When was the Maldives a British protectorate?

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After the British took possession of Ceylon in 1796, the Maldives became a British protectorate, a status formalized in 1887. In 1965 the Maldives attained complete political independence from the British, and in 1968 a new republic was inaugurated. British troops left on March 29, 1976, and this day is now celebrated as Maldives Independence Day.