POLITICAL/PHYSICAL PING MAPThe Maldives are located in the Laccadive Sea, about 370 miles southwest of India and

470 miles southwest of Sri Lanka. There are only two cities in the country. The capital and largest city is Malé, located in the central part of the archipelago. The second largest city is Addu Atoll, also known as Addu City and Hitadu. Addu Atoll is the southernmost atoll in the Maldives, about 350 miles south from Malé. These are the only two places with international airports. The physical geography of the Maldives is relatively flat, with average natural ground levels between 4 to 7 feet above sea level. Because the Maldives is the lowest country in the world, there are many natural hazards that cause difficulty and problems. Tsunamis usually hit the islands and often make them very sensitive to sea level rise. Scientist fear that the Maldives could soon be underwater by 2050 or 2100, making the country uninhabitable. Some other environmental issues is the depletion of freshwater aquifers that threaten water supplies, coral reef bleaching, global warming, and sea level rise. The country’s shape is very elongated and fragmented, with islands being very far away and dispersed. The only natural resource found in the Maldives is fish, with only 23.3 percent of arable land and a small amount of renewable water resources.http://www.ezilon.com/maps/images/asia/Maldives-physical-map.gif

RELIGION

In the Maldives, their official religion is Islam. In fact, the Royal Islamic Strategic Centre described the Maldives to be a 99.41 percent Muslim country. The citizens are Sunni Muslims, and they have to be Muslim in order to vote, or even call themselves an official citizen of the Maldives. The non-Muslim population is about 2,335, and most of them are Buddhist. There have actually been times in history where Buddhism was actually the predominant religion in the Maldives. It happened in the 12th century, due to the expansion of the Sinhalese people from Sri Lanka. The archipelago soon converted itself from Buddhism to Islam, due to visits from sailors

and traders from countries on the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The Mappila pirates from the Malabar Coast have harassed the Maldivians into Islam, as well. The religion soon became popular in the populated regions of the country, and is the official religion of the state. The countries religions, Buddhism and Islam, are both universalizing religions, because the religions were spread to the Maldives, and the Maldivians converted themselves to these religions.http://www.comohotels.com/cocoaisland/destination-guide/culture/people-and-religion

LANGUAGE

The official of the Maldives is Dhivehi, which is an Indo-Aryan language that has similarities with the ancient Sinhalese language Elu. Though this is the common language of the country, English has been widely used for commerce and increasingly in government schools. On the map, it shows that Dhivehi is dominant in all of the Maldives, hence why it is the official language.http://maldives.tourism-srilanka.com/travel-tips/language.html

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Folk Culture Folk Dance http://www.reddottours.com/maldives/6/culture-and-heritage-activity-profile.htmhttps://worldwidetraveladvisor.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/maldivian-music-band-culture/

Pop Culture Housinghttp://www.sehernow.in/sabfhtmls/trio.htmlhttp://pursuitist.com/the-maldives-paradise-found/

Folk Culture -http://www.visitmaldives.com/mu/the-maldives/culture

POPULATION

http://www.indexmundi.com/maldives/age_structure.htmlhttp://populationpyramid.net/maldives/2100/

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000 live births) in the Maldives

Fertility Rate (births per woman) in the Maldives

http://www.indexmundi.com/maldives/infant_mortality_rate.htmlhttp://www.indexmundi.com/maldives/total_fertility_rate.htmlPopulation (2014): 341,356Projected Population (2025): 413,000Projected Population (2050): 503,000Infant Mortality Rate: 9.0 births per 1000 live birthsFertility Rate: 2.29 births per womanCrude Birth Rate: 14.5Crude Death Rate: 3.68Rate of Natural Increase: 10.82Urban population: 148,831; 43.6%Rural population: 192,525; 56.4%

The Maldives are most likely in stage three (late expanding) of the demographic transition model. This means that they have more improving to do, but with more access to medical care and other technologies, moving into stage four of the demographic transition model will become achievable. As for the future of the population, I think that people will be living longer and healthier lives as the crude birth rate and crude death rate continue to fall. As for the dependency ratio, the work force, from ages 15 to 59, is relatively larger than that of the dependent population, including children and the elderly. This means that the Maldives has a slight chance

of improving technology and labor, but because there is more men to women, this will soon fail because of a lack of women’s empowerment. Because of the large dependency ratio, this can cause great fiscal problems for the Maldives, including a national debt, or it can even cause difficult choices for a government to make.

ETHNICITY

The primary ethnic group in the Maldives is Dhivehis. This comprises about 97.1 percent of the archipelago’s population and share the same culture and speak the the same language. They are closely related to the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, having traces of Arab, Malay, South Indian, and African genes in the population. There is one minority group, though. They are known as the Giraavaru people and make up about 2.9 percent of population. The group is native to the island of Giraavaru in the Kaafu Atoll region, about 6 miles from Malé. Today, the Giraavaru people have almost completely absorbed themselves into the larger Dhivehis society.

I believe the Maldives is a multinational state, because the two ethnic groups, the Dhivehis and the Giraavaru, are so closely related that it seems more like a nation-state. Throughout history, the people and royal court of what is now Malé were fascinated by the distinctiveness of the Giraavaru islanders for centuries and became locally an iconic ethnic group. One other reason why the Maldives is a multinational state is because of its tourism. Because of the country’s international fame and services held worldwide, resorts are always filled with vacationers from around the world.http://www.vermillionmaldives.com/maldives-culture.htm

POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONWhen it comes to maritime claims, the Maldives increases to an area of 41,820 square miles. This is because of how the nation is considered to be elongated, with a distance of 510 miles from north to south and 82 miles from east to west. However, only 0.278 percent of this is land, at a total area of only 116 square miles. This area consists of 1,190 coral islands grouped in a

double chain of 26 atolls, making this one of the most disparate countries in the world. Although elongated, the Maldives is also a fragmented state, because of its large group of islands that are found here. The demonym for the nation’s people is Maldivian. http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/maldives/constitution-politics

NATIONAL ANTHEMOriginally, the national anthem of the Maldives was just a melody with no lyrics. It was

known as the Salaamathi, and was used for special occasions. It was not until 1948 when it was determined that the Salaamathi needed a replacement, but this time with lyrics. The words were composed by Mohammed Jameel Didi, a young poet and later a chief justice. In 1972, the melody was soon provided to go in tune with the lyrics and was soon called “Gaumee Salaam,” or National Salute in English. There are only 6 verses. The first one represents equality and unity, the second represents the national language, the third one represents the national emblem, the fourth one represents a salute to the flag, the fifth one represents the colors of the national flag, and the sixth and final verse uses symbols and terms to represent nationalism and pride for the country. Below are the lyrics to the national anthem:http://www.nationalanthems.info/mv.htm

In National Unity do we salute our Nation.In the National language do we offer our prayers and salute our Nation.

We bow in respect to the Emblem of our Nation,And salute the Flag so exalted.

We salute the colours of our Flag; Green, Red and White,Which symbolizes Victory, Blessing and Success.

NATIONAL FLAG

The national flag of the Maldives has three colors: Red, Green, and White. The red is the outermost color on the flag and represents heroes and warriors who have sacrificed their lives in defense of their country. The green is in the middle encircling the white crescent moon and represents peace and prosperity. Lastly, the white crescent moon stands for Islam, which is national religion of the Maldives. The flag was adopted on July 26, 1965, which was also the date of independence from the United Kingdom.http://maldivesflag.facts.co/maldivesflagof/maldivesflag.php

GOVERNMENTThe Republic of Maldives is a unitary presidential republic, with the President

representing as both the head of government and the head of state. The President heads the executive branch and appoints the cabinet which is approved by the People's Majlis, or the Parliament in general terms. Following the introduction of a new constitution in 2008, direct elections for the President take place every five years, with a limit of two terms in office for any individual. The current President is Abdulla Yameen. Members of the unicameral Majlis serve five-year terms, with the total number of members determined by atoll populations. At the 2009 election, 77 members were elected. The People's Majlis, located in Malé, houses members from the 19 atolls all over the country.

The Maldives has been considered a peaceful country due to its democratic views and having no country that borders it either. The Maldives has had diplomatic international and foreign relations with over 100 countries, ranging from Andorra in Europe to the United States in North America. The Maldives is also a member state of the United Nations, as well.http://www.infoplease.com/country/maldives.html

DEVELOPMENT INDEXHuman Development Index (HDI)● 0.698 (medium); considered the 103rd highest in 2013

● In tie for 103rd place, along with the Maldives, is Mongolia and Turkmenistan● Below the Maldives is Samoa, at 0.694● Above the Maldives is the Dominican Republic, at 0.700● The Maldives is below the world average, which is 0.702

Life Expectancy: 77.2 years old; 50th rank as of 2012Literacy Rate: 99%; 42nd rank as of 2014GDP per capita: 14,383 International Dollars; rank 80th in 2014Total Health Expenditure per capita: 510 International Dollars; 6% of GDP; 94th rank as of 2011Labour Force population: 159,700; 168th rank as of 2012http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-1-human-development-index-and-its-componentsGender-related Development Index (GDI)

● 0.936 (medium); 90th rank as 2013

Life Expectancy: 79 years old; 48th rank as of 2013Literacy Rate: 99%; 39th rank as of 2013HDI value for females: 0.673HDI value for males: 0.718Mean years of schooling for females: 5.4 yearsMean years of schooling for males: 6.2 yearsPopulation below the poverty line: 4%http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi-tableBased on the data, the Maldives has a large affluent population, due to tourism and vacation. However, because it is an Islamic state, the development index for women is fairly large, but not to the point of having equal rights for all genders. When it comes to social development, the Maldives is at the top rankings for that, such as literacy, schooling or even life expectancy. But due to a large population situated at a small area, it can be difficult to care for this amount of people. Because of its flat topography and no physical features on either of the islands, the Maldives, in the future, can become very fragile due to tsunamis and other catastrophes. The HDI can improve if only the government allowed for more laws and rights based on equality for women.

EMPLOYMENT

Job Sector Primary Secondary Tertiary

Types of Jobs Found In This Sector

agriculture, forestry and quarrying

manufacturing, boat building, and fish

processing, handicrafts, and

fishing

education, air services, and tourism

http://www.fao.org/3/a-ae543e/ae543e01.htm

Based on the data, the Maldives based their economy on their environment. Since the country is a group of islands, you usually see a majority of the men population building boats, processing fish products, and manufacturing fish products. Tourism is the largest industry for the Maldives, with second being fishing, and third being shipping. Primary jobs like agriculture or forestry play a minor role in the Maldivian economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and shortage of domestic labour. Most of staple foods are usually imported to them. For the future, the Maldivian economy will most likely be towards fishing and shipping, because they are the flattest country in the world, and with many hazards and catastrophes that can happen, they really need to get ready. There is really nothing that they can do about agriculture, since they have a small land area.http://www.heritage.org/index/country/maldives

CURRENT EVENTS

The article is about how marchers in Malé are getting attacked by thugs spraying gasoline on them. The marchers are demanding the government to let the former president out of prison. The former president, Mohamed Nasheed, was the first democratically elected president in the Maldives, and the the marchers want him out for democratic reasons. However, the government refuses to do so, and has led to a rebellion to force the government back into a democracy. The thugs are attacking the people and this is worrying international organizations that have headquarters in the Maldives. Because Malé is such a small island, disaster can take forth quickly.

I believe that this is referring to Chapter 8: Political Geography, because the attacks the the thugs are inflicting on the marchers are signs of terrorism, because they do not want to go into a democracy. A democracy for the Maldives can really change the way things are there, especially when it comes to women’s empowerment. The thugs are basically like supporters of the former dictator who ruled here and are attacking the marchers for disbeliefs of democracy, and a transition back to communism. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/world/asia/maldives-transition-to-democracy-appears-increasingly-precarious.html?ref=topics&_r=0

The next article is about how the Maldives is increasing in environmental problems. Sewage from the densely populated capital Malé is dumped untreated 200m offshore and currents often bring it straight back. This soon has to be relied on neighboring countries to take it out. The island of Thilafushi, which lies close to Malé and is where much of the country’s raw waste ends up, is becoming an environmental blight that successive governments have failed to tackle. Hundreds of migrant workers have been burning these mountains of waste, with batteries, asbestos, and untreated medical waste found in them. This can lead to extremely fatal problems when tsunamis bring this waste into the city. That means that the city has to be evacuated, cleaning this up.

I believe this is Chapter 14: Resource Issues, because this is all about how because of the overpopulated Malé, the waste found here is too big to handle for the Maldives that they need foreign help. Because the country’s highest point is only around 8 feet high, tsunamis can be crucial to the capital, especially when an island that has all of the island’s waste washes up on shores with resorts. This will soon lead to sanitation for all settlements in the Maldives. They really need all the help they can get.http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/29399966-e80b-11e4-9960-00144feab7de.html#slide0

The final article talks about protesters being constantly attacked by the government, abusing the rights of the people. Many countries, especially India and Sri Lanka, fear that the end is near for the Maldives, because of the rebelling atmosphere and the changing climate that will soon affect the archipelago. This article is similar to the first article, but it is completely headed toward a much different direction, where it explains that the country is facing so many problems that “the end is near.” The many environmental issues and overcrowding population have lead to a strange problem that the Maldives has, and the only solution is to leave, but to where?

I believe this is Chapter 2: Population, because this article is concerning mostly on how the population of the Maldives is inflicting harm on the ocean’s environment and how the sea levels are rising and won’t be able to hold the Maldives because of it’s flat islands.http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/human-rights-struggle-causing-climate-of-fear-in-maldives/story-e6frfqb9-1227318505168