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POPULATION
No one knows who the first
Maldivians were. However, the earliest settlers were probably
from southern India. The Maldives being on the sea routes to
Malacca and China, people from different parts of the world came
across this small island nation. In the fourth and fifth
centuries BC Indo-European speakers came from Sri Lanka and in
the 12th century AD, sailors from East Africa and Arab countries
came to the islands. Now, the 300,000 people in the Maldives are
a blend of all these ethnics.
Islam is the official
religion of the entire population. Strict adherence to Islamic
precepts and close community relationships have helped keep
crime low and under control.
People are woken up by the
call for prayer, Fathis Namaad, before dawn between 4.30 and
5.00 am. After prayer the fishermen get ready for the day,
collect baitfish from the nearby reef and start their trip
before sunrise. The majority of fishing boats will return before
sunset and old people and children gather at the beach to see
the day’s catch. The fish is cut, cleaned and taken home for
cooking.
Women have equal access to
education and jobs and they play a vital role in island
communities and in their families. Women hold key posts in the
civil service. A married woman keeps her maiden name, can do
business and acquire property in her name.
Demographic Figures:
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46%
15-64 years: 51%
65 years and over: 3%
Population growth rate: 3.06%
Birth rate: 38.96 births/1,000
population
Death rate: 8.32 deaths/1,000
population
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.2 years
male: 61.05 years
female: 63.4 years
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