SSC MTS EXAM

Detailed explanation-1: -The people of the Maldives islands are widely dispersed across the atolls, with about 200 inhabited islands. About 164 islands are developed as tourist resorts and the remaining islands are uninhabited or used for agriculture & other livelihood purposes.

Detailed explanation-2: -Out of the hundreds of islands within the Maldives, there are 26 different atolls (or collections of islands). But only about 200 of those are actually inhabited by people. These include islands with year-round, permanent populations like Male Island, as well as farming towns and fishing villages.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Maldives has been inhabited since around the 5th century BC, with early settlers arriving from present-day Sri Lanka and India. Initially, the inhabitants practiced Buddhism, but by 1153 CE, the Maldives converted to Islam under Arab influence.