2007 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 43.4% (male 80,113/female 75,763) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 98,040/female 94,029) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,477/female 5,586) (2006 est.)

Area

land

300 sq km

total

300 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC

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 Maldives

Birth rate

34.81 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Capital

geographic coordinates

4 10 N, 73 31 E

name

Male

time difference

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

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

Coastline

644 km

Constitution

adopted 1 January 1998

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Maldives

conventional short form

Maldives

local long form

Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

local short form

Dhivehi Raajje

Death rate

7.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs

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

Geographic coordinates

3 15 N, 73 00 E

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 Maldives

Government type

republic

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

less than 100 (2001 est.)

Independence

26 July 1965 (from UK)

Infant mortality rate

female

55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

54.01 deaths/1,000 live births

total

54.89 deaths/1,000 live births

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

13.33%

other

56.67% (2005)

permanent crops

30%

Languages

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

Legal system

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.8 years (2006 est.)

male

63.08 years

total population

64.41 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.3% (2003 est.) Government Maldives

male

97.1%

total population

97.2%

Location

Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

18 years (2006 est.)

male

17.8 years

total

17.9 years

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 July (1965)

Nationality

adjective

Maldivian

noun

Maldivian(s)

Natural hazards

low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise

Natural resources

fish

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

359,008 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.78% (2006 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Terrain

flat, with white sandy beaches

Total fertility rate

4.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish

Airports

5 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

total

2

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Budget

expenditures

$671 million (2006 est.)

revenues

$508 million (including foreign grants)

Currency (code)

rufiyaa (MVR)

Currency code

MVR

Debt - external

$304 million (2004 est.)

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohamed LATHEEF

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6195

Disputes - international

none

Economic aid - recipient

$27.9 million (2004)

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 nearly 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.

Electricity - consumption

139.4 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

149.9 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Exchange rates

rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002)

Exports

$123 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish

Exports - partners

Japan 22.8%, Thailand 22.7%, Sri Lanka 16.4%, UK 12.6%, Singapore 5.8%, Germany 4.8%, France 4.3% (2005)

FAX

[1] (212) 661-6405

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Maldives

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 Maldives

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

20%

industry

18%

services

62% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,900 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-3.6% (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$817 million (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.25 billion (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

IDPs

10,000 (December 2004 tsunami victims) (2006) This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$567 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate and capital goods

Imports - partners

Singapore 24.1%, UAE 15.7%, India 11.3%, Malaysia 7.2%, Sri Lanka 5.7%, UK 4.5% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.9% (2004 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (2005 est.)

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

Internet country code

.mv

Internet hosts

1,357 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

19,000 (2005) Transportation Maldives

Judicial branch

High Court

Labor force

88,000 (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

22%

industry

18%

services

60% (1995)

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)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50

elections

last held 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010)

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

69,229 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

71,774

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

54,454 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

56,687

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 13, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2

registered in other countries

1 (Panama 1) (2006)

total

17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,149 GRT/87,220 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$45.07 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.5% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Maldives

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (est.) (2004)

National Security Service

Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element, Coast Guard

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption

7,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Political parties and leaders

political parties were allowed to register in June 2005; the first

entrants are

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

various unregistered political parties

Population below poverty line

21% (2004)

Ports and terminals

Male Military Maldives

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

35,000 (1999)

Roadways

note

village roads are mainly compacted coral (2006)

paved roads

88 km - 60 km in Male; 14 km on Addu Atolis; 14 km on Laamu

total

88 km

Telephone system

domestic

interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service

general assessment

Telephone services have improved; each island now has at least one public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with expanding subscribership

international

country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

32,181 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

271,053 (2006)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2006)

Televisions

10,000 (1999)

Unemployment rate

NEGL% (2003 est.)