Compare Estonia (2004) - Maldives (2006)

Compare Estonia (2004) z Maldives (2006)

	Estonia (2004)	Maldives (2006)

Administrative divisions	15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru) note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses	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: 16% (male 110,452; female 104,363) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 431,493; female 474,255) 65 years and over: 16.5% (male 72,819; female 148,282) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 43.4% (male 80,113/female 75,763) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 98,040/female 94,029) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,477/female 5,586) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish	coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish
Airports	29 (2003 est.)	5 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 6 (2003 est.)	total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
Area	total: 45,226 sq km land: 43,211 sq km water: 2,015 sq km note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea	total: 300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined	about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.	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 have pledged to embark upon democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.
Birth rate	9.79 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	34.81 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $3.806 billion expenditures: $3.648 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)	revenues: $265 million (excluding foreign grants) expenditures: $362 million; including capital expenditures of $80 million (2004 est.)
Capital	Tallinn	name: Male geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 31 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers	tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Coastline	3,794 km	644 km
Constitution	adopted 28 June 1992	adopted 1 January 1998
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Estonia conventional short form: Estonia local long form: Eesti Vabariik local short form: Eesti former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic	conventional long form: Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
Currency	Estonian kroon (EEK)	-
Death rate	13.27 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	7.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$7.002 billion (2003 est.)	$304 million (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Aldona Zofia WOS embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [372] 668-8100 FAX: [372] 668-8134	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 Juri LUIK chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101 FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108 consulate(s) general: New York	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	Russia continues to reject signing and ratifying the joint December 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia	none
Economic aid - recipient	$108 million (2000)	$27.9 million $NA (2004)
Economy - overview	Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization, is steadily moving toward a modern market economy with increasing ties to the West, including the pegging of its currency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors. Estonia has been invited to join the European Union and will do so in May 2004. The economy is greatly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Germany, four major trading partners. The high current account deficit remains a concern. However, the state budget enjoyed a surplus of $130 million in 2003.	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. 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. In late December 2004, a major tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000 displaced, and property damage exceeding $300 million. Over the past decade, real GDP growth averaged over 7.5% per year. As a result of the tsunami, the GDP contracted by about 5.5% in 2005.
Electricity - consumption	6.192 billion kWh (2001)	125.6 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	1.19 billion kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	7.937 billion kWh (2001)	135 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 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 polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations	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-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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	Estonian 65.3%, Russian 28.1%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Belarusian 1.5%, Finn 1%, other 1.6% (1998)	South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs
Exchange rates	krooni per US dollar - 13.8564 (2003), 16.6118 (2002), 17.4781 (2001), 16.9686 (2000), 14.6776 (1999)	rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.24 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Arnold RUUTEL (since 8 October 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Juhan PARTS (since 10 April 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held 21 September 2001 (next to be held in the fall of 2006); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament election results: Arnold RUUTEL elected president on 21 September 2001 by a 367-member electoral assembly that convened following Parliament's failure in August to elect then-President MERI's successor; on the second ballot of voting, RUUTEL received 186 votes to Parliament Speaker Toomas SAVI's 155; the remaining 26 ballots were either left blank or invalid	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 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 17 October 2003 (next to be held NA 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 (2001)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)	fish, clothing
Exports - partners	Finland 21.9%, Sweden 12.5%, Russia 11.4%, Germany 8.4%, Latvia 7.4%, Lithuania 4% (2003)	Japan 22.8%, Thailand 22.7%, Sri Lanka 16.4%, UK 12.6%, Singapore 5.8%, Germany 4.8%, France 4.3% (2005)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, 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 - $17.35 billion (2003 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 4.9% industry: 30.3% services: 64.8% (2003)	agriculture: 20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $12,300 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	4.7% (2003 est.)	-3.6% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	59 00 N, 26 00 E	3 15 N, 73 00 E
Geography - note	the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands	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: 51,411 km paved: 10,334 km (including 94 km of expressways) unpaved: 41,077 km (2000)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 29.8% (1998)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe to Scandinavia; increasing domestic drug abuse problem; possible precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds	-
Imports	NA (2001)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)	petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, intermediate and capital goods
Imports - partners	Finland 15.9%, Germany 11.1%, Russia 10.2%, Sweden 7.7%, Ukraine 4.3%, China 4.2%, Japan 4.1% (2003)	Singapore 24.1%, UAE 15.7%, India 11.3%, Malaysia 7.2%, Sri Lanka 5.7%, UK 4.5% (2005)
Independence	20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)	26 July 1965 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	5% (2000 est.)	-0.9% (2004 est.)
Industries	engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information technology, telecommunications	fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining
Infant mortality rate	total: 8.08 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: 54.89 deaths/1,000 live births male: 54.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.3% (2003 est.)	6% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	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, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	40 sq km (1998 est.)	NA
Judicial branch	National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)	High Court
Labor force	654,000 (2003 est.)	88,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 11%, industry 20%, services 69% (1999 est.)	agriculture: 22% industry: 18% services: 60% (1995)
Land boundaries	total: 633 km border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 16.04% permanent crops: 0.45% other: 83.51% (2001)	arable land: 13.33% permanent crops: 30% other: 56.67% (2005)
Languages	Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other	Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Legal system	based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts	based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party 25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Reform Party 17.7%, Estonian People's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3% People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Center Party 28, Res Publica 28, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro Patria Union 7, People's Party Moodukad 6	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 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 71.38 years male: 65.78 years female: 77.33 years (2004 est.)	total population: 64.41 years male: 63.08 years female: 65.8 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.2% male: 97.1% female: 97.3% (2003 est.)
Location	Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia	Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Map references	Europe	Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states	measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 212,998 GRT/177,488 DWT by type: bulk 2, cargo 12, container 4, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea/passenger 5 foreign-owned: Netherlands 1 registered in other countries: 45 (2004 est.)	total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,149 GRT/87,220 DWT by type: cargo 13, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2 registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)
Military branches	Estonia Defense Forces (including Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force), Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Maritime Border Guard, Coast Guard note: Border Guards and Ministry of Internal Affairs become part of the Estonian Defense Forces in wartime; the Coast Guard is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense in peacetime and the Estonian Navy in wartime	National Security Service: Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element, Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$155 million (2002 est.)	$45.07 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2% (2002 est.)	5.5% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 326,803 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 257,386 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 10,884 (2004 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 is the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union	Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Nationality	noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian	noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian
Natural hazards	sometimes flooding occurs in the spring	low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise
Natural resources	oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud	fish
Net migration rate	-3.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	gas 859 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN, chairman]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG, chairman]; Pro Patria Union (Isamaaliit) [Tunne KELAM, chairman]; Res Publica [Juhan PARTS, chairman]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR, chairman]; Social Liberals (group of 8 parliamentarians, former Center Party members) [Peeter Kreitzberg]	political parties were allowed to register in June 2005; the first entrants are: 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	various unregistered political parties
Population	1,341,664 (July 2004 est.)	359,008 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA (2000)	21% NA%
Population growth rate	-0.66% (2004 est.)	2.78% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	Haapsalu, Kunda, Muuga, Paldiski, Parnu, Tallinn	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	total: 958 km broad gauge: 958 km 1.520-m/1.524-m gauge (132 km electrified) note: gauge being increased from 1.520-m to 1.524-m to reduce wear on wheels and rail as lines are modernized (2003)	-
Religions	Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, Jewish	Sunni Muslim
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 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: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens	21 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are available throughout most of the country - only about 11,000 subscriber requests were unfilled by September 2000 domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services is available throughout the country international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)	general assessment: minimal domestic and international facilities domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service international: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	475,000 (2002)	32,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	881,000 (2002)	153,400 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	3 (2001)	1 (2006)
Terrain	marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south	flat, with white sandy beaches
Total fertility rate	1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)	4.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	10.1% (2003)	NEGL% (2003 est.)
Waterways	500 km (2003)	-

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