Maldives
Updated: Sep 29, 2022
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Country Name
The Maldives, or officially the Republic of Maldives.
Location
The Maldives is a small island nation in South Asia, situated in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean.
It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 700 kilometers from the Asian continent's mainland.
Capital
Malé.
Reason for Naming
The first Kingdom of the Maldives was known as Dheeva Maari. The name Maldives may also derive from Sanskrit mālā (garland) and dvīpa (island), or Maala Divaina ("Necklace Islands") in Sinhala. The Maldivian people are called Dhivehin. The word Dheeb/Deeb (archaic Dhivehi, related to Sanskrit द्वीप, dvīpa) means "island", and Dhives (Dhivehin) means "islanders" (i.e., Maldivians).
Flag
The current flag was adopted on 25 July 1965. The first use of the flag design was in 1926.
The flag consists of Red, green and white colors. The background is red containing a green rectangle with a white crescent facing the flag side.
The red color represents the boldness of the nation's heroes, and their willingness to sacrifice every drop of blood in defense of their country. The green color represents peace and prosperity.
The white crescent moon represents the Islamic faith of the state and authorities.
