Maldives High Sea

West of the Maldives, the Indian Ocean opens beyond a long chain of coral atolls. The islands were an important source of cowrie shells, exported for use as money across Asia and parts of East Africa. Their trading connections extended to India and Sri Lanka as well as to Aceh and other Southeast Asian kingdoms. Chinese fleets under Zheng He visited in 1411 and 1430, while Portuguese rule over the islands lasted from 1558 until 1573.