Statistical information Maldives 1998Maldives

Map of Maldives | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Maldives in the World

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Maldives - Introduction 1998
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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.


Maldives - Geography 1998
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Location: Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

Geographic coordinates: 3 15 N, 73 00 E

Map referenceAsia

Area
Total: 300 km²
Land: 300 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC

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 white sandy beaches

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili 24 m

Natural resources: fish
Land use

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 3%
Forests and woodland: 3%
Other: 84% (1993 est.)

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: 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls; archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean


Maldives - People 1998
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Population: 290,211 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 3.42% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Maldivian(s)
Adjective: Maldivian

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, African

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

Religions: Sunni Muslim

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 47% (male 70,244; female 66,758)
15-64 years: 50% (male 73,784; female 70,539)
65 years and over: 3% (male 4,735; female 4,151) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.42% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 40.12 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.96 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 41.12 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.57 years
Male: 65.87 years
Female: 69.35 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.84 children born/woman (1998 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.2%
Male: 93.3%
Female: 93% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Maldives - Government 1998
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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

Government type: republic

Capital: Male (Maale)

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

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: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government: ead of
Government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Ministry of Atolls appointed by the president; note_need not be members of Majilis
Elections: president elected by secret ballot of the Majlis for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 1993 (next to be held NA October 1998)
Election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected; percent of Majlis vote_Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 92.76%

Legislative branch: unicameral Citizens' Council or Majlis (48 seats; 40 elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 2 December 1994 (next to be held NA December 1999)
Election results: percent of vote_NA; seats_independents 40

Judicial branch: High Court

Political parties and leaders

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, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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
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 descriptionflag of Maldives: 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


Maldives - Economy 1998
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Economy overview: Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for about 18% 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. About 350,000 tourists visited the islands in 1997. Fishing is a second leading growth 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 15% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is three feet or less above sea level.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.2% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $1,800 (1997 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22%
Industry: 15%
Services: 63% (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fishing

Industries: fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining

Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (1994 est.)

Labor force
Total: 56,435 (1990 est.)
By occupation fishingindustry andagriculture: 25%
By occupation services: 21%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 21%
By occupation trade restaurants and hotels: 16%
By occupation transportationandcommunication: 10%
By occupation other: 7%
Labor force

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: $88 million (excluding foreign grants)
Expenditures: $141 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1995 est.)

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: total value:$59 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: fish, clothing
Partners: Sri Lanka, US, Germany, Singapore, UK

Imports: total value:$302 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products
Partners: Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $179 million (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1_11.770 (1995-January 1998), 11.586 (1994), 10.957 (1993)


Maldives - Energy 1998
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Electricity
Capacity: 14,000 kW (1995)
Production: 50 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 191 kWh (1995)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Maldives - Communication 1998
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Telephones: 8,523 (1992 est.)

Telephone system: minimal domestic and international facilities
Domestic: inter-atoll communication primarily through HF transceivers and VHF/UHF telephones
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Maldives - Military 1998
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Maldives - Transportation 1998
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,703 GRT/108,485 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 17, container 1, oil tanker 1, short-sea passenger 1 (1997 est.)

Ports and terminals


Maldives - Transnational issues 1998
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


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