Isle of Man (2002) | Maldives (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections | 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: 17.5% (male 6,601; female 6,324)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 24,206; female 24,010) 65 years and over: 17.2% (male 5,097; female 7,635) (2002 est.) |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish |
Airports | 1 (2001) | 5 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
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: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Celtic language. | 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 | 11.49 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 37.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est. ) |
revenues: $166 million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million |
Capital | Douglas | Male |
Climate | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
Coastline | 160 km | 644 km |
Constitution | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the Manx Constitution | adopted January 1998 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man |
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound | rufiyaa (MVR) |
Death rate | 11.68 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $237 million (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | 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 (British crown dependency) | 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 | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. | 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 | - | 102.3 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | - | 110 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
Environment - current issues | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution | 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 | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs |
Exchange rates | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound | rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since NA 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Richard CORKILL (since 6 December 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 6 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006) election results: Richard CORKILL elected chief minister by the Tynwald |
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 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 | $NA | $88 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb | fish, clothing |
Exports - partners | UK | US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem 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 | purchasing power parity - $1.4 billion (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 20%
industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $18,800 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,870 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 13.5% (1999 est.) | 7% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 54 15 N, 4 30 W | 3 15 N, 73 00 E |
Geography - note | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary | 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: 800 km
paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
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%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $NA | $372 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | timber, fertilizers, fish | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | UK | Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | 26 July 1965 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.2% (FY96/97 ) | 4.4% (1996 est.) |
Industries | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism | fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining |
Infant mortality rate | 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 61.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000 est.) | 3% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | none | AsDB, C, CCC, 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, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) | High Court |
Labor force | 36,610 (1998) | 67,000 (1995) (1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 3.33%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 90% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English, Manx Gaelic | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials |
Legal system | English common law and Manx statute | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3, independents 19 |
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: 77.81 years
male: 74.44 years female: 81.36 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 62.93 years
male: 61.72 years female: 64.2 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% 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 | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India |
Map references | Europe | Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,540,100 GRT/9,130,508 DWT
ships by type: bulk 29, cargo 34, chemical tanker 22, combination bulk 2, container 29, liquefied gas 24, petroleum tanker 46, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 45, France 1, Germany 48, Greece 6, Hong Kong 10, Iceland 1, Italy 8, Monaco 7, Netherlands 3, Norway 5, Sweden 4, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 70, United States 1 (2002 est.) |
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.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | - | National Security Service |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $34.5 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 8.6% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 74,893 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 41,672 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Tynwald Day, 5 July | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) |
Nationality | noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
Natural hazards | NA | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise |
Natural resources | none | fish |
Net migration rate | 5.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government [leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents |
although political parties are not banned, none exist |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | none |
Population | 73,873 (July 2002 est.) | 320,165 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.52% (2002 est.) | 2.95% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey | Gan, Male |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | NA | 35,000 (1999) |
Railways | total: 68.5 km (43.5 km electrified) (2001) | 0 km |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends | Sunni Muslim |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 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: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
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 | 51,000 (1999) | 21,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 1,290 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | hills in north and south bisected by central valley | flat, with white sandy beaches |
Total fertility rate | 1.65 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 5.38 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.7% (February 2002 ) | NEGL% |
Waterways | none | none |