Maldives
2020 Stamp Programme
- 12 February 2020: Sea Life
- 12 February 2020: Flightless Birds
- 12 February 2020: Australian Trains
- 12 February 2020: Marilyn Monroe
- 12 February 2020: Napoleon Bonaparte 250th Birth Anniversary
- 12 February 2020: Launch of Luna 1 60th Anniversary
- 12 February 2020: Alexei Leonov Tribute
- 12 February 2020: Orchids
- 12 February 2020: Big Cats
- 12 February 2020: Sharks
- 12 February 2020: Dinosaurs
- 12 February 2020: Eagles
- 12 February 2020: Pigeons
- 12 February 2020: Mahatma Gandhi 150th Birth Anniversary
- 12 February 2020: Parrots
- 12 February 2020: Flying Dinosaurs
- 12 February 2020: Indigo Birds
- 12 February 2020: Butterflies
- 12 February 2020: Falcons
- 12 February 2020: Ducks
- 12 February 2020: Shells and Fossils
- 12 February 2020: Special Transport
- 12 February 2020: Lunar New Year — Year of the Rat
- 12 February 2020: Battle of Leyte Gulf 75th Anniversary
- 12 February 2020: Launch of Mars Polar Lander 20th Anniversary
- 12 February 2020: Marlins
- 12 February 2020: Paul P. Harris
- 12 February 2020: Memorial Sculpture ”Fallen Astronaut”
- 12 February 2020: Cats
- 12 April 2020: Tigran Petrosian 90th Birth Anniversary
- 12 April 2020: Orchids (Series 2)
- 12 April 2020: Trams
- 12 April 2020: Submarines
- 12 April 2020: Tall Ships
- 12 April 2020: High Speed Trains
- 12 April 2020: Nobel Laureates 2019
- 12 April 2020: Trains of Norway
- 12 April 2020: Ships and Vessels Sunk by Submarine
- 12 April 2020: Whales
- 12 April 2020: Prehistoric Water Animals
- 12 April 2020: Military Planes
- 12 April 2020: Bees and Hornets
- 12 April 2020: Dogs
- 12 April 2020: World of Minerals — Germany
- 19 July 2020: Mushrooms
- 19 July 2020: Endangered Species
- 19 July 2020: Orcas
- 19 July 2020: Manatees
- 19 July 2020: Turtles
- 19 July 2020: Owls
- 19 July 2020: Butterflies (Series 2)
- 19 July 2020: Spirit Landing on Mars 15th Anniversary
- 19 July 2020: Beginning of World War II 80th Anniversary
- 19 July 2020: Russian Trains
- 19 July 2020: RMS Titanic
- 19 July 2020: Scouting
- 19 July 2020: Fire Engines
- 19 July 2020: Lighthouses
- 19 July 2020: Birds of Paradise
- 23 July 2020: Mushrooms (Series 2)
- 23 July 2020: Dinosaurs (Series 2)
- 23 July 2020: Shells
- 23 July 2020: Kingfishers
- 23 July 2020: Extinct Birds
- 23 July 2020: Fishes
- 23 July 2020: Discovery of Antarctica Bicentenary
- 23 July 2020: Elvis Presley 85th Birth Anniversary
- 23 July 2020: Buzz Aldrin 90th Birth Anniversary
- 23 July 2020: Solo Flight of Amelia Earhart 85th Anniversary
- 23 July 2020: Operation ” Black Friday ” 75th Anniversary
- 23 July 2020: Liberation of Nelson Mandela 30th Anniversary
- 23 July 2020: Alain Prost 65th Birth Anniversary
- 23 July 2020: Kobe Bryant Tribute
- 23 July 2020: Global Warming
Maldives (/ˈmɔːldiːvs/, US: /ˈmɔːldaɪvz/; Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, romanized: Dhivehi Raajje), officially the Republic of Maldives, is a small archipelagic island country in South Asia, situated in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 700 kilometres (430 mi) from the Asian continent’s mainland. The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south to the Equator. Comprising a territory spanning roughly 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi), the Maldives is one of the world’s most geographically dispersed sovereign states as well as the smallest Asian country by land area and population, with around 515,696 inhabitants. Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the “King’s Island” where the ancient royal dynasties ruled for its central location.
The Maldives archipelago is located on the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean; this also forms a terrestrial ecoregion, together with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep. With an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is the world’s lowest-lying country, with even its highest natural point being one of the lowest in the world, at 5.1 metres (17 ft).
In the 12th century Islam reached the Maldivian archipelago, which was 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 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,[15] and environmental challenges posed by climate change.
The Maldives became a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It is also 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. Fishing has historically been the dominant economic activity, and remains the largest sector by far, followed by the rapidly growing tourism industry. The Maldives rate “high” on the Human Development Index,[11] with per-capita income significantly higher than other SAARC nations.
The Maldives was a member of the Commonwealth from July 1982 until withdrawing from the organization in October 2016 in protest at allegations by the other nations of its human-rights abuses and failing democracy. The Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth on 1 February 2020 after showing evidence of functioning democratic processes and popular support.
