The new president of the Maldives wants to relocate — his entire country. Mohamed “Anni” Nasheed, a former political prisoner, was sworn in Tuesday after he unseated Asia’s longest-serving leader in the country’s first multi-party elections. He inherits an island nation with several problems. The Maldives is an archipelago of almost 1,200 coral islands located south-southwest of India. Most of the islands lie just 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) above sea level. And so the tourist nation, which has white sandy beaches that lure well-heed Westerners, wants to set aside some of the billion dollars a year it receives from tourism and spend that money on buying a new homeland. Land owned by Sri Lanka and India are possibilities because the countries have similar cultures, cuisine and climate.
Climate Change is not the only challenge the new president will have to tackle, though. Other thorny issues include rising unemployment, corruption and a staggering drug epidemic. By some estimates, one of every three Maldivian youth uses drugs. Maldivians also worry that their tiny secular nation of 370,000 Muslims could fall prey to the reach of Islamic radicals
I very much doubt if India will sell land
Intresting article. It is very thoughtful of Maldives president to see future problem. In lighter tone, I have a suggestion. US is in finance crisis. They need money. Real Estate is down. They also have provisions to sell complete Island. US has a lot of freespace! Further US needs space for military base in Indian Ocean!
This search for literally an alternative nation is quite interesting. If the projections of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have validity, sea levels worldwide could rise up to two feet by 2100 as ice sheets eroded and warming seawater expanded. So the president’s concerns are very genuine. The capital Male is already ringed by sea walls, built with assistance from Japan…It is an interesting question as to which part of India we would consider for a sale…Any suggestions Amit?(Your choices- Kashmir, Assam, Part of Rajasthan, part of Andhra)…..PGR