Maldives
POPULATION 275,000
SUNNI ISLAM 100 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
The Republic of Maldives, known officially as Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa and also called Maldive Islands until 1969, is a group of 19 coral atolls and about 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean. It has a total land area of approximately 116 square miles (300 square kilometers). Only about 200 of the islands are inhabited. Maldives is about 420 miles (675 kilometers) southwest of Sri Lanka.
The Maldivian national language, Dhivehi, is related to Sinhalese, which is spoken in Sri Lanka, and includes words from Arabic and Indian languages. According to tradition, Sunni Islam has been the religion of the Maldivians since the twelfth century, when a visiting Islamic scholar converted King Sri Tribuvana Aditiya to Islam.
Religious Tolerance
Religious freedom is greatly restricted in Maldives, where the nation's constitution requires that the president and cabinet ministers be Sunni Muslims. Shariah (Islamic law) is observed and does not permit the public practicing or propagation of any other religious faith. Some reports indicated that two-dozen foreigners were expelled in 1998 on suspicion of spreading the Christian faith. Expatriate residents, however, are permitted to practice their religion in their private lives.
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