Hello all,
There was a query some time back about the meaning of the name for these
islands.
The Maldives officail name is Divedhi Raajjeyge Jumburiya (Republic of
Maldives).
Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit
word maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands."
Maldives is a group of coral islands that stretch along the 73rd meridian
between latitudes 0°42' south and 8°10' north. The shortest distance from
the mainland of India is 350 km and from Sri Lanka 740 km. The islands lie
in the northern Indian Ocean and the sea area is approximately 107,500 sq
km. There are some 1,200 islands in the country, 202 of which are inhabited.
The archipelago is 823 km long and 130 km at its greatest width. Population
(was) approx 298,000.
The above data are pre-tsunami - goodness knows what the situation is now.
Regards
Reid
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