They allowed Prince Koimala to settle on that large sandbank in the midst of the waters tainted with fish blood. The people of Giraavaru spotted his vessel from afar and welcomed him. However, one day, a prince from the subcontinent called Koimala arrived in the Malé Atoll sailing from the North on a big ship. They lived in a simple society and were ruled by local headmen. Traditionally the first inhabitants of the Maldives, which include the Giravaru people, did not have kings. Owing to the large amount of tuna fish offal and blood, the waters around that sandbank looked like a big pool of blood ("maa ley gandeh": "maa" from the Sanskrit मह "maha", meaning big, and "lē" blood). According to regional lore, Giraavaru fishermen used to go regularly to a certain large sandbank ( finolhu) at the southern end of their atoll to clean tuna fish after a good catch. Early records also indicate that the island was called " Athamana Huraa" prior to being named Malé. It is said that early Tamil settlers called the islands Maalaitivu, which means Garland Islands or Chain Islands. The Giraavaru people of Giraavaru claim descent from the first Tamil settlers of the Maldives. Comparative studies of Maldivian linguistic, oral, and other cultural traditions, in addition to folklore, point to a strong Dravidian influence on Maldivian society, centered in Malé, from ancient times. The first settlers in the Maldivian islands were Dravidian people who arrived from the neighboring shores of the modern Indian subcontinent and coastal Ceylon. The word "Maldives" means "the islands (dives) of Malé". The whole island group, the Maldives, is named after its capital. This led to the development of Hulhumalé and Phase 2. Most of the population of Malé live in small houses, often shared with external family or roommates. Many Maldivians and foreign workers living in other parts of the country find themselves in occasional short term residence on the island since it is the centre of administration and bureaucracy. Slightly less than one third of the nation's population lives in the capital city, and the population has increased from 20,000 people in 1987 to 100,000 people in 2006. The central island is heavily urbanised, with the built-up area taking up essentially its entire landmass. Velana International Airport is located on the Island of Hulhulé. A commercial harbour is located on the central island and serves as the heart of all commercial activities in the country. Five more islands form part of the city which includes Hulhulé, Hulhumalé, Vilimalé, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The central part of the city is formed by the island of Malé. Over the years, Malé has been the center of political protests and milestone events.Īlthough Malé is geographically located in Kaafu Atoll, administratively it is not considered part of it. In the last few decades, the island has been considerably expanded in size through land reclamation. However, some buildings remained, namely, the Malé Friday Mosque. The Royal Palace ( Gan'duvaru) was destroyed along with the picturesque forts ( koshi) and bastions ( buruzu) when the city was remodelled under President Ibrahim Nasir's rule in the aftermath of the abolition of the monarchy in 1968. Formerly it was a walled city surrounded by fortifications and gates ( doroshi). Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located. The city is geographically located in the southern edge of North Malé Atoll ( Kaafu Atoll) Īdministratively, the city consists of a central island, an airport island, and four other islands presided over by the Malé City Council. With a population of 252,768 and an area of 8.30 square kilometres (3.20 sq mi), it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Malé ( / ˈ m ɑː l eɪ/, locally Dhivehi: މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives.
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