Maldives மாலத்தீவுகள்

மாலைத்தீவுகள் (Maldives) அல்லது மாலைத்தீவுகள் குடியரசு இந்தியப் பெருங்கடலில் உள்ள பல சிறிய தீவுகளாலான தீவு நாடாகும். இது இந்தியாவின் இலட்சத்தீவுகளுக்கு தெற்கேயும் இலங்கையிலிருந்து சுமார் 700 கிமீ தென்மேற்காகவும் அமைந்துள்ளது. 90,000 ச.கி.மீ. பரப்பளவுள்ள இத்தீவின் மக்கள் தொகை 3 இலட்சத்து 13 ஆயிரத்து 920 ஆகும். மொத்தம் 26 பவளத்தீவுகளில் 1,192 தீவுகள் காணப்படுவதோடு இவற்றில் சுமார் 200 இல் மட்டும் மனித குடியேற்றங்கள் காணப்படுகிறன. தீவுகளால் அமைந்த மாலைபோல் காணப்படுவதால் தமிழில் மாலைத்தீவுகள்
மாலைத்தீவுகளில் இஸ்லாம் இந்திய வாணிப சமுதாயத்தைத் தவிர்த்த ஏனைய மாலைத்தீவினர் சுன்னி இஸ்லாம் மதப்பிரிவை சேர்ந்தவர்களாகும். மாலைத்தீவில் சட்டவரைவு கிடையாது, மாறாக இஸ்லாமிய சட்டம் நேரடியாக அமுலில் உள்ளது.
நன்றி :மாலைத்தீவுகள்
When the talk is about Maldives, the first thing that strikes the mind is undoubtedly the beautiful beaches in Maldives. Located on the equator towards the south of Sri Lanka, Maldives is blessed with beaches rich in coconuts and tropical fruits. It is owing to the Maldives beaches that the country is considered to be one of the hottest tourist destinations of the world.

The beaches of Maldives give you an opportunity to savor the beauty of nature and rejuvenate yourself. The whole atmosphere on the beaches is very tranquil and peaceful. You can stay at any of the resort islands and enjoy the charm of beaches. Adventurous people can indulge in water sports like wind surfing, parasailing, diving and snorkeling.

Out of all the beaches of Maldives, the most stunning beach is Nalaguraidhoo in the South Ari Atoll. The beaches of Maldives are worth capturing in camera. As you walk along the shores, cool breeze will pamper you. If you want to bask, then simply lie down on the soft sand bordering the beaches. The serenity of the beaches situated in Banyan Tree Island, Nika and Cocoa Island will make you fall in love with them'
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Maldives, officially the Republic of the Maldives and also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean consisting of a double chain of twenty-six atolls, oriented north-south, that lie between Minicoy Island (the southernmost part of Lakshadweep, India) and the Chagos Archipelago. The chains stand in the Laccadive Sea, about 700 kilometres (430 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka and 400 kilometres (250 mi) south-west of India.

For the majority of its history, the Maldives has been an independent polity, despite three instances during which it was ruled by outside forces. In the mid-15th century, for fifteen years, the Maldives was dominated by the Portuguese Empire. In the mid-17th century, the Dutch Empire (Malabar) dominated Maldives for four months. Finally, in the late 19th century, on the brink of war, the Maldives became a British protectorate from 1887 until 1965. The Dutch referred to the islands as the "Maldivische Eilanden" (pronounced [mɑlˈdivisə ˈɛi̯lɑndə(n)]),[citation needed] while the British anglicised the local name for the islands first to the "Maldive Islands" and later to the "Maldives". The islands gained independence from the British in 1965 and became a republic in 1968 ruled by a president and an authoritarian government.

The Maldives archipelago is located on top of the Chagos-Maldives-Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean. Maldives also form a terrestrial ecoregion together with the Chagos and the Lakshadweep. The Maldives atolls encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), making the country one of the world's most geographically dispersed. Its population of 328,536 (2012) inhabits 192 of its 1,192 islands. In 2006, Maldives' capital and largest city Malé, located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll, had a population of 103,693. Malé is one of the Maldives' administrative divisions and, traditionally, it was the "King's Island" where the ancient Maldive royal dynasties were enthroned.

The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and land area. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is the planet's lowest country. It is also the country with the lowest natural highest point in the world, at 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in). Forecasts of Maldives' inundation is a great concern for the Maldivian people.

The Maldives has pledged to become a carbon-neutral country by 2019.

The Great Barrier Reef -  is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi).The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.  The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. Islands of the Great Barrier Reef

 This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish. According to a study published in October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating over $3 billion per year.