Maldives (2001) | Holy See (Vatican City) (2005) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 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 | none |
Age structure | 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 | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish | - |
Airports | 5 (2000 est.) | none (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 0.44 sq km
land: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith. |
Birth rate | 38.15 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues:
$166 million (excluding foreign grants) expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (1999 est.) |
revenues: $245.2 million
expenditures: $260.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2002) |
Capital | Male | Vatican City |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) | temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) |
Coastline | 644 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | adopted January 1998 | new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929) |
Country name | conventional long form:
Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano) |
Currency | rufiyaa (MVR) | - |
Death rate | 8.09 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $237 million (2000 est.) | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York | chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel MONTALVO
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | none |
Economy - overview | 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. | This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world (known as Peter's Pence); by the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. |
Electricity - consumption | 93.9 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy |
Electricity - production | 101 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
lowest point: unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed location 75 m |
Environment - current issues | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching | NA |
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 |
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification |
Ethnic groups | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs | Italians, Swiss, other |
Exchange rates | rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005)
head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo SODANO (since 1 December 1990) cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI |
Exports | $88 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | 0 kWh |
Exports - commodities | fish, clothing | - |
Exports - partners | US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | 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 | two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $594 million (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.6% (2000 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 3 15 N, 73 00 E | 41 54 N, 12 27 E |
Geography - note | 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 | urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights |
Highways | total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city (1988 est.) |
none; all city streets |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $372 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products | - |
Imports - partners | Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada | - |
Independence | 26 July 1965 (from UK) | 11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.4% (1996 est.) | - |
Industries | fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining | printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities |
Infant mortality rate | 63.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | - |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2000 est.) | - |
International organization participation | 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 | CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), WTO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | High Court | there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See
note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pius XII on 1 May 1946 |
Labor force | 67,000 (1995) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) | essentially services with a small amount of industry; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 3.2 km
border countries: Italy 3.2 km |
Land use | arable land:
10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 3% other: 84% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2001) |
Languages | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials | Italian, Latin, French, various other languages |
Legal system | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it |
Legislative branch | 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 |
unicameral Pontifical Commission |
Life expectancy at birth | 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: 93.2% male: 93.3% female: 93% (1995 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% |
Location | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India | Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy) |
Map references | Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | 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 - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard |
Military branches | National Security Service | Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
71,856 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
40,006 (2001 est.) |
- |
National holiday | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) | Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005) |
Nationality | noun:
Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian |
noun: none
adjective: none |
Natural hazards | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise | NA |
Natural resources | fish | none |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | although political parties are not banned, none exist | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers) |
Population | 310,764 (July 2001 est.) | 921 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.01% (2001 est.) | 0.01% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Gan, Male | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 2 (1998) |
Radios | 35,000 (1999) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Roman Catholic |
Sex ratio | 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 | 21 years of age; universal | limited to cardinals less than 80 years old |
Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: automatic exchange
domestic: tied into Italian system international: country code - 39; uses Italian system |
Telephones - main lines in use | 21,000 (1999) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,290 (1997) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (1996) |
Terrain | flat, with white sandy beaches | low hill |
Total fertility rate | 5.5 children born/woman (2001 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | NEGL% | - |
Waterways | none | - |