Worden (CG 18) - Naval Cruise Book

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k? ..F,,. .lf '--' N X N' x MM2 Kacmarcik relaxes on the beach. You can Hang Loose even in the Maldives say Jiggs Franchi, Chuck Auxter, Ray Spicuzza and Steve, a tourist. 52

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flaidives and l -4... UPG' i K ff l I The early history of the Maldives is ob- scure. According to Maldivian legend, a Sinhalese prince and his bride, the daugh- ter of the King of Sri Lanka, honey- mooned in a Maldivian lagoon. He liked it so much he decided to stay on to rule as the first Sultan. The islands were gov- erned as a sultanate from 1153 to 1968 with two exceptions - 15 years of Portu- guese rule in the 16th century and a short- lived republican government in 1953. Over the centuries, the islands were visited and inf1uenced by sailors from countries bor- dering the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean littorals. Mopla pirates from the Malabar Coast long harassed the Mal- dives. In the 16th century, the islands were plagued by Portuguese raiders, who were eventually driven away by the war- rior-patriot Mohammed Al-Azan. In No- vember 1968, the sultanate was abolished, and the country assumed its present name, Republic of Maldives. The Maldives are a chain of 19 atolls extending 500 miles from north to south. The atolls are comprised of 1,200 coral islands each smaller than five square miles. About 200 of the 1,200 islands are inhabited, and only 33 have more than 1,000 people. The greatest concentration of the population is on the capital island, Male. Though most islands are uninhabit- ed, there is little room for expansion be- cause fresh water and farmland are scarce. Islam is the official religion, and the offi- cial language is Dhivehi, but English is widely spoken. The Maldivian economy is based on fishing, tourism, and shipping. 51

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To travel from one island to another required a 45 minute boat ride. Doc Vining discovers a different world underwat-