Maldives




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southern Asia, in the Indian Ocean off the southwest coast of India
Map references:
     Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     300 sq km
land area:
     300 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than 1.5 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
International disputes:
     none
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
Natural resources:
     fish
Land use:
arable land:
     10%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     3%
forest and woodland:
     3%
other:
     84%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies
natural hazards:
     low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise
international agreements:
     party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
     Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea




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


                                  People


Population:
     252,077 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     3.61% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     43.59 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     7.45 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     53.8 deaths/1,000 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.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Maldivian(s)
adjective:
     Maldivian
Ethnic divisions:
     Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, African
Religions:
     Sunni Muslim
Languages:
     Divehi (dialect of Sinhala; script derived from Arabic), English
     spoken by most government officials
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
total population:
     92%
male:
     92%
female:
     92%
Labor force:
     66,000 (est.)
by occupation:
     fishing industry 25%


                                Government




Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Maldives
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     MV
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
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
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
cabinet:
     Ministry of Atolls; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
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:
     no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for
     the past eight centuries
Member of:
     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 in US:
     Maldives has no embassy in the US, but does have a UN mission in New
     York; Permanent Representative to the UN Ahmed ZAKI
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes
     periodic visits there




consular agency:
     Midhath Hilmy, Male
telephone:
     2581
Flag:
     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:
     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.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $140 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     6% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $620 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     15% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     NEGL%
Budget:
revenues:
     $95 million (excluding foreign transfers)
expenditures:
     $143 million, including capital expenditures of $71 million (1993
     est.)
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
External debt:
     $148 million (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 24% (1990); accounts for 6% of GDP




Electricity:
capacity:
     5,000 kW
production:
     11 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     50 kWh (1990)
Industries:
     fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, some
     coconut processing, garments, woven mats, coir (rope), handicrafts
Agriculture:
     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.)
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $28 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $125
     million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $14 million
Currency:
     1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laari
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)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     NA
paved:
     NA
unpaved:
     NA (Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city)
Ports:
     Male, Gan
Merchant marine:
     14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 38,848 GRT/58,496 DWT, cargo 12,
     container 1, oil tanker 1
Airports:
total:
     2
usable:
     2
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     0




Telecommunications:
     minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,804 telephones;
     broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth
     station


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     National Security Service (paramilitary police force)
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 55,369; fit for military service 30,919
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP