Before the world was connected by easy travel, there was very little ethnic diversification. Groups of people separated by landmasses or oceans shared similar physical and cultural characteristics. In the tribal ages before colonialization, there were no 195 countries; there was barely a country. Coming rather late to the party, the Maldives islands started inhabitation somewhere at the beginning of colonial times.
The colonial era where large empires shook the Earth with warfare, diversified many cultures. Sharing knowledge, arts and innovations between empires creating the first possible global exchange. Although it did not change the languages, practices and beliefs mostly. What strikes in the Maldives is the fact that atolls are so further away from each other, in a time which speedboats did not exist. Going to a nearby atoll can take weeks, depending on the wind direction. Inhabitants of the islands were from different African, Arab and Indo-Asian tribes, which does not explain how it created a new compound race.
Surely if all tribes mix-matched in one island, it can explain the diversification. However, what are the chances that these different tribes came together on one island out of over 1190 islands? As written history was not introduced until the late monarchies, there is no written evidence of how the Maldivian race came about. Only possible theories suggest shipwreck victims and pirates took refuge in the country. How was the complex language created, and how did the social and cultural practices and beliefs grow so rapidly across the country. Even if different dialects existed, why is it sourcing to one same language; the Dhivehi language?
The Maldives consists of 26 natural atolls and over 1190 islands and a current population estimate of more than 400,000 people. It is still in question on how a secondary race was created in such an isolated and geographically complicated location. Although, it is no doubt that the world is blessed with this beautiful tropical tribe of people; the proud Dhivehi race.
