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CultureGrams can help you broaden your students' understanding of the world and its peoples. The World Edition includes 190+ country profiles, written for junior high students and older. CultureGrams also has a Kids Edition, Provinces Edition, and a States Edition, geared for upper elementary students. These editions include kid-friendly profiles of 70+ countries, all 50 states (including Washington, D.C.), and the Canadian provinces.
CultureGrams goes beyond mere facts and figures to deliver an insider's perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people.
Country: Maldives
- Capital: Male
- Population: 359,008 (rank=176)
- Area, sq. mi.: 116 (rank=198)
- Area, sq. km.: 300
- Human Dev. Index rank: 98 of 177 countries
- Adjusted for women: NA
- Real GDP per capita: $3,900
- Adult literacy rate: 96% (male); 96% (female)
- Infant mortality rate: 35 per 1,000 births
- Life expectancy: 67 (male); 67 (female)
Did You Know?
- The Maldives is an archipelago of approximately 1190 tiny islands, grouped into 26 coral atolls.
- The nation's official language, Dhivehi, is spoken only in the Maldives.
- The most popular form of music and dance is bodu beru (big drum), named for a drum made from a hollowed coconut trunk.
General Attitudes
Maldivians place great importance on their traditional Muslim society. To protect it from potentially negative Western influences brought by tourism, contact between islanders and tourists has been limited. Until recently, resorts could only be built on uninhabited islands within designated "tourism zones," and tourists could only make short visits to inhabited islands other than Male. These restrictions were relaxed in 2006 to allow the construction of resorts on some inhabited islands, but contact between villagers and tourists is still nominal.
Dating and Marriage
In the past, girls as young as 14 or 15 married, but now most brides are in their early 20s. Other significant changes include a reform to the divorce law. Previously, the Maldives had one of the world's highest divorce rates, due largely to the ease of divorce and the absence of stigma associated with divorce and remarriage. Divorce is still common, but the recent introduction of mandatory child support from the person requesting the divorce (usually the husband) has caused rates to fall. Muslim men may have up to four wives (providing they can support them), and though polygamy still exists, it is now uncommon.
Recreation
Most resort workers receive a one-month annual holiday, which they spend on their home island. For some, it may be the one time during the year that they see their families, especially if the family lives on an outlying island. Long and expensive boat journeys prevent them from coming home any other time.
The Arts
The most popular form of music and dance is bodu beru (big drum), named for a drum made from a hollowed coconut trunk. The drum is usually played by men and accompanied by singing and dancing. Bodu beru music is common at celebrations or may be played simply to pass the time. Many Maldivians are talented calligraphers. Traditional crafts include woven reed mats and pots, jars, and vases carved from local woods and painted in distinctive red, yellow, green, black and white designs.
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