The Dhivehin, as the islanders are called, are a mixed people of Aryan, Negroid, Sinhalese, Dravidian and Arab descent. The islands were under Muslim control from the 12th century, and then Portuguese rule from 1518 before becoming a dependency of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1645. They became a British Protectorate, with an elected Sultan as head of state, in 1887. The islands became a republic, briefly, in 1953-4 and achieved full independence as a sultanate in 1965. Three years later, the Republic of the Maldive Islands was re-established and Ibrahim Nasir, Prime Minister since 1954, became President. In 1978, President Nasir decided against a third term as President, and was succeeded by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Gayoom – the dominant figure in the islands’ politics since then – established a ‘Citizens’ Special Majlis’ (legislature), which began work in 1980 with a brief to revise the constitution. After 17 years of work, the new model constitution was ratified by President Gayoom and came into effect in January 1998. In 1985, the Maldives was a founder member of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) and hosted regional summits in 1990 and 1997.

Islam is a central feature of the country’s life and is now supervised by a Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, working under direct presidential control. With no formal political parties, the Maldives’ politics are personality based; no credible threat to Gayoom has emerged in the 25 years during which he has held power, not least because dissent is firmly repressed by Gayoom’s security forces. The only overt sign of discontent in recent years came in September 2003 when the death of several prisoners sparked riots in the capital. Nonetheless, after the riots were quelled, Gayoom – underpinned by his reputation for good economic management – went on to secure a record sixth term of office at the presidential poll in November 2003.

The Government’s other major concern is global warming. The Maldives are among those small low-lying islands – 80 per cent of the territory is less than 1m above sea level – whose very existence is threatened. American rejection of the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gas emissions caused some bitterness.

Since The Maldives are so low-lying, they are also additionally vulnerable when it comes to any natural catastrophe. However, the devastating tsunami triggered by a southeast Asian earthquake on December 26 2004, would have caused calamitous effects, regardless - such was its magnitude. Twenty of The Maldives' 199 inhabited islands were totally destroyed. For once, the low-lying and shallow waters of The Maldives may even have positively hampered the total destructive effects of the tsunami but flooding was still extensive. World Bank figures in January 2005 unveiled the shocking statistic that tourism arrivals were down nearly 70 per cent of those in January 2004. The Asian Development Bank has now declared that reconstruction will cost around $304 million, and the government is seeking $1.3 billion over the next three to five years. However, only a fraction of this amount has been pledged so far. Temporary units for those displaced by the tsunami are still being assembled.

Under the revised constitution which came into effect in 1998, the legislature, or Majlis, has 48 members. Of these, 40 are directly elected for a five-year term in multi-seat constituencies, and the remaining eight are Presidential appointees. The President holds executive power assisted by an appointed ministerial cabinet. Outside the capital, however, considerable power is exercised by the atoll chiefs (Atholhu Verins), who are appointed by the President.