SSC
'Dhivehi' is the official language of which country?
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Answer: Option C — Maldives
Detailed Solution
Dhivehi (also spelt Divehi) is the official and national language of the Republic of Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, south-west of India and Sri Lanka. It is spoken by almost the entire population of the country.
Dhivehi is an Indo-Aryan language, closely related to Sinhala, the main language of Sri Lanka. It developed from an ancient form of Prakrit and has borrowed many words from Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Malayalam, Portuguese and English. It is written in a unique script called Thaana, which is written from right to left, like Arabic. Thaana developed in the 16th-17th centuries and uses letters derived partly from Arabic numerals.
Facts about the Maldives:
- Capital: Malé.
- Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa.
It consists of about 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 natural atolls, spread over about 90,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean. Only about 200 islands are inhabited.
It is the smallest country in Asia by both area and population.
It is the lowest-lying country in the world, with an average height of about 1.5 metres above sea level. This makes it extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by climate change.
It became independent from British protection in 1965 and a republic in 1968. Islam is the state religion.
It is a popular tourist destination, famous for its coral reefs, beaches and water villas.
India and the Maldives share close relations. India was among the first countries to recognise the Maldives' independence. In 1988, India helped the Maldivian government foil a coup attempt through "Operation Cactus". India has also helped the Maldives during crises, such as the 2004 tsunami and the 2014 water crisis in Malé ("Operation Neer"). The Maldives is part of India's "Neighbourhood First" policy.
Lakshadweep, India's island Union Territory, lies to the north of the Maldives. The island of Minicoy (Maliku) in Lakshadweep is the only place in India where a dialect of Dhivehi called Mahl is spoken.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Sri Lanka's official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
- ✗Mauritius uses English and French officially, and Mauritian Creole widely.
- ✗Seychelles uses English, French and Seychellois Creole.
Quick tip
Remember: Maldives = Dhivehi (Thaana script, right to left), capital Malé, currency rufiyaa, lowest-lying country, smallest in Asia; Operation Cactus (1988); Mahl dialect spoken in Minicoy (Lakshadweep).
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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.