Malé

Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives, located on the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll). Administratively, it comprises a central island, an airport island, and five other islands overseen by the Malé City Council. The central island is heavily urbanized, with its built-up area covering virtually the entire landmass. Slightly less than one-third of the nation’s population resides in the capital, and the population grew from 20,000 in 1987 to 100,000 in 2006. Many Maldivians and foreign workers live there temporarily due to its role as the administrative and bureaucratic hub. Most residents inhabit small houses or apartment complexes, often shared with extended family or roommates, which spurred the development of the planned island of Hulhumalé and its Phase 2 extension. The Indian expatriate community is the second-largest in the city, numbering around 27,000, including construction workers, doctors, nurses, teachers, and other skilled and unskilled laborers.

Historically, Malé was known as the King’s Island, where ancient royal dynasties ruled from a palace. The city was originally called Mahal. It was once a walled city with fortifications and gates, but the Royal Palace (Gan'duvaru), along with forts (koshi) and bastions (buruzu), was destroyed when President Ibrahim Nasir remodeled the city after the abolition of the monarchy in 1968. Some structures survived, such as the Malé Friday Mosque. The island has been considerably expanded through land reclamation in recent decades. Islam has shaped the city since 1153 CE, when the Maldives converted from Buddhism under the influence of North African traders and missionaries. This religious shift is visible in mosques like the 17th-century Hukuru Miskiy (Friday Mosque), built from coral stone. The city’s name is linked to the word “Maldives,” meaning “the islands of Malé.” Early Tamil settlers may have called the islands Maalaitivu, meaning Garland Islands. According to lore, Giraavaru fishermen cleaned tuna on a sandbank, staining the waters like a big pool of blood (“maa ley gandeh”), and a northern prince named Koimala later settled there, leading to the island being named Maa-le (Malé). The central island hosts a commercial harbor that is the heart of national trade, while Velana International Airport lies on Hulhulé Island.