Between the thousands of miles of waves in the Indian Ocean, there is such a country - the Maldives. The country is made up of 1,192 coral islands and atolls, with a total land area of only 298 square kilometers, making it the smallest country in Asia. However, in the midst of this isolated island, there is a city with an unimaginable population density, which can be called "the most crowded city in the world".
There are many small people, and 200,000 people crowd the island
This shockingly crowded city is Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Male Island is only 1.96 square kilometers, equivalent to two-thirds the size of Beijing's Summer Palace, but it actually houses 248,000 people, accounting for nearly half of the country's total population. This means that Male's population density is as high as 126,000 people per square kilometre, which is much more crowded than Hong Kong and Macau, which have always had high population densities.
To visualize this outrageous crowding, compare Male to a football stadium. A standard football field has an area of about 0.8 hectares, which is equivalent to 8,000 square meters. That translates to the size of 275 standard football fields, but it has to accommodate 248,000 people, which is almost 900 people living on each football field!
The main reason why the city of Malé is so crowded is that the Maldives has very little land area in the country, and coupled with the high concentration of functions of the capital, the population is naturally concentrated here. As the local population continues to grow, the demographic pressure in Male is becoming more and more enormous.
Lack of land, ask for space in the sky
With such demographic pressure, the only way out for Male is upward. In order to make more living space for the residents, the buildings in Malé are all narrow and high, and the height of the buildings is generally 2-3 storeys, which is far from the high-rise scene we imagined in the capital.
On the one hand, this construction pattern is due to the fact that Malé is a coral island, and the foundation cannot withstand the weight of high-rise buildings, which will affect the structural safety. On the other hand, the construction of high-rise buildings will increase the consumption of freshwater resources, which is undoubtedly worse for the already water-scarce islands.
As a result, there are many tall buildings in Male, covering almost the entire island, leaving only a few narrow and winding alleys. Male was once voted the "most congested capital in the world", with a dense population and a variety of facilities that can be easily crowded.
Life is compressed, and everything is simple
In the face of such a crowded living environment, the lifestyle of the Malé people has naturally become "streamlined". The most common means of transportation is walking, biking or motorcycling, and there are no buses throughout the city. The widest road in Male can only accommodate two cars side by side, and there is no wide arterial road in sight.
The living conditions are also extremely cramped and cramped. Houses in Male are generally only 2-3 storeys tall and have a compact layout. The spacing between the rooms on the floor is very narrow, and the interior space is also limited. Many Malé citizens maintain a simple and modest lifestyle even at home.
However, despite the constraints of living conditions, the residents of Male do not necessarily feel aggrieved. This compressed lifestyle has cultivated their simple, thrifty attitude, and formed a unique quality of life with the fresh air and sunny environment of the island.
Don't mess with each other when you meet on a narrow road, and live a slow life in a small town
Male is crowded, but it doesn't mean it's cluttered. On the contrary, the city feels orderly and full of the unique culture of the island nation.
The first thing that catches your eye is the characteristic residential architecture of Malé. The exterior walls of these houses are uniformly white, while the doors and windows are bright blue-green, which contrasts sharply with the white walls, and the colors are bright and festive, full of sun-like warmth. Rooted in local feng shui culture and decorative traditions, this practice adds a touch of life to the tiny town of Male.
Further in, you'll find the National Museum of Maldives in the heart of the city's Sultan Park, an old Maldivian building that was once the royal palace of the Sultanates. The Friday Mosque, built in 1656, is not only an important Islamic attraction, but also a masterpiece of coral stone carvings.
In addition to these iconic buildings, the streets and alleys of Male are also full of slow life. The roads here are not asphalted, but paved with white fine coral sand and Dutch bricks. Vehicles are neither dusty nor noisy, and pedestrians can walk slowly and smell the flowers in the slightly humid air. Although the city is small, it has been infiltrated with a unique cultural atmosphere.
Outlook: Reclamation to ease pressure
While it is true that Malé is extremely crowded right now, that doesn't mean it will have to be that way forever. In fact, in recent years, Male has resorted to land reclamation to increase land area and alleviate population pressure.
Through long-term land reclamation, the administrative area of Malé has been expanding. The total area of Malé has increased to 8.3 square kilometres, including new land parcels such as Hulhumale, and continues to expand. At the same time, Malé is also connected to the nearby island of Velana International Airport via the China-Malaysia Friendship Bridge, creating a hub for overseas use. It can be said that Malé is gradually moving away from the limitations of the "pocket capital" and moving towards a broader development path.
However, rising sea levels pose an ongoing existential threat to Male and the Maldives as a whole. How to strike a balance between development and the protection of the ecological environment is a long-term issue facing Malé. This is perhaps the best opportunity and challenge for small island cities when facing development challenges.
The extremely crowded city of Malé is not only attracting attention from the world, but also reflects the tireless efforts of the Maldivian people to make a living in difficult conditions. In the face of the dual challenges of population pressure and natural environment, the people of Male have used their wisdom to carve out a unique living space on the island, which is worthy of our understanding and understanding with an open and inclusive mind.