26 July: Maldives Independence Day

Maldives gained Independence from the UK on this date in 1965. 10 things you didn't know about Maldives.

1. Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed countries. It has more than 1190 coral islands in 26 atolls. The islands are spread over an area of roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi); only 1% of the country is land. The largest island of Maldives is Gan.
2. It's also the world's lowest country. Its average elevation is just 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, and the highest point is 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in). The highest point doesn't have a name. It's on Vilingili Island in the Addu Atoll and is the lowest highest point of any country in the world.
3. Because it is so low, Maldives is at risk from climate change and rising sea levels. In 2009, in an effort to raise awareness about these issues, Maldives became the first country in the world to hold a cabinet meeting underwater, with the president and 13 government officials in scuba gear sitting around sunken desks.
4. The name Maldives derives from the Malayalam for "Garland Island".
5. Maldives is the smallest Muslim country in the world. While tourists sit in Bikinis and sip cocktails in the resorts, no alcohol is allowed anywhere else and for the locals, swimwear is a t shirt and shorts. It may well be one of the most intolerant countries in the world. Belonging to any other religion besides Islam is forbidden and converting would result in losing the right to citizenship. Freedom of speech is extremely limited, and people convicted of speaking out against Islam and its beliefs have been jailed, tortured, and executed. People, most often women, are flogged for committing adultery (men usually simply deny it and get away with it) and tourists can find themselves in trouble for bringing in any religious idols or texts (although these may now be allowed for private use), pornography, or alcohol. Bringing in drugs will get you life in prison. People working in the holiday resorts will often be foreigners themselves to protect the citizens from exposure to alcohol, bacon or the un-Islamic activities of holidaymakers. Tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes, so it's worth their while to accommodate the infidel.
6. The earliest settlers were probably from southern India and Sri Lanka, dating to before 269 BC. Legends abound. The first inhabitants, it is said, were a peace-loving community of people who worshipped the Sun and the Water. The first kingdom was established by a prince who was exiled from India by his father. One legend says that coconut trees originated on the islands when a great sorcerer made them grow out of the Skulls of the people who had died. The word for coconut shell in the dhivehi language is the same as the word for skull.
7. The dhivehi language has given just one word to English - atoll, meaning a a ring-like coral island surrounding a lagoon. It derives from the dhivehi word "atholhu".
8. Each island has a code letter designation as well as a name. While this can be confusing to tourists it helps distinguish between the several islands which have the same name - there are three islands called Funadhoo in different atolls, for example. The names of some of the islands are quite long, so the codes are often used where it is inconvenient to use a longer name, such as on website addresses.
9. In 2013, a coconut was confiscated by police from outside a polling station. They deemed the coconut to be suspicious because coconuts are known to be an ingredient in black magic spells and suspected someone had put it there in an attempt to rig the election. The police called in a white magician to examine the coconut for threats and curses - and the coconut was found to be innocent.
10. Historically, Maldives produced enormous quantities of cowry shells, which in ancient times, were used as currency in many places. From the 2nd century AD the islands were known as the 'Money Isles' by the Arabs. The currency now is the Maldivian rufiyaa, a word derived from the Sanskrit for wrought silver, but the cowry is still the symbol of the Maldives Monetary Authority.