Bermuda (2006) | Maldives (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick | 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 |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,146/female 6,098)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,562/female 22,954) 65 years and over: 12.2% (male 3,479/female 4,534) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 44.9% (male 75,991; female 71,826)
15-64 years: 52.1% (male 87,734; female 84,150) 65 years and over: 3% (male 5,073; female 4,910) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 5 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
Area | total: 53.3 sq km
land: 53.3 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about one-third the size of Washington, DC | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the issue. | 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. |
Birth rate | 11.4 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 36.71 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $738 million
expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05) |
revenues: $224 million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $282 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (2002 est.) |
Capital | name: Hamilton
geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 46 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October |
Male |
Climate | subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
Coastline | 103 km | 644 km |
Constitution | 8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003 | adopted January 1998 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda former: Somers Islands |
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
Currency | - | rufiyaa (MVR) |
Death rate | 7.74 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $160 million (FY99/00) | $281 million (2003 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Consul General Gregory W. SLAYTON
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3 mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300 telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342 FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233 |
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 | none (overseas territory of the UK) | Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York; permanent representative is Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $NA |
Economy - overview | Bermuda enjoys the highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island following 11 September 2001 and again after Hurricane Katrina, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited with only 20% of the land being arable. | 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 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 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 616.7 million kWh (2005) | 108.8 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 682.5 million kWh (2005) | 117 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
Environment - current issues | sustainable development | 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 | black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census) | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs |
Exchange rates | Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) | rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2002), 12.24 (2001), 11.77 (2000), 11.77 (1999), 11.77 (1998) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002)
head of government: Premier Ewart BROWN (since 30 October 2006); Deputy Premier Paula COX cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor |
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); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president; note - need not be members of Majlis elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then the 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 in referendum held 17 October 2003; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.3% |
Exports | 0 bbl/day NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | reexports of pharmaceuticals | fish, clothing |
Exports - partners | France 65.6%, Spain 11.7%, US 4.5% (2005) | US 51.7%, Sri Lanka 16.2%, Thailand 9.3%, Japan 7.6%, UK 4.6% (2002) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the 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 |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $1.25 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 20%
industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.6% (2004 est.) | 2.3% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 32 20 N, 64 45 W | 3 15 N, 73 00 E |
Geography - note | consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995 | 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 |
Highways | - | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | Kazakhstan 51%, France 19%, South Korea 10.2%, US 7.6% (2005) | Singapore 25.6%, Sri Lanka 15%, UAE 14.5%, India 6.6%, Malaysia 5.7%, Thailand 4% (2002) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 26 July 1965 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 4.4% (1996 est.) |
Industries | international business, tourism, light manufacturing | fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 60.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 59.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 61.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.8% (November 2005) | 1% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCO | AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts | High Court |
Labor force | 38,360 (2004) | 88,000 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 21%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 7%, services 19% (2004 est.) | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005) |
arable land: 3.33%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 90% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official), Portuguese | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials |
Legal system | English law | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14 |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.96 years
male: 75.85 years female: 80.1 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 63.3 years
male: 62.07 years female: 64.6 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (2005 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.2% male: 97.1% female: 97.3% (2003 est.) |
Location | North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US) | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India |
Map references | North America | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,873,728 GRT/8,688,692 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 1, container 24, liquefied gas 23, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 116 (Australia 3, Belgium 4, France 1, Germany 21, Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, Switzerland 2, UK 9, US 27) registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 4, Panama 1) (2006) |
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 42,689 GRT/56,132 DWT
ships by type: cargo 13, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces | National Security Service |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $4.03 million (2001) | $34.46 million (FY02) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.11% (FY00/01) | 8.6% (FY02) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 78,025 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 43,386 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Bermuda Day, 24 May | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) |
Nationality | noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
Natural hazards | hurricanes (June to November) | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise |
Natural resources | limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism | fish |
Net migration rate | 2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Wayne FURBERT] | although political parties are not banned, none exist |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES] | none |
Population | 65,773 (July 2006 est.) | 329,684 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 19% (2000) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.61% (2006 est.) | 2.91% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Gan, Male |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census) | Sunni Muslim |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: good
domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines international: country code - 1-441; submarine cables - 3 (fiber optic); satellite earth stations - 3 (2005) |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 56,000 (2002) | 21,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 49,000 (2004) | 1,290 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (2005) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | low hills separated by fertile depressions | flat, with white sandy beaches |
Total fertility rate | 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 5.26 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.1% (2004 est.) | NEGL% |
Waterways | - | none |