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MALDIVES
A Thousand Shades of Blue
By Jheri St. James
Blue
color is everlastingly appointed by the Diety to be a source
of delight.
-John Ruskin, British Writer and Critic
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The
first thing an online researcher notices about the Maldives
is that nearly all the photos are blue. Maybe that’s
because the Maldives is often called 'the last paradise
on earth', made up as it is of pristine tropical islands,
swaying palm trees, pure white sand beaches and lagoons
colored a thousand shades of blue. Another highlight of
the Maldives is the aquamarine underwater world, with
an amazing number of fish in fantastic shapes and colors--dolphins,
whales and manta rays, to name just a few.
The Maldives
tops the Diver’s Hall of Fame list. The Soneva
Fushi island was recently voted “World’s
Best Resort” by readers of Conde Nast magazine.
This paradise comes at a premium for the tourist. That’s
because nearly everything is imported. Food, wood for
the buildings, even soil for vegetation, is shipped
from Sri Lanka or India. The Maldives has nothing except
crystal-clear azure waters and dazzling coral atolls.
This is the real “Water World”—99.6
percent of the area of 1192 small coral islands grouped
into 26 clustered atolls in this aquatic republic, is
liquid. Two hundred islands are inhabited and 80 hold
tourist resorts in this archipelago with strategic location
along major sea lines in the Indian Ocean.
The Maldives
is the smallest Asian country in terms of population.
It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation
in the world. The Maldives holds the record for being
the flattest country in the world, with a maximum natural
ground level of only 7.5 feet, though in areas where
construction has occurred, like the Hulhumale Project,
this has been increased. Over the last century, sea
levels have risen about 20 centimeters. The ocean is
likely to continue rising and this threatens the very
existence of Maldives. Since the tsunami in 2004, cartographers
are planning to redraw the maps of the islands due to
alterations by that disaster.
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Over
the centuries, the islands have been visited and their development
influenced by sailors and traders from countries on the Arabian
Sea and the Bay of Bengal. According to a legend from Maldivian
folklore a prince named Komala from India or Sri Lanka entered
the Maldives from the north and became the first king. Other
ancient kings promoted Buddhism, and the first writings and
artistic achievements--such as highly developed sculpture
and architecture--are from that period. At the end of the
12th century AD, a conversion to Islam occurred. The Maldives
was a British protectorate from 1887 until 1965, when independence
was achieved. Until relatively recent times, Mappila pirates
from the Malabar Coast—present-day Kerala in India—harassed
the islands. A constituent assembly, the “special majlis”
had pledged to complete the drafting of a new constitution
by the end of 2007 and first-ever presidential elections under
a multi-candidate, multi-party system are slated for November
2008.
(A Maldivian
Dhoni without lateen sails)
If
the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy,
If the simplest things of nature have a message that you understand,
Rejoice, for your soul is alive.
Eleanora
Duse, Italian Actress
*
* *
The Maldivian
economy has been entirely dependent on fishing and other marine
products for many centuries. Fishing remains the main occupation
of the people and the government gives special priority to
the development of the fisheries sector. The mechanization
of the traditional fishing boat called dhoni in 1974 was a
major milestone in the development of the fisheries industry
and the country’s economy in general. A fish canning
plant was installed in the island of Felivaru in 1977, as
a joint venture with a Japanese firm. In 1979, a fisheries
advisory board was set up with the mandate of advising the
government on policy guidelines for the overall development
of the fisheries sector. Manpower development programs were
begun in the early 1980’s and fisheries education was
incorporated into the school curriculum. Fish aggregating
devices and navigational aids were located at various strategic
points. The opening up of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
of the Maldives for fisheries has further enhanced the growth
of the fishers sector. Today, fisheries contribute over 15
percent of the GDP and engage about 30 percent of the country’
work force. It is also the second-largest foreign exchange
earner, after tourism.
Other
cottage industries include mat weaving, lacquer work, handicraft,
coir rope making, and stone carving. Fenfushi, on the southern
side of the Ari Atoll, is well known for the skills of its
stone carvers, even though only few are still involved in
this art. Carving coral stone is one of the oldest crafts
practiced by Maldivians. During the pre-Islamic era, the Maldivians
used coral stones to build temples and to make baths and wells,
and also sculpt statues such as those of the Buddha. The craft
of stone carving flourished after the Maldives embraced Islam.
Mosques and tombstones were beautifully carved with intricate
symmetrical and floral designs, which show strong influences
of Islamic art. Beautiful examples of such stone carving are
found on the salls of old mosques.
The
old cathedrals are good, but the great blue
dome that hangs over everything is better.
Thomas
Carlyle,
Scottish
Historian and Essayist
*
* *
Paul William Neville, a member of the U.S. Embassy’s
office in Sri Lanka, facilitated the collection of soil from
both the Maldives and Sri Lanka—a double winner in our
book! His associate, Terry J. White, picked up the actual
soil from, “a spot a few meters away from a monument
erected in memory of the 2004 tsunami, on the southeast corner
of the capital and principal island of Male, right over the
waves.”
This is a photo of that monument, in which108 metal bars represent
the number of people who died from Maldives and the remaining
21 metal spheres represents the number of atolls of Maldives
(Photo: Abdullah Nishan, Copyright ©2008). In that catastrophe,
close to one third of the population of the islands were severely
affected, resulting in 82 confirmed deaths, over 1,300 people
injured and around 12,000 people (7 percent of the population)
homeless. According to the government, only nine of the 200
inhabited islands escaped flooding, and nine islands that
were previously above sea level were completely submerged
and lost. In addition, the Tsunami virtually destroyed a further
14 islands, three of which were later permanently abandoned.
The country's tourism sector suffered the largest direct losses,
with estimated damages of around 100 million U.S. dollars
-- nearly a quarter of the 87 tourist resorts were damaged
and had to be shut for repairs. Fishermen and farmers were
also affected, as fishing fleets were damaged and farming
land contaminated with salt.
* * *
No
discussion of The Maldives would be complete without inclusion
of the amazing Hulhumale Island Project, a U.S. Embassy-sponsored
public diplomacy program about constitutional drafting toward
Hulhumale Island. The following is from a brochure we received
with the soil:
“With
35% of the country’s population (359,008 in July 2006)
inhabiting a 192 hectare island, the capital Male’ has
become one of the most densely populated pieces of land in
the world. Incapable of meeting the housing demands of its
rapidly growing population, the Maldivian government had sought
numerous solutions to the problem since the 1970’s.
Each attempt, including land reclamation of Male’; development
of walk-up apartments; and the creation of the satellite island
of Villingili, had failed to effectively address the issue.
“During the mid-90’s, the government had a solution
that would be cost-effective in the long run: creating an
artificial island from an existing lagoon and transforming
it into a futuristic urban city which would accommodate the
excessive population of the central region, as well as address
commercial and industrial needs of the country. Based on a
proposal made by the Male’ Housing and Development Board
in 1995, suitable reclamation sites in close proximity to
Male’ were explored, giving careful consideration into
the potentials and restraints of each. Eventually, the Hulhule’-Farukolhufushi
region was chosen as it was a sizeable sandy lagoon close
to Male’ with expansion potential to Male’ International
Airport.
“On 16th October 1997, the reclamation
of Hulhumale’ was inaugurated by His Excellency President
Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. By 2002, reclamation works and coastal
infrastructure were completed. With the development of the
first residential neighborhood as well as related physical
and social infrastructure, the first settlement of Hulhumale’
was officially inaugurated on 12th May 2004. Hulhumale’
Development Corporation Ltd. (HDC) undertakes the development,
management and administration of Hulhumale’—the
most ambitious and complex land reclamation and urban development
project embarked upon by the government of the Republic of
Maldives. “Established on 23rd March 2005, HDC is a
100% government-owned company assuming all the developmental
functions carried out by its predecessor, Hulhumale’
Development Unit. HDC has now diversified into new ventures
which include tourism related activities as well as further
industrial and commercial uses. Aspiring to carry out this
vast and impressive project in a financially feasible and
commercially viable manner, HDC has adopted a target oriented
approach to ensure that Hulhumale’ is a unique island
city living up to its full potential.
Included
are: 1.) Fareedhiya School, 2. The Hulhumale Hospital.3. The
HDC Building., 4. Mosque., 5. Ferry Service., 6. Electricity.,
7. Telecommunication., 8. Local Port., 9. Water and Sewarage.,
10. Banking., 11. Municipal services and waste management.,
12. Police.
(Hulhumalé
project model - Photo: Haveeru)
As a work of earth sculpture, Hulhumane’
is a testimonial to the creativity of man on the surface of
the Great Mother Earth. Rising six feet above the rest of
Maldives, it is expected to survive any future rising of the
waters.
* * *
Blue is
a word used not only for naming a color. Sometimes it denotes
injury, such as in the phrase "black and blue",
since it is the color of a bruise. Blue is also used as a
word to denote a sad or melancholy state of mind, as in depression,
or a state of deep contemplation. Conversely, the phrase "blue
skies", referring to sunny weather, implies cheerfulness.
In art, blue can be associated with the term “blue period”
to describe Pablo Picasso's work from 1901 to 1904. Here is
a chart portraying 24 of the doubtless infinite shades of
blue found in the Maldives.
When we stand on the ground, only our feet
bottoms are on land; the rest of us is in the sky, so often
blue. We at Common Ground 191 thank Terry J. White and Paul
Neville for the contribution of soil from the Maldives. Surely
this is the most moving soil, in any meaning of the word,
in our collection, from the living, shrinking and expanding
Maldives, land of a thousand shades of blue. How many shades
of blue can you count in this journal entry?
We end with the word for peace in Maldives.
Terry J. White wrote the following:
“As
for Maldives, while their school system has been English-medium
for the last 25 years or so and most of the 300,000 Maldivians
speak at least some English - many quite well - their native
tongue is Dhivehi, related in part to Sinhala, but with many
other influences, including Arabic. I had intended to get
a sample of the script, which is unique - though a discerning
eye can spot some relationship with Arabic, or possibly Nastelik
(the script used for Urdu, almost the same as that for Persian/Farsi)
- but I was unable to do so, sorry. Anyway, despite the fact
that Maldives is 100% Muslim, and therefore one hears the
standard greeting saalam allekum, the Dhivehi word for peace
is sulha. Hope this helps. Terry”
People
usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle.
But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water
or in thin air, but to walk on earth.
Every day we are engaged in a miracle, which we don’t
even recognize:
a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious
eyes of a child
—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.
Thich
Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Monk, Activist and Writer
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