Maldives

Maldives, officially Republic of Maldives, formerly Maldive Islands, republic, a series of coral atolls (115 sq mi/298 sq km) in the northern Indian Ocean, about 420 mi (675 km) southwest of Sri Lanka. They comprise some 2,000 islands, of which about 200 are inhabited. The official religion is Islam and the language, Dhivehi. Malé, the capital, is the largest island. The chief industries are fishing, coconut products, shipping, and tourism. Grains are grown on a limited scale, but most food staples are imported. Originally settled by southern Asians, the introduction of Islam in the 12th century and the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century strongly influenced the history of the islands. They became a British protectorate (1887–1965) with internal self-government before finally achieving independence as a sultanate in 1965. When the ad-Din dynasty, which had ruled since the 14th century, ended in 1968, a republic was declared. Britain closed its air force base on Gan in 1976. In 1988 a group of 80 Tamil Tigers attempted a coup but were unsuccessful. In 1997 the country adopted a new constitution.