References

Websites:

• google.com/imghp
• http://www.orbital-maldives-holidays.co.uk/maldives-history-and-culture/
• http://www.infoplease.com/country/maldives.html?pageno=1
• http://www.vermillionmaldives.com/maldives-birds.htm
• http://wildernessmaldives.com/?page_id=37
• http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Maldives-Buying-Land-In-Australia-As-Preparation-For-Mass-Migration.html
• http://www.timesofisrael.com/maldives-president-visits-palestine-and-skips-israel/
• http://www.maldivesculture.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=134&Itemid=76
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mv.html
• http://maafushimaldives.com/maldives-arts/
• Facebook.com

Academic Journal Articles:

• Adam, M., & Urquhart, C. (2007). IT capacity building in developing countries: A model of the Maldivian tourism sector.Information Technology For Development, 13(4), 315-335. doi:10.1002/itdj.20065
• Akahashi, H. (1999). Maldivian National Security--and the Threats of Mercenaries. Round Table, 88(351), 433.
• MALDIVES. (2003). Index on Censorship, 32(2), 159.
• Scheyvens, R. (2011). The challenge of sustainable tourism development in the Maldives: Understanding the social and political dimensions of sustainability. Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 52(2), 148-164. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8373.2011.01447.x

Books:

• As, Xavier. (2012). Folk tales of the Maldives. Copenhagen: NIAS Press.
• Grimmett, R., & Inskipp, C. (2012). Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives (2nd ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Lum, Roseline. (2011). Maldives ([2nd ed.). New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark.

Maldivian Cultural Survival

      

The Maldivian people face a few challenges and threats in continuing their survival and maintaining their culture. They fear to once again fall into dictatorship. They are now a democratic republic like many other parts of the world and they are happy with that. They fear once again having a tyrant. 
Also, many neighboring countries want to take over the Maldives and make it part of their countries due to it's good standing in tourism and economy. The Maldivian people protest a lot and become upset when other countries talk about doing this.
All the tourism has a big influence on the people. So many people from all over the world go there for vacation. They bring their own beliefs with them and ways of living. The Maldivian people enjoy their fishing and hunting-gathering culture and Muslim way of life. They try not to let outsiders affect their way of living or influence change in their lifestyles.

Interview

          
I interviewed someone I found on Facebook that is of Maldivian Culture and lives in the Maldives. I told him I was a student in college in the United States and was doing a project on The Maldives and if I could ask him a few questions. I did this with almost 15 people that I found on Facebook that are from the Maldives. Only one replied and it was this person. He was born and still lives in Male, Maldives. His name is Ahmed Hassan. I just asked him a few simple typical questions about himself. Here are the five that I asked:

• What is your favorite food? RE: "Dosa."
• What is your favorite movie? RE: "Happy Days."
• What are your hobbies? RE: "Not to have a hobby is my hobby." (I thought that was weird)
• Do you have any siblings? RE:"Yes, one elder brother."
• Are you close to your family? RE:"Yes we are very close."

(The picture above is not him, it is from google "Maldive People," he did not want his picture used.)

Here are pictures I googled of his favorite food "Dosa" and favorite movie "Happy Days":
          

Maldivian Migration and Diaspora

The net migration rate of the Maldives according to cia.gov is -12.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.) The migration rate is very low in the Maldives compared to other countries. There wasn't much information about when, why, or where the few people who have left the Maldives have gone due to the fact that their people do not usually want to leave. The Maldivian people love their country and enjoy living there. The few that do move tend to go to countries such as India or others that are similar to their religion maybe for work opportunities or recent fear of their country having a climate change and the Maldives ending up flooded. Even with this huge threat pretty much all of the citizens do not leave the country they love. 
On the contrary, the President does have to consider this threat of climate change and the end of the Maldives if it were to sadly happen. Their president Mohamed Nasheed looked at India and Sri Lanka since they have cultural similarities when deciding where to move his citizens if need be. But he has settled with Australia and has been buying land on high grounds with the money funded by revenue from tourism in a sovereign savings account. He states, “he did not want his people living in tents for years, or decades, as refugees.” This will probably be one of the only ways the Maldivian people will migrate out of the country only because they will have to. 

The Maldives and their Neighbors

India's relationship with it's neighbors vary on which countries they are. Maldives and their very geographically close neighbor, India, have pretty friendly and cordial relations. India has assured the Maldives of their full support and assistance in their economic development. Indian troops even went to the Maldives and rescued hostages who had been seized in a coup in November of 1988.
Maldives also has close relations with Palestine. Recently, they have also recovered their relations with Israel. At one point the President of The Maldives went to visit Palestine yet failed to even stop by Israel. The people of Israel felt upset about this. About 20 years ago ties have been improving. Since then the two have signed three agreements in the fields of health, tourism, and education.
All in all, these countries are mostly of the Islam religion. There are also a few other of the Maldives neighbors with the religion of Islam. This is partially why The Maldives gets along with them. The Maldivian people are very serious when it comes to their religion. Their people do not allow any practice other than Islam and do not grant non- muslim citizenship. Throughout history, some countries have tried to take over the Maldives especially the British. Therefore, they are close and friendly with mostly their few surrounding neighbors.
Due to the fact that the Maldivian people are almost entirely Islamic, there aren't many other dominating local groups or ethnicities in their country. The few that are different are usually tourists. They are not influenced much by the other groups or ethnicities around since they mainly all agree on their Islamic way of life being the way to go.

Birds of the Maldives

  
Maahoara (Great Frigatebird) - first                  Gudugudaa Dhooni (Greater Flamingo)- second

The Maldives is a home to many different bird species. There are over a hundred species and about one-third are seabirds due to it being such a small island. The rest are migrant, introduced, or imported from places near the Maldives. Many of the species are appreciated and important to it's people and are officially protected under the Environment Protection and Preservation Act. Some birds such as the Rahmathee Forike (Northern House Martin) or the Mushi fenfoah dhooni (Red-Throated Pipit) are especially important to their culture since they pollinate and scatter seeds throughout the islands creating the beautiful plant life in the Maldives. Others are just simply beautiful birds that add art to the landscape. Here is a list of just a few of the many protected birds of the Maldives:

• Ainmathee Gaadhooni (Lesser Crested Tern)
• Alaka (Grey Plover)
• Beyndu (Sooty Tern)
• Bileymaa Dhushin (Pacific Golden Plover)
• Boakalhu Gohorukey (Black-Headed Gull)
• Chon Chon Ilolhi (Common Greenshank)
• Dhanbu Maakanaa (Purple Heron)
• Dheyfaiy Dhooni (Eurasian Spoonbill)
• Girubaa Dhooni (Spot-Billed Pelican)
• Gudugudaa Dhooni (Greater Flamingo)
• Maahoara (Great Frigatebird)
• Theyravaa Ilolhi (Black-Winged Stilt)
• Valla (Roseate Tern)

Maldivian Cosmos

Due to The Maldives' long and harsh history, the people of this culture tend to try to isolate themselves a lot from the outside world. They enjoy the fact that they are in their own little "bubble" in the middle of the ocean without neighbors being too close. Although their ancestors were of buddhist religion, Maldivian people don't like to acknowledge that. They view their Muslim religion as the only one they have ever had and the only one they ever will have. They take pride in being Muslim and think that is the best religion anyone could succumb to.
Overall, the Maldivian people are very reserved and into their own culture and religion. They view the outside world as being way too revealing and materialistic at times. They believe their religion and views of life are much more effective than others.