[syn: Maldives, Maldive Islands]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Maldive Islands \Maldive Islands\ prop. n.
A group of about 2000 islands in the Indian ocean; also known
as the Maldives.
[WordNet 1.5]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Maldives
n 1: a republic on the Maldive Islands; achieved independence
from the United Kingdom in 1965 [syn: Maldives, Republic
of Maldives]
2: a group of about 1,200 small coral islands (about 220
inhabited) in the Indian ocean [syn: Maldives, Maldive
Islands]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Maldives
Introduction Maldives
---------------------
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.
Geography Maldives
------------------
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
water: 0 sq km
land: 300 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
baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
contiguous zone: 24 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: 3.33%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 90% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
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
People Maldives
---------------
Population: 320,165 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45.3% (male 74,493;
female 70,394)
15-64 years: 51.7% (male 84,548;
female 81,092)
65 years and over: 3% (male 4,944;
female 4,694) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.95% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 37.41 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 61.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.93 years
female: 64.2 years (2002 est.)
male: 61.72 years
Total fertility rate: 5.38 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.05% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
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: 93.2%
male: 93.3%
female: 93% (1995 est.)
Government Maldives
-------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives
local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge
Jumhooriyyaa
Government type: republic
Capital: Male
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
Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Constitution: adopted 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
elections: president nominated by
the Majlis and then that 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 16 October 1998
(next to be held NA October 2003)
election results: President Maumoon
Abdul GAYOOM reelected; percent of
popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
90.9%
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
appointed by the president; note -
need not be members of Majlis
head of government: President
Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11
November 1978); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head
of government
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)
elections: last held 20 November
1999 (next to be held NA November
2004)
election results: percent of vote -
NA%; seats - independents 42
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leaders: although political parties are not
banned, none exist
Political pressure groups and none
leaders:
International organization AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
participation: IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,
OIC, OPCW, 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
Diplomatic representation from the the US does not have an embassy in
US: 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 Maldives
----------------
Economy - overview: Tourism, Maldives largest industry,
accounts for 20% 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. Almost 400,000 tourists
visited the islands in 1998. Fishing
is a second leading 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
18% of GDP. 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 - $1.2
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,870
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20%
industry: 18%
services: 62% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 67,000 (1995)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 22%, industry 18%,
services 60% (1995)
Unemployment rate: NEGL%
Budget: revenues: $166 million (excluding
foreign grants)
expenditures: $192 million,
including capital expenditures of
$80 million (1999 est.)
Industries: fish processing, tourism, shipping,
boat building, coconut processing,
garments, woven mats, rope,
handicrafts, coral and sand mining
Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production: 110 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 102.3 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish
Exports: $88 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: fish, clothing
Exports - partners: US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan
Imports: $372 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: consumer goods, intermediate and
capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners: Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan,
Canada
Debt - external: $237 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: rufiyaa (MVR)
Currency code: MVR
Exchange rates: rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770
(fixed rate since 1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Maldives
-----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 21,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,290 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: minimal domestic
and international facilities
domestic: interatoll communication
through microwave links; all
inhabited islands are connected with
telephone and fax service
international: 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 (1997)
Televisions: 10,000 (1999)
Internet country code: .mv
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 6,000 (2001)
Transportation Maldives
-----------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6
km of coral highways within the city
(1988 est.)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Gan, Male
Merchant marine: total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 51,532 GRT/71,298 DWT
ships by type: cargo 13, short-sea
passenger 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 5 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2001)
Military Maldives
-----------------
Military branches: National Security Service
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 74,893 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 41,672 (2002 est.)
service:
Military expenditures - dollar $34.5 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 8.6% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Maldives
-----------------------------
Disputes - international: none