Coral Sea Islands (2004) | Maldives (2007) | |
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 |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | - | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish |
Airports | - | 5 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
Area | total: less than 3 sq km
land: less than 3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most important |
total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 34.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $508 million (including foreign grants)
expenditures: $671 million (2006 est.) |
Capital | - | name: Male
geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
Coastline | 3,095 km | 644 km |
Constitution | - | adopted 1 January 1998 |
Country name | conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands |
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
Death rate | - | 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $482 million (2006 est.) |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | 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 (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed LATHEEF
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195 FAX: [1] (212) 661-6405 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $66.83 million (2005) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 157.1 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 169 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
Environment - current issues | no permanent fresh water resources | 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 |
Ethnic groups | - | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs |
Exchange rates | - | rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002) |
Executive branch | administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | 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% |
Exports | - | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | - | fish |
Exports - partners | - | Thailand 33.1%, UK 14.3%, Sri Lanka 11.9%, Japan 10.3%, France 6.9%, Algeria 6.1% (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | 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 - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 16%
industry: 7% services: 77% (2006 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 18% (2006 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 00 S, 152 00 E | 3 15 N, 73 00 E |
Geography - note | important nesting area for birds and turtles | 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 |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | - | petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate and capital goods |
Imports - partners | - | Singapore 23.2%, UAE 15.8%, India 11.1%, Malaysia 7.9%, Thailand 6.9%, Sri Lanka 5.7% (2006) |
Independence | - | 26 July 1965 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | -0.9% (2004 est.) |
Industries | - | tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining |
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.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 6% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | - | AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | High Court |
Labor force | - | 101,300 (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 22%
industry: 18% services: 60% (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2001) |
arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 30% other: 56.67% (2005) |
Languages | - | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials |
Legal system | the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 64.76 years
male: 63.41 years female: 66.19 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.3% male: 96.2% female: 96.4% (2000 census) |
Location | Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India |
Map references | Oceania | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 85,935 GRT/114,054 DWT
by type: cargo 17, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Greece 1) registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Tuvalu 1) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors | Maldives has no regular armed forces; the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) includes ground forces, the Coast Guard, and a small, undermanned air element; with its small size and with little servable equipment, the MNDF is inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone (2007) |
Military branches | - | Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Quick Reaction Force, Security Protection Group, Coast Guard (2007) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 5.5% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) |
Nationality | - | noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
Natural hazards | occasional tropical cyclones | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | 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 |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | various unregistered political parties |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station (2004 est.) |
369,031 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 21% (2004) |
Population growth rate | - | 2.732% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Religions | - | Sunni Muslim |
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.) |
Suffrage | - | 21 years of age; universal |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 32,500 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 262,600 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (2006) |
Terrain | sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays) | flat, with white sandy beaches |
Total fertility rate | - | 4.78 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | NEGL% (2003 est.) |