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Maldives is a paradise of beaches washed by turquoise waters and tropical islands bathed in endless sunshine. It is a country rich in culture and natural beauty and has been blessed with expansive natural parks, fertile plains and remote jungles. Located in the Indian Ocean, Maldives enjoys the reputation for being the flattest country in the world, with the maximum altitude never surpassing 2.3 metres. This island nation is a conglomeration of the Maldive group of atolls and the Suvadive group of atolls. Out of the atolls of this region, 26 of them encompass a territory that consists of 1,192 islets. However, due to the negative effects of global warming and the flat terrain of Maldives, many of the islands of this nation are on the verge of drowning beneath ocean waters.
Presumably first settled by Buddhist seafarers from India and Sri Lanka, Maldives adopted Islam in A.D. 1153. After brief domination by Portuguese and Dutch forces, they came under British protection in 1887 and were a dependency of the then colony of Ceylon until 1948. Maldives became independent following an agreement with Britain signed on July 26, 1965. Despite the devastation of tsunami in 2004, it fares as one of the hottest tourism destinations of the world.
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