
Maldives History and Geography
History According to physicscat.com, the first residents probably arrived in the archipelago from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and southern India before 500 BC. It is believed that as early as 2000 BC the islands were located at the crossroads of trade routes of various maritime nations. The Maldives maintain that an ancient people of sun worshipers, the Redin, were the first residents of the islands, and they left behind the beliefs and customs related to evil spirits or Jinnis, still in force today. The Redin left the territory around 500 BC or were absorbed by Buddhists from Ceylon or Hindus from India. Since construction materials were limited, each group built its most important structures on top of those left by previous settlers. This explains why many Maldivian mosques are oriented towards the sun and not towards Mecca. Arab…