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The Maldives
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Background: |
The Maldives were long
a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection.
They became a republic in 1968, three years after independence.
Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.
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Location: |
Southern Asia, group of
atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India |
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Geographic coordinates: |
3 15 N, 73 00 E
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Area: |
total: 300 sq
km
land: 300 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
about 1.7 times the
size of Washington, DC |
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Maritime claims: |
measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid;
dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon
(June to August) |
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Terrain: |
flat, with white sandy
beaches |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the
Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
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Land use: |
arable land:
10%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 84% (1993 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
low level of islands
makes them very sensitive to sea level rise |
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Environment - current issues: |
depletion of freshwater
aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level
rise; coral reef bleaching |
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Environment - international
agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note: |
1,190 coral islands
grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with
tourist resorts); archipelago of strategic location astride and
along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean |
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Population: |
310,764 (July 2001
est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years:
45.63% (male 72,920; female 68,895)
15-64 years: 51.37% (male 81,506; female 78,149)
65 years and over: 3% (male 4,806; female 4,488) (2001 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
3.01% (2001 est.)
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Birth rate: |
38.15 births/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
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Death rate: |
8.09 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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Infant mortality rate: |
63.72 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population:
62.56 years
male: 61.39 years
female: 63.8 years (2001 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
5.5 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.05% (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with
HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
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Ethnic groups: |
South Indians,
Sinhalese, Arabs |
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Languages: |
Maldivian Dhivehi
(dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by
most government officials |
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Literacy: |
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.2%
male: 93.3%
female: 93% (1995 est.) |
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Country name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives
local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
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Government type: |
republic |
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Administrative divisions: |
19 atolls (atholhu,
singular and plural) and 1 other first-order administrative
division*; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu,
Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale*,
Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu |
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Independence: |
26 July 1965 (from UK)
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 26
July (1965) |
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Constitution: |
adopted January 1998
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Legal system: |
based on Islamic law
with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial
matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage: |
21 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11
November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: appointed by the president; note - need not be
members of Majlis
elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then that
nomination must be ratified by a national referendum (at least a 51%
approval margin is required); president elected for a five-year
term; election last held 16 October 1998 (next to be held NA October
2003)
election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected;
percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.9% |
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Legislative branch: |
unicameral People's
Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected by popular vote, 8 appointed
by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 November 1999 (next to be held NA
November 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats -
independents 42 |
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Judicial branch: |
High Court |
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Political parties and leaders: |
although political
parties are not banned, none exist |
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Political pressure groups and
leaders: |
none |
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International organization
participation: |
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory
user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
Maldives does not have
an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in
New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the
US: |
the US does not have an
embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to
Maldives and makes periodic visits there |
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Flag description: |
red with a large green
rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the
closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag
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Economy - overview: |
Tourism, Maldives
largest industry, accounts for 20% of GDP and more than 60% of the
Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax
revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Almost
400,000 tourists visited the islands in 1998. Fishing is a second
leading sector. The Maldivian Government began an economic reform
program in 1989 initially by lifting import quotas and opening some
exports to the private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized
regulations to allow more foreign investment. Agriculture and
manufacturing continue to play a minor role in the economy,
constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the
shortage of domestic labor. Most staple foods must be imported.
Industry, which consists mainly of garment production, boat
building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian
authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global
warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is one meter or
less above sea level. |
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GDP: |
purchasing power parity
- $594 million (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
7.6% (2000 est.)
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity
- $2,000 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture:
20%
industry: 18%
services: 62% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
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Household income or consumption by
percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2000 est.)
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Labor force: |
67,000 (1995)
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 22%,
industry 18%, services 60% (1995) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $166
million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures
of $80 million (1999 est.) |
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Industries: |
fish processing,
tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments,
woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
4.4% (1996 est.)
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Electricity - production: |
101 million kWh (1999)
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
93.9 million kWh (1999)
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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Agriculture - products: |
coconuts, corn, sweet
potatoes; fish |
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Exports: |
$88 million (f.o.b.,
2000 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
fish, clothing
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Exports - partners: |
US, UK, Sri Lanka,
Japan |
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Imports: |
$372 million (f.o.b.,
2000 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
consumer goods,
intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products |
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Imports - partners: |
Singapore, India, Sri
Lanka, Japan, Canada |
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Debt - external: |
$237 million (2000
est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$NA |
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Exchange rates: |
rufiyaa per US dollar -
11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
21,000 (1999)
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
1,290 (1997)
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
minimal domestic and international facilities
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links;
all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
international: satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1
(1998) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
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Televisions: |
10,000 (1999)
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Internet country code: |
.mv |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
2,000 (2000)
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Highways: |
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6 km of coral highways
within the city (1988 est.) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Gan, Male |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 17 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 58,604 GRT/81,451 DWT
ships by type: cargo 16, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.)
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
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Military branches: |
National Security
Service |
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Military manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
71,856 (2001 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military
service: |
males age 15-49:
40,006 (2001 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar
figure: |
$NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of
GDP: |
NA% |
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