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.

World of the Maldives

The religion of the Maldives is mainly Islam. They speak their own language called Dhivehi. Their dress is mostly typical muslim dress with the head wear and dresses for females. They enjoy festivals and dress up with fancy jewels and clothing during this occasion. They have a signature drum called the bodu-beru that they enjoy using especially during festivals. Most local people make a living through agriculture or fishing. Recently, they have been involved in jobs involving tourism due to the high tourist rates. They are very religious and family- orientated people.

Maldive Islands: Homeland of the Maldives

The Maldivians reside on a group of atolls located in the Indian Ocean. It is to the south of Sri Lanka about 471 miles. The Maldive Islands are approximately 35,200 sq. miles and has 1,190 coral islets with about 400,000 inhabitants. None of the islands are above six feet of sea level therefore they are highly threatened with global warming and shrinking of the ice caps.
There are Maldivian folk tales that believe the Maldives will disappear one day due to the sea level rising. They say "when the sea rises to cover the sandbar where two girls are relaxing, they drown." The Maldives are near the Equator so it is always warm weather and the islands are completely surrounded by water. It is a beautiful place and one of the top vacation places to go to therefore it attracts many tourists.

History of the Maldives

The Maldivians come from The Maldives also known as the Republic of the Maldives or The Maldive Islands. They refer to themselves as Maldives or Maldivians. They were first settled by Buddhist seafarers from India and Sri Lanka in 5th century B.C. They were under british protection in 1887 and a dependency of Sri Lanka until 1948. It became a republic government in 1952 but then went back to a sultanate in 1954.
Finally in 1968 it became a republic government again and independent with it's own President Ibrahim Nasir. In 1978 Nasir was removed from office and replaced by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. In 2008, Mohamed Nasheed was elected. In 2012, Mohammed Waheed Hassan was elected. Finally, in 2013 Abdulla Yameen was elected.