Map of Maldives | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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, in the Indian Ocean off the southwest coast of India

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 300 km²
Land: 300 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 644 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 35-310 nm as defined by geographic coordinates; segment of zone coincides with maritime boundary with India
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March; rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Terrain: flat with elevations only as high as 2.5 meters

Elevation

Natural resources: fish

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 3%
Forest and woodland: 3%
Other: 84%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise

Geography
Note: 1,200 coral islands grouped into 19 atolls; archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean


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Population: 252,077 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 3.61% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Maldivian(s)

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, African

Languages: Divehi (dialect of Sinhala; script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials

Religions: Sunni Muslim

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.61% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 43.59 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 7.45 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 53.8 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.67 years
Male: 63.24 years
Female: 66.17 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.26 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
Total population: 92%
Male: 92%
Female: 92%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form:

Government type: republic

Capital: Male

Administrative divisions: 19 districts (atolls; Aliff, Baa, Daalu, Faafu, Gaafu Aliff, Gaafu Daalu, Haa Aliff, Haa Daalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Laviyani, Meemu, Naviyani, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Waavu

Dependent areas

Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965)

Constitution: 4 June 1968

Legal system: based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978; election last held 1 October 1993 (next to be held NA; results - President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM was reelected with 92.76% of the vote

Legislative branch: National Security Service (paramilitary police force)
Citizens' Council Majlis: elections last held on 7 December 1989 (next to be held 7 December 1994); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (48 total, 40 elected)

Judicial branch: High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us: Maldives has no embassy in the US, but does have a UN mission in New York; Permanent Representative to the UN Ahmed ZAKI
From the us chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there
From the us consular agency: Midhath Hilmy, Male
From the us telephone: 2,581

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and shipping. Agriculture is limited to the production of a few subsistence crops that provide only 10% of food requirements. Fishing is the largest industry, employing 25% of the work force and accounting for over 60% of exports; it is also an important source of government revenue. During the 1980s tourism became one of the most important and highest growth sectors of the economy. In 1988 industry accounted for about 5% of GDP. Real GDP is officially estimated to have increased by about 10% annually during the period 1974-90.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $620 (1991 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for almost 25% of GDP (including fishing; fishing more important than farming; limited production of coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; most staple foods must be imported; fish catch of 67,000 tons (1990 est.)

Industries: fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, some coconut processing, garments, woven mats, coir (rope), handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: 24% (1990; accounts for 6% of GDP

Labor force: 66,000 (est.)
By occupation: fishing industry 25%

Unemployment rate: NEGL%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$95 million (excluding foreign transfers)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $56.3 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodities: fish, clothing
Partners: US, UK, Sri Lanka

Imports: $173.6 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodities: consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products
Partners: Singapore, Germany, Sri Lanka, India

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $148 million (1993 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1 - 11.105 (January 1994), 10.957 (1993), 10.569 (1992), 10.253 (1991), 9.509 (1990), 9.0408 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 5,000 kW
Production: 11 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 50 kWh (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2
Usable: 2
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 0

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 38,848 GRT/58,496 DWT, cargo 12, container 1, oil tanker 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs