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 |
About Maldives |
|
| Introduction |
|
| Background: |
The
Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch
and then under British protection. It became a republic
in 1968, three years after independence. Since 1978,
President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM - currently in his
sixth term in office - has dominated the islands'
political scene. Following riots in the capital
Male in August 2004, the president and his government
pledged to embark upon democratic reforms, including
a more representative political system and expanded
political freedoms. Progress has been slow, however,
and many promised reforms have been delayed indefinitely.
Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago. |
|
| Geography |
| Location: |
Southern
Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest
of India |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
3
15 N, 73 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Asia |
| Area: |
total:
300 sq km
land: 300 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about
1.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land
boundaries: |
0
km |
| Coastline: |
644
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
measured
from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical;
hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March);
rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
| Terrain: |
flat,
with white sandy beaches |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest
point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili
island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
| Natural
resources: |
fish |
| Land
use: |
arable
land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 30%
other: 56.67% (2005) |
| Irrigated
land: |
NA |
| Natural
hazards: |
low
level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea
level rise |
| Environment
- current issues: |
depletion
of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global
warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
1,190
coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited
islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago
with strategic location astride and along major sea
lanes in Indian Ocean |
|
| People |
| Population: |
369,031 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 42.9%
(male 81,383/female 76,984)
15-64 years: 54% (male 101,699/female
97,518)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,619/female
5,828) (2007 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 18.1 years
male:
18 years
female: 18.2 years (2007 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.732% (2007 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
34.2 births/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
6.88 deaths/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.057 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.043 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.964 male(s)/female
total population: 1.046
male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 53.25 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 52.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
54.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
64.76 years
male: 63.41 years
female: 66.19 years
(2007 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.78 children born/woman
(2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 100 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective:
Maldivian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
South Indians, Sinhalese,
Arabs |
| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim |
| Languages: |
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect
of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken
by most government officials |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15
and over can read and write
total population: 96.3%
male: 96.2%
female: 96.4% (2000 census) |
|
| Government
|
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives
local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Capital: |
name:
Male
geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative
divisions: |
19
atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and the capital
city*; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu
Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu,
Lhaviyani, Maale* (Male), Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu,
Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu |
| Independence: |
26
July 1965 (from UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence
Day, 26 July (1965) |
| Constitution: |
adopted
1 January 1998 |
| Legal
system: |
based
on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law
primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
21
years of age; universal |
| 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)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the
president
elections: president nominated by the Majlis;
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 17
October 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
reelected in referendum held 17 October 2003; percent
of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.3% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 members elected
by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 22 January 2005 (next to
be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats
- independents 50 |
| Judicial
branch: |
High
Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Adhaalath
(Justice) Party or AP [Abdul Majeed Abdul BARI]; Dhivehi
Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) or DRP
[Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM]; Islamic Democratic Party or
IDP [Omar NASEER]; Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP
[Mohamed NASHEED]; note - political parties were allowed
to register in June 2005 |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
various
unregistered political parties |
| International
organization participation: |
AsDB,
C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief
of mission: Ambassador Mohamed LATHEEF
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York,
NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195
FAX: [1] (212) 661-6405 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
|
| Economy |
| Economy
- overview: |
Tourism,
Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 28% 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. Fishing is
the second leading sector. Agriculture and manufacturing
continue to play a lesser 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 7% of GDP. 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. Real GDP growth averaged
over 7.5% per year for more than a decade. In late December
2004, a major tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000
displaced, and property damage exceeding $300 million.
As a result of the tsunami, the GDP contracted by about
3.6% in 2005. A rebound in tourism, post-tsunami reconstruction,
and development of new resorts helped boost GDP by about
18 percent in 2006. The trade deficit has expanded sharply
as a result of high oil prices and imports of construction
material. Diversifying beyond tourism and fishing is
the major challenge facing the government. Over the
longer term 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. |
| GDP
(purchasing power parity): |
$2.839
billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP
(official exchange rate): |
$906
million (2006 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
18%
(2006 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
16%
industry: 7%
services: 77% (2006 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
101,300
(2004) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture:
22%
industry: 18%
services: 60% (1995) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
NEGL%
(2003 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
21%
(2004) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6%
(2005 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$508 million (including foreign grants)
expenditures: $671 million (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coconuts,
corn, sweet potatoes; fish |
| Industries: |
tourism,
fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing,
garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand
mining |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
-0.9%
(2004 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
169
million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
157.1
million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh
(2005) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh
(2005) |
| Oil
- production: |
0 bbl/day
(2004 est.) |
| Oil
- consumption: |
7,200
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
| Oil
- exports: |
NA
bbl/day |
| Oil
- imports: |
NA
bbl/day |
| Oil
- proved reserves: |
0 bbl
(1 January 2006) |
| Exports: |
$214
million f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
fish |
| Exports
- partners: |
Thailand
33.1%, UK 14.3%, Sri Lanka 11.9%, Japan 10.3%, France
6.9%, Algeria 6.1% (2006) |
| Imports: |
$832
million f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
petroleum
products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate
and capital goods |
| Imports
- partners: |
Singapore
23.2%, UAE 15.8%, India 11.1%, Malaysia 7.9%, Thailand
6.9%, Sri Lanka 5.7% (2006) |
| Debt
- external: |
$482
million (2006 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$66.83
million (2005) |
| Currency
(code): |
rufiyaa
(MVR) |
| Exchange
rates: |
rufiyaa
per US dollar - 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004),
12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar
year |
|
| Transportation |
| Airports: |
5 (2007) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 3
over 3,047 m:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523
m: 1 (2007) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m:
2 (2007) |
| Roadways: |
total: 88 km
paved roads:
88 km - 60 km in Male; 14 km on Addu Atolis; 14 km on
Laamu
note: village roads are mainly compacted
coral (2006) |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 22 ships (1000
GRT or over) 85,935 GRT/114,054 DWT
by type: cargo 17,
petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned:
1 (Greece 1)
registered in other countries:
2 (Panama 1, Tuvalu 1) (2007) |
| Ports
and terminals: |
Male |
|
| Military |
| Military
branches: |
Maldives
National Defense Force (MNDF): Quick Reaction Force,
Security Protection Group, Coast Guard (2007) |
| Military
service age and obligation: |
18
years of age (est.) (2004) |
| Manpower
available for military service: |
males
age 18-49: 71,774
females age 18-49: 69,229 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower
fit for military service: |
males
age 18-49: 56,687
females age 18-49: 54,454 (2005 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
5.5%
(2005 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
Maldives
has no regular armed forces; the Maldives National Defense
Force (MNDF) includes ground forces, the Coast Guard,
and a small, undermanned air element; with its small
size and with little servable equipment, the MNDF is
inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily
tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS)
and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone (2007) |
|
| Transnational
Issues |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Refugees
and internally displaced persons: |
IDPs: 10,000 (December
2004 tsunami victims) (2006) |
|
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