Maldive Islands

The first stamp issue of the Maldive Islands appeared in 1906. It was an overprinted set of 1904-05 stamps of Ceylon, bearing the portrait of King Edward VII of England. At this time, the Maldives was a dependency of Ceylon, which was a British Protectorate. The next couple of series (1909 and 1933) pictures the Minaret of Juma, highlighting the country’s Islamic heritage. In November, 1968, the island nation abolished the sultanate that had existed for 800 years and became a republic. Since then its stamps have been inscribed Republic of Maldives, replacing the former Maldive Islands.