhabited.
The country's largest industries include fishing, tourism and shipping.
Islands and sandbanks:
about 1,200
Inhabited islands:
about 200
Largest industries:
fishing, tourism, shipping
Why it matters for exams: Island counts, inhabited islands and the main industries of neighbour countries are standard geography and neighbour facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Atoll Atoll — A ring-shaped coral reef or chain of coral islands enclosing a lagoon.
Background
Britannica describes the Maldives as low-lying coral islands, none rising more than 6 ft (1.8 m) above sea level.
Its islands are grouped in clusters, or atolls, in the north-central Indian Ocean.
The Commonwealth Secretariat calls it a low-lying island country of around 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks.
Barrier reefs protect the islands.
The Maldives joined the Commonwealth in 1982.
Maximum height above sea level:
6 ft (1.8 m)
Islands and sandbanks:
around 1,200
Why it matters for exams: Low elevation explains the Maldives' exposure to sea-level rise, a frequent environment and geography link.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Barrier reef Barrier reef — A coral reef running parallel to a coast or island that shields it from waves.
Background
On 7 October 2024 India and Maldives issued the vision document 'India and Maldives: A Vision for Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership'.
India is providing USD 400 million and INR 30 billion through a bilateral currency swap agreement.
India will fully support timely completion of the Greater Malé Connectivity Project, with a study on extending the link to Thilafushi and Giraavaru.
India is helping develop Hanimaadhoo airport.
The RuPay card was launched in Maldives, and the two sides will begin discussions on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement.
Currency swap (USD):
USD 400 million
Currency swap (INR):
INR 30 billion
Flagship project:
Greater Malé Connectivity Project
Why it matters for exams: India's neighbourhood financial support and flagship connectivity projects are staple international-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Currency swap Bilateral currency swap — An arrangement letting one central bank draw foreign currency in exchange for its own.
GMCP Greater Malé Connectivity Project — An India-supported link project connecting Malé with nearby islands.