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108-929: The Philippines was the Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris ( COP21 ) and oversaw the adoption of the body's Manila-Paris Declaration at the Third High-Level Meeting of the Forum in November 2015. The Manila-Paris Declaration articulated the common concerns and commitments of vulnerable countries and urged the strengthening of the UNFCCC goal of limiting warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. During this meeting

216-507: A carbon tax ) to discourage bad behaviour." Speaking at the 5th annual World Pensions Forum held on the sidelines of the COP21 Summit, Earth Institute Director Jeffrey Sachs argued that institutional investors would eventually divest from carbon-reliant firms if they could not react to political and regulatory efforts to halt climate change: "Every energy company in a pension fund 's portfolio needs to be scrutinized from purely

324-451: A green economy by committing to carbon neutrality. They called upon all countries to follow the moral leadership of Maldives, the first country to pledge to achieve carbon neutrality. Maldives held an underwater cabinet meeting on the dangers of the current sea level rise , and was the CVF's first chair from 2009 to 2010. Kiribati was the second chair of the CVF, from 2010 to 2011. It hosted

432-400: A highest natural point of only 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in), making it the world's lowest-lying country. Some sources state the highest point, Mount Villingili , as 5.1 metres or 17 feet. The Maldives has been inhabited for over 2,500 years. Documented contact with the outside world began around 947 AD when Arab travelers began visiting the islands. In the 12th century, partly due to

540-556: A 2 °C target. Think-tanks such as the World Pensions Council (WPC) argued that the keys to success lay in convincing officials in the U.S. and China, by far the two largest national emitters: "As long as policy makers in Washington and Beijing didn't put all their political capital behind the adoption of ambitious carbon-emission capping targets, the laudable efforts of other G20 governments often remained in

648-499: A British protectorate was officially recorded in an 1887 agreement in which the sultan Muhammad Mueenuddeen II accepted British influence over Maldivian external relations and defence while retaining home rule, which continued to be regulated by Muslim traditional institutions in exchange for an annual tribute . The status of the islands was akin to other British protectorates in the Indian Ocean region, including Zanzibar and

756-575: A Buddhist kingdom for another 500 years. Arabic became the prime language of administration (instead of Persian and Urdu), and the Maliki school of jurisprudence was introduced, both hinting at direct contact with the core of the Arab world. Middle Eastern seafarers had just begun to take over the Indian Ocean trade routes in the 10th century and found the Maldives to be an important link in those routes as

864-707: A concentration of no more than 350 ppm (parts per million) of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (or less) above preindustrial levels. This position was later adopted by the Alliance of Small Island States . Antigua , Barbuda , Costa Rica , Ethiopia , the Marshall Islands and Samoa also followed Maldives as developing countries committed to low-carbon development or carbon neutrality. The founding countries pledged to demonstrate moral leadership and work towards

972-417: A dead planet". The location of UNFCCC talks is rotated by regions throughout United Nations countries. The 2015 conference was held at Le Bourget from 30 November to 12 December 2015. To some extent, France served as a model country for delegates attending COP21 because it is one of the few developed countries in the world to decarbonize electricity production and fossil fuel energy while still providing

1080-554: A financial view about its future, 'Why is this [a company] we would want to hold over a five- to 20-year period?'... If we continue to hold major energy companies that don't have an answer to a basic financial test, we are just gambling. We have to take a fiduciary responsibility – these are not good bets." Some US policy makers concurred, notably Al Gore , insisting that "no agreement is perfect, and this one must be strengthened over time, but groups across every sector of society will now begin to reduce dangerous carbon pollution through

1188-454: A global agreement, by 1 October 2015. These commitments are known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDCs. Together, the INDCs would reduce global warming from an estimated 4–5 °C (by 2100) to 2.7 °C, and reduce emissions per capita by 9% by 2030, while providing hope in the eyes of the conference organizers for further reductions in the future that would allow meeting

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1296-519: A high standard of living. As of 2012, France generated over 90% of its electricity from zero carbon sources, including nuclear, hydroelectric, and wind. The conference took place two weeks after a series of terrorist attacks in the 10th and 11th Arrondissements of Paris, as well as in Saint-Denis . Martial law was declared and national security was tightened accordingly, with 30,000 police officers and 285 security checkpoints deployed across

1404-469: A land area of 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi). The Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed sovereign states, and the smallest Muslim country by land area. With a population of 515,132 in the 2022 census, it is the 2nd least populous country in Asia and the ninth-smallest country in the world by area , but also one of the most densely populated countries in the world . Malé

1512-530: A process evaluating the progress made on the Paris Agreement. The assessment exposed that the current attempts are insufficient to limit the global warming to the target of 1.5°C, highlighting the need for accelerated climate action. There were strong emphases on the need for more climate finance and collaboration to reach climate goals during the conference. The Agreement will not become binding on its member states until 55 parties who produce over 55% of

1620-473: A remote atoll . Economic decline followed the closure of the British airfield at Gan and the collapse of the market for dried fish, an important export. With support for his administration faltering, Nasir fled to Singapore in 1978, with millions of dollars from the treasury. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom began his 30-year role as president in 1978, winning six consecutive elections without opposition. His election

1728-419: A result of global warming , stating that these conditions are "an existential threat to our nations, our cultures and to our way of life" and "undermine the internationally-protected human rights of our people". A group of countries which emit small amounts of greenhouse gases enacted the CVF declaration, pledging to lead the world to a low-carbon (and, ultimately, carbon-neutral ) economy. The CVF recognized

1836-485: A spokesperson for the Climate and Development Knowledge Network , climate vulnerability is an issue of "equity and human rights" determined by climate change's effect on a given nation's environment and the level of that nation's preparedness and available resources to deal with its challenges. 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference , COP 21 or CMP 11

1944-763: Is a member of the United Nations , the Commonwealth of Nations , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and the Non-Aligned Movement . The World Bank classifies the Maldives as having an upper- middle income economy. The Maldives is a Dialogue Partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation . Fishing has historically been the dominant economic activity, and remains the largest sector by far, followed by

2052-462: Is recognized as a voice on international climate-change issues. The forum's latest Climate Vulnerability Monitor specifies the costs and benefits of addressing climate change instead of continuing current trends in the globally fossil fuel -intensive economic pathway. Its analysis relies on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) greenhouse gas emission projections and studies showing carbon-intensive energy means indicating 10-100 times

2160-612: Is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island", where the ancient royal dynasties ruled from its central location. The Maldivian Archipelago is located on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge , a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean; this also forms a terrestrial ecoregion with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep . The Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, and

2268-593: The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen , which sought to increase awareness of countries considered vulnerable. Eleven governments from Africa , Asia , the Americas and the Pacific , representing the countries most vulnerable to climate change, met near the Maldives capital of Malé in November 2009. The governments issued a declaration expressing alarm at the pace of change and damage as

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2376-620: The Berber traveller interpreted the name of Malé, having been through Muslim North India, where Perso-Arabic words were introduced to the local vocabulary. This is the name currently inscribed on the scroll in the Maldives state emblem . The classical Persian/Arabic name for the Maldives is Dibajat . The Dutch referred to the islands as the Maldivische Eilanden ( pronounced [mɑlˈdivisə ˈʔɛilɑndə(n)] ), while

2484-558: The Bonn Climate Change Conference, 19 to 23 October 2015, which produced a draft agreement. Global carbon dioxide emissions by country in 2015. According to the organizing committee of the summit in Paris, the objective of the 2015 conference was to achieve, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate. Pope Francis published an encyclical letter called Laudato si' intended, in part, to influence

2592-529: The EU suggested INDC is a commitment to a 40 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. The agreement establishes a " global stocktake " which revisits the national goals to "update and enhance" them every five years beginning 2023. However, no detailed timetable or country-specific goals for emissions were incorporated into the Paris Agreement – as opposed to the previous Kyoto Protocol . A number of meetings took place in preparation for COP21, including

2700-619: The Gan and the Hithadhoo facilities for thirty years, with the payment of £750,000 from 1960 to 1965 for the Maldives' economic development. The base was closed in 1976 as part of the larger British withdrawal of permanently-stationed forces ' East of Suez '. When the British became increasingly unable to continue their colonial hold on Asia and were losing their colonies to the indigenous populations who wanted freedom, on 26 July 1965 an agreement

2808-568: The Global Climate March organized by 350.org (and other events such as Alternatiba, Village of Alternatives ). Paris had a ban on public gatherings in the wake of recent terrorist attacks ( state of emergency ), but allowed thousands to demonstrate on 12 December against what they felt was a too-weak treaty. There was also an illegal demonstration in Paris, including violent clashes between police and anarchists; ten policemen were injured and 317 people arrested. On 30 November,

2916-564: The Indian Ocean . The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India , about 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent's mainland. The Maldives' chain of 26 atolls stretches across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south. The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia . Including the sea, the territory spans roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), with

3024-411: The Indian Ocean earthquake . Only nine islands were reported to have escaped any flooding, while fifty-seven islands faced serious damage to critical infrastructure, fourteen islands had to be totally evacuated, and six islands were destroyed. A further twenty-one resort islands were forced to close because of tsunami damage. The total damage was estimated at more than US$ 400 million, or some 62% of

3132-894: The Tarawa Climate Change Conference on November 9–11, 2010, where the Ambo Declaration was signed by 12 countries: Kiribati, the Solomon Islands , Tonga , the Republic of the Maldives, Cuba , Brazil , Fiji , Japan , China, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand and Australia . In May 2013 a follow-up statement about the 2010 conference and the agreements reached there was made, indicating disappointment and asking if focusing on two new provisions ( greenhouse gas emissions and climate change) would better serve their goals. Bangladesh

3240-659: The Trucial States . In the British period, the Sultan's powers were taken over by the Chief Minister, much to the chagrin of the British Governor-General who continued to deal with the ineffectual Sultan. Consequently, Britain encouraged the development of a constitutional monarchy , and the first Constitution was proclaimed in 1932. However, the new arrangements favoured neither the Sultan nor

3348-750: The United Kingdom and the United States . In September 2012, the CVF established a trust fund administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). United Nations agencies collaborate in implementing activities linked to the CVF with the UNDP, the lead organization supporting the forum's work. DARA , an independent, nonprofit organization based in Madrid , had previously provided institutional support to

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3456-616: The Vedic period mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" ( Lakshadweepa ), a generic name which would include not only the Maldives, but also the Laccadives , Aminidivi Islands, Minicoy , and the Chagos island groups. Medieval Muslim travellers such as Ibn Battuta called the islands Maḥal Dībīyāt ( محل ديبية ) from the Arabic word maḥal ("palace"), which must be how

3564-483: The archipelago by the beginning of the 1970s. The first resort in the Maldives was Kurumba Maldives which welcomed the first guests on 3 October 1972. The first accurate census was held in December 1977 and showed 142,832 people living in the Maldives. Political infighting during the 1970s between Nasir's faction and other political figures led to the 1975 arrest and exile of elected prime minister Ahmed Zaki to

3672-627: The 17th century in Arabic by Allama Ahmed Shihabuddine (Allama Shihab al-Din) of Meedhoo in Addu Atoll, the first settlers of the Maldives were people known as Dheyvis. They came from the Kalibanga in India. The time of their arrival is unknown but it was before Emperor Asoka 's kingdom in 269–232 BCE. Shihabuddin's story tallies remarkably well with the recorded history of South Asia and that of

3780-476: The 2016-2018 Roadmap at the Third High-Level Meeting of the CVF held during COP21 . The Manila-Paris Declaration articulated the common concerns and commitments of vulnerable countries and urged the strengthening of the UNFCCC goal of limiting warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The country of Palau became a member of the forum after being endorsed by the Philippines . Ethiopia

3888-479: The British anglicised the local name for the islands first to the "Maldive Islands" and later to "Maldives". In a conversational book published in 1563, Garcia de Orta writes: "I must tell you that I have heard it said that the natives do not call it Maldiva but Nalediva. In the Malabar language, nale means four and diva island. So that in that language, the word signifies 'four islands', while we, corrupting

3996-635: The British presence on Gan . This group cut ties with the Maldives government and formed an independent state, the United Suvadive Republic with Abdullah Afeef as president and Hithadhoo as its capital. One year later the Suvadive republic was scrapped after Nasir sent gunboats from Malé with government police, and Abdullah Afeef went into exile. Meanwhile, in 1960 the Maldives allowed the United Kingdom to continue to use both

4104-656: The CVF. The Global Center on Adaptation was the managing partner of the CVF. In 2023, CVF set up an independent institution in Accra, Ghana. The CVF and DARA published the Climate Vulnerability Monitor , "The State of the Climate Crisis," in December 2010. The global study covered 184 countries affected by the short-term impacts of climate change in four key areas: health, weather disasters, habitat loss and economic stress. A second edition of

4212-602: The Chief Minister, but rather a young crop of British-educated reformists. As a result, angry mobs were instigated against the Constitution which was publicly torn up. The Maldives remained a British crown protectorate until 1953 when the sultanate was suspended and the First Republic was declared under the short-lived presidency of Mohamed Amin Didi . While serving as prime minister during the 1940s, Didi nationalised

4320-636: The Climate Vulnerability Monitor, "A Guide to the Cold Calculus of a Hot Planet", was published in September 2012. It expanded on the first report's analysis, describing 34 indicators of positive and negative effects predicted to result from climate change. The purpose of the CVF is to channel input from the most vulnerable groups, creating new policies and promoting effective action on climate change as it evolves. The forum

4428-508: The Commonwealth on 1 February 2020 after showing evidence of functioning democratic processes and popular support. According to legends, the first settlers of the Maldives were people known as Dheyvis. The first Kingdom of the Maldives was known as Kingdom of Dheeva Maari  [ bn ] . During the 3rd century BCE visit of emissaries, it was noted that the Maldives was known as Dheeva Mahal. During c.  1100 – 1166,

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4536-680: The Congo, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Morocco, Niger, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen. Observer states have included Australia , China , Denmark , the European Union , France , Germany , India , Indonesia , Japan , Mexico , the Netherlands , New Zealand , Nigeria , Norway , Pakistan , Qatar , Russia , South Africa , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , Thailand ,

4644-549: The Costa Rica presidency for the 2013-15 period. This Action Plan was released at the UN Climate Change Conference at Warsaw, Poland (COP19) in November 2013, and includes cooperative action of vulnerable countries across six different multilateral sectors, including finance, health, human rights, labour and migration, mandating new research, high-level consultations and diplomatic activities. The CVF

4752-477: The GDP. 102 Maldivians and 6 foreigners reportedly died in the tsunami. The destructive impact of the waves on the low-lying islands was mitigated by the fact there was no continental shelf or land mass upon which the waves could gain height. The tallest waves were reported to be 14 feet (4.3 m) high. During the later part of Maumoon's rule, independent political movements emerged in the Maldives, which challenged

4860-479: The Maldives both developed and flourished, a culture that survives today. The Maldivian language , early Maldive scripts, architecture, ruling institutions, customs, and manners of the Maldivians originated at the time when the Maldives were a Buddhist kingdom. Buddhism probably spread to the Maldives in the 3rd century BCE at the time of Emperor Ashoka 's expansion and became the dominant religion of

4968-673: The Maldives was coir , the fibre of the dried coconut husk , resistant to saltwater. It stitched together and rigged the dhows that plied the Indian Ocean. Maldivian coir was exported to Sindh , China , Yemen , and the Persian Gulf . In 1558, the Portuguese established a small garrison with a Viador ( Viyazoaru ), or overseer of a factory (trading post) in the Maldives, which they administered from their main colony in Goa . Their attempts to forcefully impose Christianity with

5076-1027: The Maldives was also referred to as Diva Kudha and the Laccadive archipelago which was a part of the Maldives was then referred to as Diva Kanbar by the scholar and polymath al-Biruni (973–1048). The name Maldives may also derive from Sanskrit माला mālā ( garland ) and द्वीप dvīpa (island), or මාල දිවයින Maala Divaina ("Necklace Islands") in Sinhala . The Maldivian people are called Dhivehin . The word Dheeb/Deeb (archaic Dhivehi , related to Sanskrit द्वीप , dvīpa ) means "island", and Dhives ( Dhivehin ) means "islanders" (i.e., Maldivians). In Tamil, "Garland of Islands" can be translated as Mālaitīvu ( மாலைத்தீவு ). The venerable Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamsa mentions an island designated as Mahiladiva ("Island of Women", महिलादिभ) in Pali, likely arising from an erroneous translation of

5184-614: The Maldives. Assuming that cowrie shells come from the Maldives, historians believe that there may have been people living in the Maldives during the Indus Valley civilisation (3300–1300 BCE). A number of artefacts show the presence of Hinduism in the country before the Islamic period. According to the book Kitāb fi āthār Mīdhu al-qādimah ( كتاب في آثار ميذو القديمة ) ( On the Ancient Ruins of Meedhoo ), written in

5292-500: The Muslim title of Sultan Muhammad al-Adil, he initiated a series of six Islamic dynasties that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective. The formal title of the sultan up to 1965 was, Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-thousand islands and Sultan of the Maldives which came with the style Highness . A Moroccan traveller named Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari is traditionally cited for this conversion. According to

5400-540: The Paris Agreement are implicitly "predicated upon an assumption – that member states of the United Nations , including high polluters such as China, US, India, Canada, Russia, Indonesia and Australia, which generate more than half the world's greenhouse gas emissions, will somehow drive down their carbon pollution voluntarily and assiduously without any binding enforcement mechanism to measure and control CO 2 emissions at any level from factory to state, and without any specific penalty gradation or fiscal pressure (for example

5508-511: The Sanskrit term, signifying "garland". Jan Hogendorn, Grossman Professor of Economics at Colby College , theorised that the name Maldives derives from the Sanskrit mālādvīpa ( मालाद्वीप ), meaning "garland of islands". In Malayalam , "Garland of Islands" can be translated as Maladweepu ( മാലദ്വീപ് ). In Kannada, "Garland of Islands" can be translated as Maaledweepa ( ಮಾಲೆದ್ವೀಪ ). None of these names are mentioned in any literature, however, classical Sanskrit texts dating back to

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5616-403: The United Kingdom came in 1965, and a presidential republic was established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. The ensuing decades have seen political instability, efforts at democratic reform, and environmental challenges posed by climate change and rising sea levels . The Maldives became a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The Maldives

5724-431: The V20 initiative. These countries are currently and diversely affected by various climate change problems such as super storms, storm surges, droughts, famine due to climate factors, food shortage as by-product of climate change, power cutting, flash floods, mud slides, desertification , heatwaves, reduction of fresh water sources, and other effects of climate change. The CVF was founded by the Maldives government before

5832-413: The amount will be voluntary. There will be neither a mechanism to force a country to set a target by a specific date nor enforcement measures if a set target is not met. There will be only a "name and shame" system or, as János Pásztor , the U.N. assistant secretary-general on climate change, told CBS News , a "name and encourage" plan. Some analysts have also observed that the stated objectives of

5940-418: The bloc are Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Barbados , Bhutan , Costa Rica , Ethiopia , Ghana , Kenya , Kiribati , Madagascar , Maldives , Nepal , Philippines , Rwanda , Saint Lucia , Tanzania , Timor-Leste , Tuvalu , Vanuatu , and Vietnam . During the 2nd V20 Ministerial Dialogue in April 2016 in Washington DC, the V20 recognized the 23 new members that joined the CVF in 2015 as incoming members in

6048-417: The closing briefing at the 2012 Doha conference : "The current pledges under the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol are clearly not enough to guarantee that the temperature will stay below 2 °C and there is an ever increasing gap between the action of countries and what the science tells us." During previous climate negotiations, countries agreed to outline actions they intended to take within

6156-448: The conference. The encyclical calls for action against climate change: "Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it." The International Trade Union Confederation has called for the goal to be "zero carbon, zero poverty", and its general secretary Sharan Burrow has repeated that there are "no jobs on

6264-428: The copperplate document of the Maldives known as Loamaafaanu . The Maapanansa , the copper plates on which recorded the history of the first Kings of the Maldives from the Solar Dynasty, were lost quite early on. A 4th-century notice written by Ammianus Marcellinus (362 CE) speaks of gifts sent to the Roman emperor Julian by a deputation from the nation of Divi. The name Divi is very similar to Dheyvi who were

6372-405: The cost would be borne by French firms such as EDF , Engie (formerly known as GDF Suez), Air France , Renault-Nissan and BNP Paribas . Sponsors were among others BMW , Avery Dennison , Carbon Trade Exchange, Cool Effect , The Coca-Cola Company , the Climate Resources Exchange and Vattenfall . Around the world, 600,000 took part in demonstrations in favour of a strong agreement, such as

6480-403: The country until after the conference ended. The European Union and 195 nations ( see list in reference ) were the participating parties. The overarching goal of the Convention is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase. Since COP 17 this increase is set at 2 °C (3.6 °F) above pre-industrial levels. However, Christiana Figueres acknowledged in

6588-401: The end of the 12th century is considered the cornerstone of the country's history. Nonetheless, the cultural influence of Buddhism remains, a reality directly experienced by Ibn Battuta during his nine months there sometime between 1341 and 1345, serving as a chief judge and marrying into the royal family of Omar I . For he became embroiled in local politics and left when his strict judgments in

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6696-426: The establishment of the capital and kingly rule in Malé. A strong underlying layer of Dravidian and North Indian cultures survives in Maldivian society, with a clear Elu substratum in the language, which also appears in place names, kinship terms, poetry, dance, and religious beliefs. The North Indian system was brought by the original Sinhalese from Sri Lanka . Malabar and Pandya seafaring culture led to

6804-424: The father of the former first lady of the Maldives Fazna Ahmed . The attackers were defeated by then National Security Services of Maldives . On the night of 3 November 1988, the Indian Air Force airlifted a parachute battalion group from Agra and flew them over 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) to the Maldives. By the time Indian armed forces reached the Maldives, the mercenary forces has already left Malé on

6912-426: The first day of the conference, a " climate strike " was organised by students in over 100 countries; over 50,000 people participate. [REDACTED] Media related to 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference at Wikimedia Commons Maldives The Maldives , officially the Republic of Maldives , and historically known as the Maldive Islands , is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in

7020-471: The first landfall for traders from Basra sailing to Southeast Asia. Trade involved mainly cowrie shells —widely used as a form of currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast—and coir fibre. The Bengal Sultanate , where cowrie shells were used as legal tender, was one of the principal trading partners of the Maldives. The Bengal–Maldives cowry shell trade was the largest shell currency trade network in history. The other essential product of

7128-415: The first settlers of Maldives. The ancient history of the Maldives is told in copperplates, ancient scripts carved on coral artefacts, traditions, language and different ethnicities of Maldivians. The first Maldivians did not leave any archaeological artefacts. Their buildings were probably built of wood, palm fronds, and other perishable materials, which would have quickly decayed in the salt and wind of

7236-414: The fish export industry. As president, he is remembered as a reformer of the education system and an advocate of women's rights . Conservatives in Malé ousted his government, and during a riot over food shortages, Didi was beaten by a mob and died on a nearby island. Beginning in the 1950s, the political history in the Maldives was largely influenced by the British military presence on the islands. In 1954,

7344-460: The following countries adopted its second declaration: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Vietnam. At the Third High Level Meeting of the CVF held during COP21 the membership of the Forum increased to include the following twenty-three new members: Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of

7452-417: The four cardinal points with the main gate facing east. Local historian Hassan Ahmed Maniku counted as many as 59 islands with Buddhist archaeological sites in a provisional list he published in 1990. The importance of the Arabs as traders in the Indian Ocean by the 12th century may partly explain why the last Buddhist king of the Maldives, Dhovemi , converted to Islam in the year 1153 (or 1193). Adopting

7560-407: The framework of this agreement." As is usual before such major conferences, major NGOs and groups of governments have drafted and published a wide variety of declarations they intend to seek a consensus on, at the Paris conference itself. These include at least the following major efforts: The conference was budgeted to cost € 170m ( US$ 186.87m at the time). The French government said that 20% of

7668-430: The government without success. While the first two attempts met with little success, the 1988 coup attempt involved a roughly 80-strong mercenary force of the PLOTE who seized the airport and caused Maumoon to flee from house to house until the intervention of 1,600 Indian troops airlifted into Malé restored order. The November 1988 coup d'état was headed by Ibrahim Lutfee, a businessman, and Sikka Ahmed Ismail Manik,

7776-478: The hijacked ship MV Progress Light. The Indian paratroopers landed at Hulhulé and secured the airfield and restored the government rule at Malé within hours. The brief operation labelled Operation Cactus , also involved the Indian Navy that assisted in capturing the freighter MV Progress Light and rescued the hostages and crew. The Maldives were devastated by a tsunami on 26 December 2004, following

7884-552: The importance of the Arabs and Persians as traders in the Indian Ocean, Islam reached the Maldivian Archipelago. The Maldives was soon consolidated as a sultanate , developing strong commercial and cultural ties with Asia and Africa . From the mid-16th century, the region came under the increasing influence of European colonial powers , with the Maldives becoming a British protectorate in 1887. Independence from

7992-458: The laissez-faire island kingdom began to chafe with its rulers. In particular, he was angered at the local women going about with no clothing above the waist— a cultural epithet of the region at the time- was seen as a violation of Middle Eastern Islamic rules of modesty—and the locals taking no notice when he complained. Compared to the other areas of South Asia, the conversion of the Maldives to Islam happened relatively late. The Maldives remained

8100-556: The level of negative externalities when compared to climate-safe alternatives. Scholarly discussion of climate vulnerability and the meaning of vulnerability itself is more subjective, leading to a separate (but closely linked) debate. There are clear discrepancies in how different countries deal with climate change, leading to dissent about how the issue should be handled at the international level. A question is, "Are countries with better economic standing responsible for helping less privileged countries deal with climate change?" According to

8208-779: The membership of the Climate Vulnerable Forum expanded to include 23 new members. Ethiopia became the first African Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum during the CVF High-Level Climate Policy Forum held in the Senate of the Philippines in August 2016. In 2015, the twenty member countries in a forum chaired by the Philippines launched the official bloc of the forum, the 'V20' or ' Vulnerable Twenty ', consisting of 20 nations that are highly affected by catastrophes amplified by climate change. The members of

8316-589: The method for reducing greenhouse gas. In the 12-page document, the members agreed to reduce their carbon output "as soon as possible" and to do their best to keep global warming "to well below 2 degrees C". In the course of the debates, island states of the Pacific, the Seychelles, but also the Philippines, their very existence threatened by sea level rise, had strongly voted for setting a goal of 1.5 °C instead of only 2 °C. France's Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius , said this "ambitious and balanced" plan

8424-505: The mid-17th century, the Dutch, who had replaced the Portuguese as the dominant power in Ceylon , established hegemony over Maldivian affairs without involving themselves directly in local matters, which were governed according to centuries-old Islamic customs. The British expelled the Dutch from Ceylon in 1796 and included the Maldives as a British protectorate . The status of the Maldives as

8532-525: The name, call it Maldiva." The local name for Maldives by the Maldivian people in Dhivehi language is "Dhivehi Raajje", ( Dhivehi : ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ ). In the 6th–5th century BCE, the Maldives already had their kingdoms. The country has an established history of over 2,500 years according to historical evidence and legends. The Mahāvaṃsa (300 BCE) has records of people from Sri Lanka emigrating to

8640-491: The need for international support to achieve these objectives in vulnerable countries. A number of these countries' leaders, including Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed , are key figures in the CVF. The vulnerable countries received significant media attention at the Copenhagen summit, where they were involved in closed-door negotiations with leaders of the United States and China . The CVF Declaration committed to achieve

8748-436: The organizing committee at the outset of the talks, the expected key result was an agreement to set a goal of limiting global warming to "well below 2 °C" Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. The agreement calls for zero net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to be reached during the second half of the 21st century. In the adopted version of the Paris Agreement, the parties will also "pursue efforts to" limit

8856-506: The people of the Maldives until the 12th century. The ancient Maldivian Kings promoted Buddhism , and the first Maldive writings and artistic achievements, in the form of highly developed sculpture and architecture, originate from that period. Nearly all archaeological remains in the Maldives are from Buddhist stupas and monasteries, and all artefacts found to date display characteristic Buddhist iconography. Buddhist (and Hindu) temples were Mandala shaped. They are oriented according to

8964-474: The question, and 93.34% of those taking part voted in favour of establishing a republic. The republic was declared on 11 November 1968, thus ending the 853-year-old monarchy, which was replaced by a republic under the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir. As the King had held little real power, this was seen as a cosmetic change and required few alterations in the structures of government. Tourism began to be developed on

9072-551: The rapidly growing tourism industry. The Maldives rates "high" on the Human Development Index , with per capita income significantly higher than other SAARC nations. The Maldives was a member of the Commonwealth of Nations from July 1982 until withdrawing from the organisation in October 2016 in protest of allegations by other nations of its human rights abuses and failing democracy. The Maldives rejoined

9180-735: The realm of pious wishes. Things changed for the better on 12 November 2014 when President Obama and General Secretary Xi Jinping agreed to limit greenhouse gases emissions." President Obama insisted on America's essential role in that regard: "We've led by example ... from Alaska to the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains ... we've seen the longest streak of private job creation in our history. We've driven our economic output to all time-highs while driving our carbon pollution down to its lowest level in nearly two decades. And then, with our historic joint announcement with China last year, we showed it

9288-457: The restoration of the sultanate perpetuated the rule of the past. Two years later, the United Kingdom obtained permission to reestablish its wartime RAF Gan airfield in the southernmost Addu Atoll, employing hundreds of locals. In 1957, however, the new prime minister , Ibrahim Nasir , called for a review of the agreement. Nasir was challenged in 1959 by a local secessionist movement in the three southernmost atolls that benefited economically from

9396-516: The scholar now stands on the grounds of Medhu Ziyaaraiy , across the street from the Friday Mosque, or Hukuru Miskiy , in Malé. Originally built in 1153 and re-built in 1658, this is one of the oldest surviving mosques in the Maldives. Following the Islamic concept that before Islam there was the time of Jahiliya (ignorance), in the history books used by Maldivians the introduction of Islam at

9504-660: The second round. His administration faced many challenges, including the huge debt left by the previous government, the economic downturn following the 2004 tsunami, overspending by means of overprinting of local currency (the rufiyaa ), unemployment, corruption, and increasing drug use. Taxation on goods was imposed for the first time in the country, and import duties were reduced on many goods and services. Universal health insurance ( Aasandha ) and social welfare benefits were given to those aged 65 years or older, single parents, and those with special needs. Social and political unrest grew in late 2011 , following opposition campaigns in

9612-465: The settlement of the Islands by Tamil and Malabar seafarers. The Maldive Islands were mentioned in ancient Sangam Tamil literature as "Munneer Pazhantheevam" or "Older Islands of Three Seas". Despite being just mentioned briefly in most history books, the 1,400 year-long Buddhist period has a foundational importance in the history of the Maldives. It was during this period that the culture of

9720-518: The story told to Ibn Battutah , a mosque was built with the inscription: 'The Sultan Ahmad Shanurazah accepted Islam at the hand of Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari.' Some scholars have suggested the possibility of Ibn Battuta misreading Maldive texts, and having a bias towards the North African, Maghrebi narrative of this Shaykh, instead of the Persian origins account that was known as well at

9828-401: The sultanate continued for another three years under Sir Muhammad Fareed Didi , who declared himself King upon independence. On 15 November 1967, a vote was taken in parliament to decide whether the Maldives should continue as a constitutional monarchy or become a republic. Of the 44 members of parliament, 40 voted in favour of a republic. On 15 March 1968, a national referendum was held on

9936-440: The temperature increase to 1.5 °C. The 1.5 °C goal will require zero emissions sometime between 2030 and 2050, according to some scientists. Prior to the conference, 146 national climate panels publicly presented a draft of national climate contributions (called " Intended Nationally Determined Contributions ", INDCs). These suggested commitments were estimated to limit global warming to 2.7 °C by 2100. For example,

10044-566: The text of which represented a consensus of the representatives of the 196 attending parties. The agreement was due to enter into force when joined by at least 55 countries which together represented at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions., a target reached on 4 November 2016. On 22 April 2016 ( Earth Day ), 174 countries signed the agreement in New York, and began adopting it within their own legal systems (through ratification , acceptance, approval, or accession). According to

10152-487: The then-ruling Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party, MPP) and demanded democratic reform. The dissident journalist and activist Mohamed Nasheed founded the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in 2003 and pressured Maumoon into allowing gradual political reforms. In 2008, a new constitution was approved and the first direct presidential elections occurred, which were won by Nasheed in

10260-417: The threat of death provoked a local revolt led by Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A'uẓam , his two brothers and Dhuvaafaru Dhandahele, who fifteen years later drove the Portuguese out of the Maldives. This event is now commemorated as National Day which is known as Qaumee Dhuvas (literally meaning "National" and "Day"). It is celebrated on 1st of Rabi' al-Awwal , the third month of Hijri (Islamic) calendar. In

10368-445: The time, Arabic had several consonants that looked identical and could only be differentiated by overall context (this has since changed by addition of dots above or below letters to clarify pronunciation – For example, the letter "B" in modern Arabic has a dot below, whereas the letter "T" looks identical except there are two dots above it). "ٮوسڡ الٮٮرٮرى" could be read as "Yusuf at-Tabrizi" or "Yusuf al-Barbari". The venerated tomb of

10476-401: The time. Others have it that he may have been from the Persian town of Tabriz . This interpretation, held by the more reliable local historical chronicles, Raadavalhi and Taarikh, is that Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari was Abdul Barakat Yusuf Shams ud-Dīn at-Tabrīzī, also locally known as Tabrīzugefānu. In the Arabic script the words al-Barbari and al-Tabrizi are very much alike, since at

10584-506: The tropical climate. Moreover, chiefs or headmen did not reside in elaborate stone palaces, nor did their religion require the construction of large temples or compounds. Comparative studies of Maldivian oral, linguistic, and cultural traditions confirm that the first settlers were people from the southern shores of the neighbouring Indian subcontinent , including the Giraavaru people , mentioned in ancient legends and local folklore about

10692-565: The world's greenhouse gas have ratified the Agreement. There is doubt whether some countries, especially the United States, will agree to do so, though the United States publicly committed, in a joint Presidential Statement with China, to joining the Agreement in 2016. Each country that ratifies the agreement will be required to set a target for emission reduction or limitation, called a "nationally determined contribution", or NDC, but

10800-561: Was an "historic turning point" in the goal of reducing global warming. However, some others criticized the fact that significant sections are "promises" or aims and not firm commitments by the countries. On 4th June 2024, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) opened in Dubai, marking an important event in the timeline of the Paris Agreement. The conference concluded the global stocktake,

10908-493: Was chaired by Senator Loren Legarda of the Philippines . The Philippines took over responsibility as CVF chair from Costa Rica in January 2015 and will continue to preside the Forum until mid-2016. In 2015, the chair announced the official launching of the 'Vulnerable Twenty' or 'V20' as a more comprehensive offshoot bloc from the established forum. The Philippines highlighted the importance of finance in climate change. The 'V20'

11016-454: Was confirmed as the incoming chair of the CVF at the Third High-Level Meeting of the CVF held during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris ( COP21 ). Forty-three governments have participated in the CVF from key developing regions around the world. In 2009, the following countries adopted its first declaration: Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, Maldives, Nepal, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Vietnam Two years later,

11124-642: Was held in Paris, France, from 30 November to 12 December 2015. It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol . The conference negotiated the Paris Agreement , a global agreement on the reduction of climate change ,

11232-529: Was officially launched by all member countries in the city of Lima in Peru(a non-member country which also handled come meetings in the 2015 APEC). The chairmanship of the Philippines coincided with its chairmanship of APEC , which created a much prepared mechanism for the flow and handling of the forum. Under the presidency of the Philippines, the CVF adopted the Manila-Paris Declaration and

11340-451: Was possible to bridge the old divide between developed and developing nations that had stymied global progress for so long ... That was the foundation for success in Paris." Harvard University published a case study on one aspect of the negotiations, focussing on the protection of forests. On 12 December 2015, the participating 196 countries agreed, by consensus, to the final global pact, the Paris Agreement , to reduce emissions as part of

11448-491: Was seen as ushering in a period of political stability and economic development given Maumoon's priority to develop the poorer islands. Tourism flourished and increased foreign contact spurred development. However, Maumoon's rule was controversial, with some critics saying Maumoon was an autocrat who quelled dissent by limiting freedoms and practising political favouritism. A series of coup attempts (in 1980, 1983, and 1988) by Nasir supporters and business interests tried to topple

11556-647: Was signed on behalf of the Sultan by Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, Prime Minister, and on behalf of the British government by Sir Michael Walker , British Ambassador-designate to the Maldive Islands, which formally ended the British authority on the defence and external affairs of the Maldives. The islands thus achieved independence, with the ceremony taking place at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Colombo . After this,

11664-653: Was the third chair of the CVF, from 2011 to 2013. Its government hosted a ministerial meeting of the forum on November 13–14, 2011 in Dhaka , where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon were keynote speakers at its inauguration ceremony. Nineteen climate-vulnerable countries supported the Declaration, and it was adopted in Dhaka on November 14, 2011. Costa Rica took over as CVF chair from Bangladesh in mid-2013. The CVF adopted an Action Plan under

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