Maldivians (Dhivehi pronunciation: [diˈʋehiŋ]; Dhivehi: ދިވެހިން, romanized: dhivehin) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group and nation native to the historic region of the Maldive Islands, present day Republic of Maldives and the island of Minicoy in Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India.

[17] For ethnographic and linguistic purposes as well as geopolitical reasons, anthropologists divide the Maldivian people into three subgroups.

This group inhabits the numerous atolls stretching from Ihavandhippolhu (Haa Alif) to Haddhunmathi (Laamu) in the Maldives.

From this group comes the standard dialect of the Maldivian language which is spoken in the Maldive's capital, Malé, along with the central atolls.

Minicoy island lies at the northern end of the Maldivian atoll chain and is the northernmost group.

[23] One of the earliest people to settle were from the Malabar Coast of India and northwestern shores of Sri Lanka, and are of Tamil and Malayali ancestry, evidenced by the Tamil–Malayalam substratum in language and culture.

Historical records show that in the southern and central atolls, occupations such as farming and weaving became important early on.

Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari, a North African Arab, is credited with converting the Maldivians to Islam in 1153.

In the Lōmāfānu and Rādavaḷi chronicles pre-Muslim royalty are represented by a king, whose successor was converted to Islam.

[24] This may be the reason that the Dhivehi kinship system is part of the Dravidian origin, and bears evidence of some matriliny, like the Nayar and other matrilineal groups of Kerala.

Five versions of the myth survive:[20] At a time when the Maldives were still sparsely inhabited, Prince Koimala, who had married the daughter of the king of Ceylon, made a voyage with her in two vessels from Srendib (Sri Lanka).

The man-beast married the king's daughter, but he made political trouble in Sri Lanka, so was forced into exile.

The king made large weights for his net, to heavy for ordinary humans to lift, preventing the creature from stealing it.

During the Mauryan period and the diffusion of Buddhism, sea traffic in the Bay of Bengal supplemented and, to some extent, surpassed that originating along the coasts of Western India.

Mariners from the peninsula's northwestern coasts must have on occasion been blown over to the Maldives—unmanned canoes and rafts from Kerala appeared there – and the dangers of shipwreck were vividly described in Jātakas.

[18] As a result of political activities during the early 1960s, the term Suvadivian was adopted by some authors to refer to the southern group.

[25] The Suvadivians, living on Huvadhu, Fuvahmulah and Addu atolls number approximately 60,000 and constitute about 20% of Maldivians.

Mahl communities have emerged in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in the southern state of Kerala.

In 1899, John Stanley Gardiner visited the Maldives and collected anthropometrical data on Maldivians from many islands.

The observations are consistent with historical records, showing that travellers from India, Indonesia, North Africa, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf areas settled in the Maldives.

[31] Thalassaemia is the most common genetically transmitted blood disease in the Maldives, and the study results suggest that many Maldivians had ancestors in the above-mentioned countries.

[30] Anthropological, ethnographic, and linguistic studies suggest that Maldivians share genes principally with the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka as well as western Indian populations, such as Marathis, Konkanis and Gujaratis with traces of Arab, Malay, southern Indian and North African genes.

[33] The study concluded that this data agreed with commonly reported Maldivian ancestry, and suggested multiple, independent immigration events and asymmetrical migration of females and males across the archipelago.

[33] The genetic study confirmed that the most likely origin of the Maldivian population was in South Asia with additions from the Middle East.

These include the use of local materials to produce objects such as mats, handheld or display objects, Private galleries and exhibitions organized by the government and the artists themselves, in the 21st century has encouraged young Maldivians to pursue painting, and other public and commercial art forms.

At meal times this would be carried into the Mauloodh Haruge (dining hall specially made for this event) and placed on straw mats for service.

Maldivian women wear a red top with a gold neck trim called a Libaas and a long black skirt.

Made of rice (soaked overnight), washed and blended to a smooth paste), coconut palm syrup, jasmine water, and jasmine flowers by placing all the ingredients apart from the flowers in a thick-bottomed pan and cooked over moderate heat by stirring constantly.

Made of patna rice flour, grated coconut, rihaakuru, blended rihaakuru bondi, eggs, thin-sliced onion, chopped curry leaves, cherry pepper, juice of two limes, ginger, salt to season, and oil by crushing the onion, curry leaves, cherry pepper, ginger with salt.

Common Maldivian family names include Bee, Beefan, Boo, Didi, Fan, Fulhu, Kader, Kalaminja, Kalinga, Kalo, Kavah, Kavya, Koi, Koya, Manik, Manika, Manike, Manikfan, Naha, Raha, Rana, Tarkan, Thakhan, Thakur, Thakurfan, and Veer.