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] is widely spoken<ref name="auto"/> by the locals of Maldives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maldives.tourism-srilanka.com/travel-tips/language.html|title=Maldives Languages - Languages of Maldives - Language Spoken In Maldives|website=maldives.tourism-srilanka.com}}</ref>
] is widely spoken<ref name="auto"/> by the locals of Maldives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maldives.tourism-srilanka.com/travel-tips/language.html|title=Maldives Languages - Languages of Maldives - Language Spoken In Maldives|website=maldives.tourism-srilanka.com}}</ref> The spread of English has reached almost every corner of the world, and the Republic of the Maldives is no exception. Following the nation's opening to the outside world, the introduction of English as a medium of instruction at secondary and tertiary level of education, and its government's recognition of the opportunities offered through tourism, English has now firmly established itself in the country. As such, Maldives is quite similar to the countries in the Gulf region. The nation is undergoing vast societal change, and English is emerging part of this.
There are a number of languages spoken in Maldives.
Dhivehi
The official and common language is Dhivehi, an Indo-Aryan language closely related to the Sinhala language of Sri Lanka. The first known script used to write Dhivehi is eveyla akuru, which is found in historical recording of kings (raadhavalhi). Later a script called dhives akuru was used for a long period. The present-day script is called Thaana and is written from right to left. Thaana is said to have been introduced by the reign of Mohamed Thakurufaanu. The Dhivehi language is spoken by virtually the whole population.
Arabic
Arabic (عربي) is the religious language of Muslims as well as the language of the Quran and Sunnah. Arabic is taught as a religious language in mosques. Some of the population has some formal or informal education in the reading, writing and pronunciation of the Arabic language, as part of religious education.
English
English is widely spoken by the locals of Maldives. The spread of English has reached almost every corner of the world, and the Republic of the Maldives is no exception. Following the nation's opening to the outside world, the introduction of English as a medium of instruction at secondary and tertiary level of education, and its government's recognition of the opportunities offered through tourism, English has now firmly established itself in the country. As such, Maldives is quite similar to the countries in the Gulf region. The nation is undergoing vast societal change, and English is emerging part of this.
