History of Maldives in Timeline

The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic nation in South Asia situated in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It comprises a chain of 26 atolls extending across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south.

1932: Proclamation of the First Constitution

In 1932, the first Constitution was proclaimed in Maldives, leading to public anger and the Constitution being torn up.

1932: Sultanate Becomes Elective

In 1932, the sultanate in Maldives became elective.

1953: Declaration of the First Republic

In 1953, the sultanate was suspended, and the First Republic was declared in Maldives under the presidency of Mohamed Amin Didi.

1954: Restoration of the Sultanate

In 1954, the restoration of the sultanate perpetuated the rule of the past in Maldives.

1957: Review of Agreement with the United Kingdom

In 1957, the new prime minister, Ibrahim Nasir, called for a review of the agreement with the United Kingdom regarding the RAF Gan airfield.

1959: Formation of the United Suvadive Republic

In 1959, a local secessionist movement in the three southernmost atolls formed an independent state, the United Suvadive Republic, with Abdullah Afeef as president.

1960: Agreement with the United Kingdom for Gan and Hithadhoo Facilities

In 1960, Maldives allowed the United Kingdom to continue using the Gan and Hithadhoo facilities for thirty years, receiving payment for economic development.

July 1965: Signing of Agreement Ending British Authority

On 26 July 1965, an agreement was signed, formally ending British authority on the defense and external affairs of the Maldives and achieving independence.

1965: Payment to Maldives for economic development

From 1960 to 1965, Maldives received £750,000 for economic development from the United Kingdom.

1965: Independence from the United Kingdom

In 1965, Maldives gained independence from the United Kingdom.

1965: Formal title of the Sultan

Up to 1965, the formal title of the sultan was Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-thousand islands and Sultan of Maldives which came with the style Highness.

November 1967: Parliamentary Vote on Future Government

In November 1967, a vote was taken in parliament to decide whether Maldives should continue as a constitutional monarchy or become a republic.

March 1968: National Referendum

On 15 March 1968, a national referendum was held on the question, and 93.34% of those taking part voted in favor of establishing a republic.

November 1968: Declaration of the Republic

On 11 November 1968, the republic was declared, ending the 853-year-old monarchy and replacing it with a republic under the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir.

1968: Evacuation of Giraavaru Island

In 1968, Giraavaru Island was evacuated due to heavy erosion, leading to the assimilation of the Giraavaru people into the larger Maldivian society.

1968: Establishment of a Presidential Republic

In 1968, a presidential republic was established in the Maldives with an elected People's Majlis.

1968: Previous penal code

In 1968, the previous penal code was replaced by the new penal code in 2015.

1968: Republican constitution

In 1968, the republican constitution came into force.

1970: Amendment to the constitution

In 1970, the republican constitution was amended.

October 1972: Opening of the First Resort

On October 3, 1972, the first resort in Maldives, Kurumba Maldives, welcomed its first guests.

1972: Emergence of tourism transformed the economy

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the emergence of tourism in 1972 transformed the economy, moving rapidly from dependence on fisheries to tourism.

1972: First tourist resorts opened

In 1972, the first tourist resorts, Bandos Island Resort and Kurumba Village (now Kurumba Maldives), were opened, transforming Maldives' economy.

1972: Number of resorts increased to two

In 1972, the number of resorts increased to two.

1972: Amendment to the constitution

In 1972, the republican constitution was amended.

1973: Allied Health Services Training Centre established

In 1973, the Allied Health Services Training Centre was established by the Ministry of Health in Maldives.

1974: Vocational Training Centre established

In 1974, the Vocational Training Centre was established in Maldives, providing training for mechanical and electrical trades.

1974: Mechanisation of traditional fishing boat

In 1974, the mechanisation of the traditional fishing boat called dhoni marked a major milestone in the development of the fisheries industry in the Maldives.

1975: Arrest and Exile of Prime Minister Ahmed Zaki

In 1975, political infighting led to the arrest and exile of elected prime minister Ahmed Zaki to a remote atoll.

1975: Amendment to the constitution

In 1975, the republican constitution was amended.

1976: Closure of RAF Gan Airfield

In 1976, the British RAF Gan airfield was closed as part of the British withdrawal of permanently stationed forces 'East of Suez'.

December 1977: First Accurate Census

In December 1977, the first accurate census was held, revealing a population of 142,832 people living in Maldives.

1977: Fish canning plant installation

In 1977, a fish canning plant was installed on Felivaru as a joint venture with a Japanese firm.

1977: Infant Mortality Rate

In 1977, the infant mortality rate in the Maldives was 12.7%.

December 1978: Haveeru Daily News registered

On December 28, 1978, Haveeru Daily News, the first daily newspaper in the history of Maldives, was registered.

1978: Population Doubling

By 1978, the population of Maldives had doubled, with life expectancy at birth standing at 46 years.

1978: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom becomes president

In 1978, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom began his 30-year role as president of Maldives.

1978: Nasir flees to Singapore

In 1978, Nasir fled to Singapore with millions of dollars from the treasury.

1979: Fisheries Advisory Board Setup

In 1979, a Fisheries Advisory Board was established to advise the government on policy guidelines for the overall development of the fisheries sector.

1980: Coup attempt by Nasir supporters

In 1980, there was a coup attempt by Nasir supporters to topple the government without success.

1982: Maldives joined the Commonwealth

In 1982, Maldives joined the Commonwealth, 17 years after gaining independence from the United Kingdom.

1983: Coup attempt by Nasir supporters

In 1983, there was a coup attempt by Nasir supporters to topple the government without success.

1984: Institute for Teacher Education Created

In 1984, the Institute for Teacher Education was created in Maldives.

1985: Peak Population Growth Rate

In 1985, the population growth rate in the Maldives peaked at 3.4%.

1987: School of Hotel and Catering Services Established

In 1987, the School of Hotel and Catering Services was established to provide trained personnel for the tourist industry in Maldives.

November 1988: Operation Cactus

In November 1988, a coup d'état was headed by Ibrahim Lutfee. The Indian Air Force intervened with Operation Cactus and the Indian Navy captured the freighter MV Progress Light.

1988: Sea rise claim by Maldivian authorities

In 1988, Maldivian authorities claimed that sea rise would completely cover the Indian Ocean nation of 1,196 small islands within the next 30 years.

1988: Coup attempt by PLOTE mercenaries

In 1988, a coup attempt involved a mercenary force of the PLOTE who seized the airport, but Indian troops restored order.

1990: Infant mortality rate

In 1990, infant mortality fell to 34 per 1,000 in Maldives.

1991: Institute of Management and Administration Created

In 1991, the Institute of Management and Administration was created to train staff for public and private services in Maldives.

1996: Maldives progress monitor of the Indian Ocean Commission

Since 1996, Maldives has been the official progress monitor of the Indian Ocean Commission.

November 1997: New constitution assented

On 27 November 1997, a new constitution was assented to by then-President Maumoon.

January 1998: New constitution comes into force

On 1 January 1998, the constitution that was assented to in 1997 came into force.

1998: Maldives College of Higher Education Founded

In 1998, Maldives College of Higher Education was founded.

1998: Coral reef devastation due to El Niño

In 1998, sea-temperature warming of as much as 5°C due to a single El Niño event caused coral bleaching and killed two-thirds of the nation's coral reefs.

1998: El Niño wake-up call

In 1998, the El Niño event served as a wake-up call, highlighting the vulnerability of coral reefs that act as a natural barrier against tropical storms, floods, and tsunamis.

January 1999: Institute of Shar'ah and Law Founded

In January 1999, the Institute of Shar'ah and Law was founded in Maldives.

2000: First-degree programme launched

In 2000, Maldives College launched its first-degree programme, Bachelor of Arts.

2000: Sinhalese Population

In 2000, a small Sinhalese population in the Maldives made up about 0.7% of the total population.

2000: Population Concentrated in Male

In 2000, approximately 27% of the Maldivian population resided in the capital, Male.

2000: Population Growth Rate Declined

The 2000 census showed that the population growth rate in the Maldives had declined to 1.9%.

2002: Maldives expresses interest in Indian Ocean Commission

In 2002, Maldives began to express interest in the Indian Ocean Commission.

2003: Founding of the Maldivian Democratic Party

In 2003, Mohamed Nasheed founded the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), pressuring Maumoon into allowing political reforms.

December 2004: Indian Ocean Tsunami

On 26 December 2004, Maldives were devastated by a tsunami following the Indian Ocean earthquake.

2004: Economic downturn following the 2004 tsunami

Following the 2004 tsunami, Maldives experienced an economic downturn.

2004: Infant mortality rate

In 2004, infant mortality fell to 15 per 1,000 in Maldives.

2004: Coral reef regeneration witnessed

In 2004, scientists in Maldives witnessed corals regenerating in electrified cones used to induce regrowth of the reefs. The corals also began to eject pink-orange eggs and sperm.

2006: Population Reached 298,968

By the 2006 census, the population of Maldives had reached 298,968.

2007: Number of resorts and tourists visited

Between 1972 and 2007, the number of resorts increased from 2 to 92, and over 8,380,000 tourists had visited Maldives.

2007: IPCC report on sea level rise

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report predicted that the upper limit of sea level rise would be 59 centimeters by 2100, potentially requiring the abandonment of most of the republic's inhabited islands.

August 2008: Current constitution ratified

On 7 August 2008, the current Constitution of Maldives was ratified by President Maumoon.

2008: Maldives has not applied for membership

As of 2008 Maldives had not applied for membership in the Indian Ocean Commission.

2008: Resorts in Maldives

As of 2008, 89 resorts in Maldives offered over 17,000 beds and hosted over 600,000 tourists annually.

2008: Nasheed's plans to purchase new land

In 2008, President Nasheed announced plans to explore purchasing new land in India, Sri Lanka, and Australia due to concerns about global warming and rising sea levels, funded by tourism revenue.

2008: First Direct Presidential Elections

In 2008, a new constitution was approved and the first direct presidential elections occurred, which were won by Nasheed.

2008: Islam as state religion

Since the adoption of the 2008 constitution, Islam is established as the country's state religion and Maldivian citizens are required by law to follow Sunni Islam.

2008: 2008 constitution based on the principles of Islam

The 2008 constitution says that the republic "is based on the principles of Islam" and that "no law contrary to any principle of Islam can be applied".

2009: Underwater cabinet meeting

In 2009, Mohamed Nasheed hosted "the world's first underwater cabinet meeting" to raise awareness of the threats posed by climate change.

2009: Nasheed speaks at International Climate Talks

In 2009, Nasheed spoke at the International Climate Talks.

2009: Reform process made headway

In 2009, reform process made headway.

2010: Fisheries Contribution to GDP

As of 2010, fisheries contributed over 15% of the Maldives' GDP and engaged about 30% of the country's workforce. Fisheries were also the second-largest foreign exchange earner after tourism.

2010: Reform process made headway

In 2010, reform process made headway.

2010: Population Projection

In 2010, the population of Maldives was projected to have reached 317,280.

January 2011: Maldives National University Act Passed

On January 17, 2011, the Maldives National University Act was passed by the President of Maldives.

February 2011: Maldives National University Named

On February 15, 2011, Maldives National University was named.

2011: Life Expectancy at Birth

In 2011, life expectancy at birth in Maldives was 77 years.

2011: Freedom House declared Maldives "Partly Free"

In its 2011 Freedom in the World report, Freedom House declared Maldives "Partly Free", claiming a reform process that had made headway in 2009 and 2010 had stalled.

2011: Social and Political Unrest

In late 2011, social and political unrest grew in Maldives, following opposition campaigns.

February 2012: Nasheed's Resignation

In February 2012, Nasheed resigned from office after a mutiny by police and army. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik was sworn in as president.

2012: Report on human rights practices

In 2012 the United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor issued a report on human rights practices in the country.

2012: Nasheed warns of underwater Maldives

In 2012, former president Mohamed Nasheed warned that if carbon emissions continued at the current rate, the Maldives would be underwater in seven years.

2013: Contested Presidential Election

In 2013, the Maldivian presidential election results were contested, leading to Abdulla Yameen assuming the presidency after a re-run vote.

2013: Seaplane companies merge

In 2013, two seaplane companies, TMA (Trans Maldivian Airways) and Maldivian Air Taxi, merged under the name TMA.

July 2015: New penal code came into effect

On 16 July 2015, a new penal code came into effect, replacing the 1968 law.

2015: College of Islamic Studies changed into Islamic University

In 2015, under a Presidential decree the College of Islamic Studies was changed into the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM).

2015: Assassination attempt and Removal of Vice-President

In late 2015, President Yameen survived an assassination attempt, and Vice-President Mohamed Jameel Ahmed was removed from office, followed by the arrest of Vice-president Ahmed Adeeb.

October 2016: Maldives announced its withdrawal from the Commonwealth

In October 2016, Maldives announced its withdrawal from the Commonwealth in protest at allegations of human rights abuse and failing democracy.

October 2016: Temporary Withdrawal from the Commonwealth

In October 2016, Maldives temporarily withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations after facing the threat of expulsion due to human rights infringements and democratic backsliding.

2016: Haveeru Daily News dissolved

In 2016, Haveeru Daily News the first and longest–serving newspaper in the history of Maldives, was dissolved.

2016: Severe coral bleaching incident

In 2016, the coral reefs of Maldives experienced a severe bleaching incident, with up to 95% of coral around some islands dying, and even after six months, 100% of young coral transplants died. The surface water temperatures reached an all-time high in 2016, at 31 degrees Celsius in May.

May 2017: PSM news founded

On May 3, 2017, PSM news, the main media outlet owned by the government of Maldives, was founded in the celebration of World Press Freedom Day.

November 2018: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih sworn in as president

In November 2018, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, having won the most votes in the election, was sworn in as the new president of the Maldives.

2018: Administration sought to rejoin the Commonwealth

Following his election as president in 2018, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration sought to rejoin the Commonwealth after showing evidence of democratic reform.

2018: UN Human Rights chief terms Maldives situation

In 2018, the then ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)'s tensions with opposition parties and the subsequent crackdown was termed as an assault on democracy by the UN Human Rights chief.

April 2019: Maldivian Democratic Party wins landslide victory

In the April 2019 parliamentary election, The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won a landslide victory, taking 65 of 87 seats in the parliament.

July 2019: Adeeb freed and then placed under travel ban

In July 2019, Adeeb was freed by courts in Male after his conviction on terrorism and corruption charges was overruled. However, he was placed under a travel ban after the state prosecutor appealed the order in a corruption and money laundering case.

November 2019: Abdulla Yameen sentenced to prison for money laundering

In November 2019, former president Abdulla Yameen was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering.

2019: Maldives signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

In 2019, Maldives signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

2019: Manta Air began seaplane service

In 2019, Manta Air began its first scheduled seaplane service, utilizing DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.

2019: Visitors to the islands

In 2019, over 1.7 million visitors came to the islands.

February 2020: Maldives readmitted to the Commonwealth

On 1 February 2020, Maldives was readmitted to the Commonwealth after showing evidence of democratic reform.

February 2020: Readmission to the Commonwealth

On February 1, 2020, Maldives was readmitted to the Commonwealth after demonstrating evidence of reform and functioning democratic processes.

2020: University of Plymouth study on islands and sea level rise

In 2020, a three-year study at the University of Plymouth found that tides move sediment to create higher elevation, helping low-lying islands adjust to sea level rise, while sea walls compromise islands' ability to adjust. The research studied Maldives and Marshall Islands.

2020: Christian population

In 2020, independent studies found that approximately 0.29% of the population is Christian in Maldives.

January 2021: High Court upheld jail sentence for Yameen

In January 2021, the High Court upheld the jail sentence of five years for former president Abdulla Yameen for money laundering.

May 2021: COVID-19 Outbreak

On May 24, 2021, Maldives had the world's fastest-growing COVID-19 outbreak, with the highest number of infections per million people due to the Delta variant.

November 2021: Supreme Court overturned Yameen's conviction

In November 2021, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction of former president Abdulla Yameen.

2022: Russian oligarchs seek refuge in Maldives

As a result of sanctions imposed upon the Russian oligarchs by the West in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, many of them sought refuge for their mega-yachts in Maldives due to the absence of an extradition treaty with the United States and other countries.

2022: Population Concentrated in Male

In 2022, approximately 41% of the Maldivian population resided in the capital, Male.

2022: Population Census

In 2022, the Maldives population was 515,132 according to the census. It is the second least populous country in Asia and one of the most densely populated countries.

January 2023: Evidence Act

In January 2023, the Evidence Act came into effect, granting courts the authority to compel journalists to reveal their confidential sources.

October 2023: Mohamed Muizzu sworn in as President

On 17 October 2023, Mohamed Muizzu was sworn in as the eighth President of the Republic of Maldives after winning the presidential election.

November 2023: Muizzu serving since November 2023

The current president of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu has been serving since 17 November 2023.

2023: World Press Freedom Index ranking

In 2023, Maldives was ranked one–hundred in the World Press Freedom Index.

April 2024: President Muizzu's party wins super-majority in parliamentary election

In April 2024, President Mohamed Muizzu's pro-China People's National Congress (PNC) won 66 seats in the 2024 Maldivian parliamentary election, giving the president the backing of 75 legislators in the 93-member house.