THE MALDIVES: A BRIEF INTRO

• The Maldives is a chain of nearly 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean
• Fewer than 200 of those islands are inhabited but with sandy beaches and coral, tourism is the Maldives' largest industry
• It became a protectorate under the Dutch in the 17th Century and then the British in the 19th Century. It achieved full independence in 1965
• President Mohamed Nasheed came to power after elections in 2008 ended 30 years of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
• A former political prisoner and activist, President Nasheed highlighted the threat of global warming to the low-lying islands
• But he has faced fierce political opposition, as parliament is dominated by opposition supporters of the former president
• Tensions escalated last month after the army arrested a senior judge the government accused of political bias, prompting street protests.