Malé
Encyclopedia
Malé is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives
. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll
). It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives
. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located. The city was also called Mahal. Formerly it was a walled city surrounded by fortifications and gates (doroshi). The Royal Palace (Gan'duvaru) was destroyed along with the picturesque forts (kotte) and bastions (buruzu) when the city was remodelled under President Ibrahim Nasir
's rule after the abolition of the monarchy. However, the beautifully decorated Male' Hukuru Miskiy
remains. In recent years, the island has been considerably expanded through landfilling operations. Over the years there have been many coup attempts and protests centered in Male as a result of demand for greater democracy in the Maldives.
, administratively it is not considered part of it. The central part of the city is formed by Malé Island. Three more islands are part of the city. A commercial harbour is located on Malé Island. It is the heart of all commercial activities in the country.
The central island is heavily urban
ized, with the built-up area taking up essentially its entire landmass. Slightly less than one third of the nation's population lives in the capital city, and the population has increased from 20,000 people in 1987 to 100,000 people in 2006. Many, if not most, Maldivians and foreign workers in Maldives find themselves in occasional short term residence on the island since it is the only entry point to the nation and the centre of all administration and bureaucracy.
. The city features wet
and dry seasons
, with the wet season lasting from May through December and the dry season covering the remaining four months. Unlike a number of cities with this climate, Malé experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and average low temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius. The city averages slightly more than 1600 mm of precipitation annually.
, an artificial island
settled since 2004. In addition, the airport Island
Hulhule is part of the city. There are plans for creating a port island on Gulhi Falu reef.
The Island of Malé is the second most densely populated island worldwide, after Ap Lei Chau
of Hong Kong
and it is the 168th most populous island in the world. Since there is no surrounding countryside, all infrastructure has to be located in the city itself. Water is provided from desalinated ground water; the water works pumps brackish water from 50-60m deep wells in the city and desalinates that using reverse osmosis
. Electric power is generated in the city using diesel
generators. Sewage is pumped unprocessed into the sea. Solid waste is transported to nearby islands, where it is used to fill in lagoons. The airport
was built in this way, and currently the Thilafushi
lagoon is being filled in.
Many government buildings and agencies are located on the waterfront. Malé International Airport
is on adjacent Hulhule Island
which includes a seaplane base for internal transportation. Several land reclamation projects have expanded the harbour.
The whole island group, the Maldives, is named after its capital. The word "Maldives" means "The islands (dives) of Malé'".
. Comparative studies of Maldivian linguistic, oral and other cultural traditions, in addition to folklore
, point to a strong Dravidian influence on Maldivian society, centered in Malé, from ancient times. The people of Giraavaru
, an island located in Malé Atoll (now a tourist resort, after the forced diaspora of its inhabitants) claim to descend from the first settlers of the Maldives, ancient Tamils
.
It is said that Giraavaru fishermen used to go regularly to a certain large sandbank (finolhu) at the southern end of their atoll to clean tuna fish after a good catch. Owing to the large amount of tuna fish offal and blood, the waters around that sandbank looked like a big pool of blood (maa ley gandeh). "Maa" (from the Sanskrit
मह "Maha"), meaning big, and "Lē" meaning blood.
Traditionally the first inhabitants of the Maldives, which include the Giravaru people, didn't have kings. They lived in a simple society and were ruled by local headmen.
But one day a prince from the Subcontinent called Koimala arrived to Malé Atoll sailing from the North on a big ship. The people of Giraavaru spotted his vessel from afar and welcomed him. They allowed Prince Koimala to settle on that large sandbank in the midst of the waters tainted with fish blood. Trees were planted on the sandbank and it is said that the first tree that grew on it was the papaya
tree. However this could refer to any tree that bears edible fruit as the archaic Dhivehi word (and Mahal word even today) for fruit was the same as that for the papaya (falhoa). As time went by the local islanders accepted the rule of this Northern Prince. A palace was built and the island was formally named Maa-le (Malé), while the nearest island was named Hulhu-le.
The names of the main four wards or divisions of Malé Island are said to have been given by the aboriginal Giraavaru fishermen: Maafannu from "maa" (big) and "fannu" (a place where a village path meets the sea), Henveiru from "en-beyru" (out where fishermen got their bait), Galolhu from "galu-olhu" (stone groove) and, Macchangolhi from "mathi-angolhi" (windward path-fork).
The modern-day city was founded as a trading post by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll
Kaafu Atoll
Kaafu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of Kaashidhoo Island, Gahaafaru Atoll, and Malé Atoll...
). It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives
Administrative divisions of the Maldives
The Administrative Divisions of the Maldives refers to the various units of government that provide local government services in the Maldives. According to the Decentralization Act 2010, the administrative divisions of the Maldives would consist of atolls, islands, and cities; each administered by...
. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located. The city was also called Mahal. Formerly it was a walled city surrounded by fortifications and gates (doroshi). The Royal Palace (Gan'duvaru) was destroyed along with the picturesque forts (kotte) and bastions (buruzu) when the city was remodelled under President Ibrahim Nasir
Ibrahim Nasir
Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan , KCMG, NGIV was a Maldivian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Maldives under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi from 1957 to 1968 and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from...
's rule after the abolition of the monarchy. However, the beautifully decorated Male' Hukuru Miskiy
Male' Hukuru Miskiy
Male' Hukuru Miskiy is an ancient decorated mosque located in the city of Malé, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives. The mosque was originally constructed in 1658 AD by the Sultan of the Maldives over two years time, and was constructed mostly out of coral stone...
remains. In recent years, the island has been considerably expanded through landfilling operations. Over the years there have been many coup attempts and protests centered in Male as a result of demand for greater democracy in the Maldives.
Overview
Although Malé is geographically located in Male, Kaafu AtollKaafu Atoll
Kaafu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of Kaashidhoo Island, Gahaafaru Atoll, and Malé Atoll...
, administratively it is not considered part of it. The central part of the city is formed by Malé Island. Three more islands are part of the city. A commercial harbour is located on Malé Island. It is the heart of all commercial activities in the country.
The central island is heavily urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
ized, with the built-up area taking up essentially its entire landmass. Slightly less than one third of the nation's population lives in the capital city, and the population has increased from 20,000 people in 1987 to 100,000 people in 2006. Many, if not most, Maldivians and foreign workers in Maldives find themselves in occasional short term residence on the island since it is the only entry point to the nation and the centre of all administration and bureaucracy.
Culture
Male is a conservative Muslim city. Although tourists visiting the outer island resorts may feel the country is very westernized, the City of Male itself very different. When visiting from the resorts, make sure women/girls are wearing appropriate conservative clothing to avoid unwanted attention.Economy
Maldivian, the airline of the Maldives, has its head office in Malé. In addition, the airline FlyMe has its headquarters on the fifth floor of the Villa House in Malé.Climate
Malé has a tropical wet and dry climate under the Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
. The city features wet
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
and dry seasons
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
, with the wet season lasting from May through December and the dry season covering the remaining four months. Unlike a number of cities with this climate, Malé experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and average low temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius. The city averages slightly more than 1600 mm of precipitation annually.
Subdivisions
The city is divided into six divisions, four of which are on Malé Island: Henveiru, Galolhu, Maafannu and Macchangolhi. The nearby island of Vilingili, formerly a tourist resort and prior to that a prison, is the fifth division (Vilimalé). The sixth division is HulhumaléHulhumalé
Hulhumalé or Hulhulemale is a reclaimed island located in the south of North Male Atoll, Maldives. The artificial island was reclaimed to establish a new land mass required to meet the existing and future housing, industrial and commercial development demands of the Malé region...
, an artificial island
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
settled since 2004. In addition, the airport Island
Malé International Airport
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport , more commonly known as Malé International Airport, previously known as Hulhulé Airport, is the main international airport in the Maldives...
Hulhule is part of the city. There are plans for creating a port island on Gulhi Falu reef.
The Island of Malé is the second most densely populated island worldwide, after Ap Lei Chau
Ap Lei Chau
Ap Lei Chau , or Aberdeen Island, is an island of Hong Kong, located south-west of Hong Kong Island, next to Aberdeen Harbour and Aberdeen Channel, with an area of 1.30 km². Administratively, it is part of Southern District. Ap Lei Chau is the third most densely populated island in the world.-...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and it is the 168th most populous island in the world. Since there is no surrounding countryside, all infrastructure has to be located in the city itself. Water is provided from desalinated ground water; the water works pumps brackish water from 50-60m deep wells in the city and desalinates that using reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
. Electric power is generated in the city using diesel
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
generators. Sewage is pumped unprocessed into the sea. Solid waste is transported to nearby islands, where it is used to fill in lagoons. The airport
Malé International Airport
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport , more commonly known as Malé International Airport, previously known as Hulhulé Airport, is the main international airport in the Maldives...
was built in this way, and currently the Thilafushi
Thilafushi
Thilafushi is an artificial island created as a municipal landfill situated to the west of Malé, and is located between Kaafu Atoll's Giraavaru and Gulhifalhu of the Maldives...
lagoon is being filled in.
Malé International Airport
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport , more commonly known as Malé International Airport, previously known as Hulhulé Airport, is the main international airport in the Maldives...
is on adjacent Hulhule Island
Hulhulé Island
Hulhulé , located at Latitude 4° 10' 60 N Longitude 73° 31' 60 E, is an island in the North Malé Atoll of the Maldives. It is one of the islands closest to the capital island Malé. The Malé International Airport is located on this island along with some official premises, e.g. Maldivian Bureau of...
which includes a seaplane base for internal transportation. Several land reclamation projects have expanded the harbour.
Etymology
The name Malé is taken from the word महालय "Mahaalay" which has come from the Sanskrit language. The name is derived from मह maha, meaning "big" or "great" and आलय aalay meaning house. Generally the word Mahaalay is used for the palace of a king or capital (king's island) in Sanskrit, e.g. Mahaalay of King Asok. However, the folktale below suggests a different origin of the name.The whole island group, the Maldives, is named after its capital. The word "Maldives" means "The islands (dives) of Malé'".
Origins of Malé
The first settlers in the Maldive islands were Dravidian people from the nearest shores, which are in the modern Indian Subcontinent and coastal CeylonAncient Tamil country
The Sangam period is the classical period in the history of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts of South India, spanning about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE...
. Comparative studies of Maldivian linguistic, oral and other cultural traditions, in addition to folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, point to a strong Dravidian influence on Maldivian society, centered in Malé, from ancient times. The people of Giraavaru
Giraavaru
Giraavaru may refer to:* The Giraavaru people* Giraavaru * Giraavaru...
, an island located in Malé Atoll (now a tourist resort, after the forced diaspora of its inhabitants) claim to descend from the first settlers of the Maldives, ancient Tamils
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
.
It is said that Giraavaru fishermen used to go regularly to a certain large sandbank (finolhu) at the southern end of their atoll to clean tuna fish after a good catch. Owing to the large amount of tuna fish offal and blood, the waters around that sandbank looked like a big pool of blood (maa ley gandeh). "Maa" (from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
मह "Maha"), meaning big, and "Lē" meaning blood.
Traditionally the first inhabitants of the Maldives, which include the Giravaru people, didn't have kings. They lived in a simple society and were ruled by local headmen.
But one day a prince from the Subcontinent called Koimala arrived to Malé Atoll sailing from the North on a big ship. The people of Giraavaru spotted his vessel from afar and welcomed him. They allowed Prince Koimala to settle on that large sandbank in the midst of the waters tainted with fish blood. Trees were planted on the sandbank and it is said that the first tree that grew on it was the papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
tree. However this could refer to any tree that bears edible fruit as the archaic Dhivehi word (and Mahal word even today) for fruit was the same as that for the papaya (falhoa). As time went by the local islanders accepted the rule of this Northern Prince. A palace was built and the island was formally named Maa-le (Malé), while the nearest island was named Hulhu-le.
The names of the main four wards or divisions of Malé Island are said to have been given by the aboriginal Giraavaru fishermen: Maafannu from "maa" (big) and "fannu" (a place where a village path meets the sea), Henveiru from "en-beyru" (out where fishermen got their bait), Galolhu from "galu-olhu" (stone groove) and, Macchangolhi from "mathi-angolhi" (windward path-fork).
The modern-day city was founded as a trading post by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
See also
- Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on the MaldivesEffect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on the MaldivesIn the Maldives, 82 people were killed and 26 reported missing and presumed dead after it was hit by a tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004. Two-thirds of the capital city Malé was flooded during the early hours of the day...
- HulhumaléHulhumaléHulhumalé or Hulhulemale is a reclaimed island located in the south of North Male Atoll, Maldives. The artificial island was reclaimed to establish a new land mass required to meet the existing and future housing, industrial and commercial development demands of the Malé region...