Malé

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Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ), (pronounced: "Maa-lay") population 81,647 (2004), is the capital of the Republic of Maldives. The city is located on Malé Island in the Kaafu Atoll. Although Malé is geographically located in Kaafu Atoll, administratively it is not considered part of it. A commercial harbor is located in the Island. It is the heart of all commercial activities in the country. Many government buildings and agencies are located on the waterfront. Malé International Airport is on adjacent Hulhule Island which includes a seaplane base for internal transportation. Several land reclamation projects have expanded the harbour. Malé is located at 4°10' North, 73°30' East (4.1667, 73.5). <ref>http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/cntry_files.html</ref>

The town of Malé was founded by Portuguese traders in the 16th century. <ref>http://www.greatestcities.com/users/cbray5003/Asia/Maldives/</ref>

The island is heavily urbanised, the city taking up essentially its entire landmass. It is the world's most densely populated city (see list of selected cities by population density). Slightly less than one third of the nation's population lives in the capital city. Many, if not most, Maldivians and foreign workers in Maldives find themselves in occasional short term residence on the island due to it being the only entry point to the nation and the center of all administration and bureaucracy.

The town is divided into four divisions; Henveiru, Galolhu, Maafannu and Machangolhi.

Malé was struck by the tsunami that swept across the western coast of Sumatra on December 26 2004. It was affected by the Indian Ocean earthquake which followed with the waves flooding two-thirds of the city. The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis reportedly killed over 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean.

Image:Road in male.jpg

[edit] The name

The name Malé is taken from the word "Mahaalay" which has come from the Sanskrit language. The name is derived from maha, meaning "big" or "great" and aalay meaning house. Generally the word Mahaalay is used for the palace of a king or capital (king's island) in Sanskrit, e.g. Mahaalay of King Asok. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Folktale about the origin

A common folktale among Giraavaru people about Malé:

" The first settlers in the Maldivian islands were the people of Giraavaru. [1] [2] They were good fishermen and everyday after fishing they go to a specific "Finolhu" (a small Desert island) and cut their fish and throw the remaining on that Finolhu. This happens every day, so the surroundings of the island is left as a "big pool of blood". In Dhivehi language "Maa" means big and "Ley" means blood. Thus, the local Giraavaru people described that island as "maa ley gandeh". Here "gandeh" is used as a suffix to give the sense of a "whole mass of blood". Days passed all the same until one day they met a prince from SriLanka called Koimala Kalou [3]. The people of Giraavaru made him the king and he settled down in that island (which was the finolhu). The island was named Malé (pronounced maa-ley). The main four wards of the island also have their names derived from what the Giraavaru fishermen used to call parts and surroundings of that island. Maafannu ward got its name from "maa"(big) and "fannu"(village), Henveiru Ward from "En-beyru"(out where fishermen got their bait), Galolhu got its name from "Galu-olhu" (stone mangrove) and, Macchangolhi from Mathi-angolhi (windward junction)."

[edit] See also

• Hulhumalé
• Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on the Maldives

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Satelite view of Malé from WikiMapia
• Google satellite image
• General information about Maldives and Malebn:মালে

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