Canada (2004) | Maldives (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory* | 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: 18.2% (male 3,038,800; female 2,890,579)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 11,225,686; female 11,111,941) 65 years and over: 13% (male 1,807,472; female 2,433,396) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years:
45.63% (male 72,920; female 68,895) 15-64 years: 51.37% (male 81,506; female 78,149) 65 years and over: 3% (male 4,806; female 4,488) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish |
Airports | 1,357 (2003 est.) | 5 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 503
over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 150 914 to 1,523 m: 245 under 914 m: 75 (2004 est.) |
total:
2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 823
1,524 to 2,437 m: 67 914 to 1,523 m: 347 under 914 m: 409 (2004 est.) |
total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 9,984,670 sq km
land: 9,093,507 sq km water: 891,163 sq km |
total:
300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | somewhat larger than the US | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services after a decade of budget cuts. The issue of reconciling Quebec's francophone heritage with the majority anglophone Canadian population has moved to the back burner in recent years; support for separatism abated after the Quebec government's referendum on independence failed to pass in October of 1995. | 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 | 10.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 38.15 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $348.2 billion
expenditures: $342.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
revenues:
$166 million (excluding foreign grants) expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (1999 est.) |
Capital | Ottawa | Male |
Climate | varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
Coastline | 202,080 km | 644 km |
Constitution | 17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery of the government was set up in the British North America Act of 1867; charter of rights and unwritten customs | adopted January 1998 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada |
conventional long form:
Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
Currency | Canadian dollar (CAD) | rufiyaa (MVR) |
Death rate | 7.67 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 8.09 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.9 billion (2000) | $237 million (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Paul CELLUCCI
embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470 FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082 consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg |
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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael F. KERGIN
chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740 FAX: [1] (202) 682-7726 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle consulate(s): Anchorage, Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, San Francisco (trade office), and San Jose (trade office) |
Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York |
Disputes - international | managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; uncontested dispute with Denmark over Hans Island sovereignty in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland | none |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $1.3 billion (1999) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US. As a result of the close cross-border relationship, the economic sluggishness in the United States in 2001-02 had a negative impact on the Canadian economy. Real growth averaged nearly 3% during 1993-2000, but declined in 2001, with moderate recovery in 2002-03. Unemployment is up, with contraction in the manufacturing and natural resource sectors. Nevertheless, given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Solid fiscal management has produced a long-term budget surplus which is substantially reducing the national debt, although public debate continues over how to manage the rising cost of the publicly funded healthcare system. Trade accounts for roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with its principal trading partner, the United States, which absorbs more than 85% of Canadian exports. Roughly 90% of the population lives within 160 kilometers of the US border. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 504.4 billion kWh (2001) | 93.9 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 38.4 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 16.11 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 566.3 billion kWh (2001) | 101 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation |
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 | British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26% | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs |
Exchange rates | Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999) | rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Adrienne CLARKSON (since 7 October 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Paul MARTIN (since 12 December 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Anne MCLELLAN (since 12 December 2003) cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general |
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: appointed by the president; note - need not be members of Majlis 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% |
Exports | 2.008 million bbl/day (2001) | $88 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum | fish, clothing |
Exports - partners | US 86.6%, Japan 2.1%, UK 1.4% (2003) | US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red and white | 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 - $958.7 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $594 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 29.2% services: 68.6% (2003 est.) |
agriculture:
20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $29,800 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.7% (2003 est.) | 7.6% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 60 00 N, 95 00 W | 3 15 N, 73 00 E |
Geography - note | second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border | 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean |
Heliports | 12 (2003 est.) | - |
Highways | total: 1,408,800 km
paved: 497,306 km (including 16,900 km of expressways) unpaved: 911,494 km (2002) |
total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city (1988 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 23.8% (1994) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector | - |
Imports | 1.145 million bbl/day (2001) | $372 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | US 60.6%, China 5.6%, Japan 4.1% (2003) | Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada |
Independence | 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (independence recognized) | 26 July 1965 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 0.2% (2003 est.) | 4.4% (1996 est.) |
Industries | transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products; wood and paper products; fish products, petroleum and natural gas | fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
63.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.8% (2003 est.) | 3% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, AfDB, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC | AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 7,200 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice) | High Court |
Labor force | 17.04 million (2003 est.) | 67,000 (1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 3%, manufacturing 15%, construction 5%, services 74%, other 3% (2000) | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) |
Land boundaries | total: 8,893 km
border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 4.96%
permanent crops: 0.02% other: 95.02% (2001) |
arable land:
10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 3% other: 84% (1993 est.) |
Languages | English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5% | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials |
Legal system | based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its normal limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve for up to five-year terms)
elections: House of Commons - last held 28 June 2004 (next to be held by NA 2009) election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 36.7%, Conservative Party 29.6%, New Democratic Party 15.7%, Bloc Quebecois 12.4%, Greens 4.3%, independents 0.4%, other 0.9%; seats by party - Liberal Party 134, Conservative Party 99, Bloc Quebecois 54, New Democratic Party 19, independent 2 |
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: 79.96 years
male: 76.59 years female: 83.5 years (2004 est.) |
total population:
62.56 years male: 61.39 years female: 63.8 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% (1986 est.) male: NA female: NA |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.2% male: 93.3% female: 93% (1995 est.) |
Location | Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous 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
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 119 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,784,229 GRT/2,657,499 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 59, cargo 13, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, rail car carrier 1, roll on/roll off 11, short-sea/passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Germany 3, Hong Kong 2, Monaco 18, United Kingdom 3, United States 2 registered in other countries: 43 (2004 est.) |
total:
17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 58,604 GRT/81,451 DWT ships by type: cargo 16, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Canadian Armed Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command | National Security Service |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $9,801.7 million (2003) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.1% (2003) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 8,417,314 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49:
71,856 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 7,176,642 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49:
40,006 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 214,623 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | Canada Day, 1 July (1867) | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) |
Nationality | noun: Canadian(s)
adjective: Canadian |
noun:
Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian |
Natural hazards | continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise |
Natural resources | iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower | fish |
Net migration rate | 5.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2003) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party) [Stephen HARPER]; Liberal Party [Paul MARTIN]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON] | although political parties are not banned, none exist |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 32,507,874 (July 2004 est.) | 310,764 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.92% (2004 est.) | 3.01% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Becancour (Quebec), Churchill, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, New Westminster, Prince Rupert, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), St. John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Sydney, Trois-Rivieres, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor | Gan, Male |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 535, FM 53, shortwave 6 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | - | 35,000 (1999) |
Railways | total: 48,909 km
standard gauge: 48,909 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 46%, Protestant 36%, other 18%
note: based on the 1991 census |
Sunni Muslim |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 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: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations international: country code - 1-xxx; 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
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 | 19,950,900 (2003) | 21,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 13,221,800 (2003) | 1,290 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 80 (plus many repeaters) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast | flat, with white sandy beaches |
Total fertility rate | 1.61 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 5.5 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 7.8% (2003 est.) | NEGL% |
Waterways | 631 km
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2003) |
none |