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.
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
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)
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 31 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)
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
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 - 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)
$1.25 billion (2002 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$906 million (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
18% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$3,900 (2002 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
149.9 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
139.4 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
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
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports
$214 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
fish
Exports - partners
Thailand 32.1%, UK 13.9%, Sri Lanka 11.6%, Japan 10%, France 6.7%, Algeria 6% (2006)
Imports
$832 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate and capital goods
Imports - partners
Singapore 23.3%, UAE 15.8%, India 11.1%, Malaysia 7.9%, Thailand 7%, Sri Lanka 5.7% (2006)
Debt - external
$482 million (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$27.9 million (2004)
Currency (code)
rufiyaa (MVR)
Currency code
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
Telephones - main lines in use
32,181 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular
271,053 (2006)
Telephone system
general assessment
telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with expanding subscribership
domestic
interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
international
country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios
35,000 (1999)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2006)
Televisions
10,000 (1999)
Internet country code
.mv
Internet hosts
1,357 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
19,000 (2005)
Airports
5 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
2
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
3
914 to 1,523 m
3 (2006)
Roadways
total
88 km
paved roads
88 km - 60 km in Male; 14 km on Addu Atolis; 14 km on Laamu
