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Compare Maldives (2002) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)

Compare Maldives (2002) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)

 Maldives (2002)British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)
 MaldivesBritish Indian Ocean Territory
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 -
Age structure 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 coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish -
Airports 5 (2001) 1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)		 total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)		 -
Area total: 300 sq km


land: 300 sq km


water: 0 sq km		 total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC about 0.3 times the size of 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. Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate 37.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Budget revenues: $166 million (excluding foreign grants)


expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million		 -
Capital Male -
Climate tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline 644 km 698 km
Constitution adopted January 1998 -
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: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
Currency rufiyaa (MVR) -
Death rate 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Debt - external $237 million (2000 est.) -
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
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 none (overseas territory of the UK)
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; permanent representative is Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international none Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access to the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient $NA -
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. All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption 102.3 million kWh (2000) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - production 110 million kWh (2000) NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)		 -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m		 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 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		 -
Ethnic groups South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs -
Exchange rates rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) -
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: 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%		 chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports $88 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) -
Exports - commodities fish, clothing -
Exports - partners US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan -
Fiscal 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 white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 20%


industry: 18%


services: 62% (2000 est.)		 -
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,870 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 7% (2001 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 3 15 N, 73 00 E 6 00 S, 71 30 E
Geography - note 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 archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Highways total: NA km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city (1988 est.)		 total: NA km


paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%		 -
Imports $372 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) -
Imports - commodities consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products -
Imports - partners Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada -
Independence 26 July 1965 (from UK) -
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 -
Infant mortality rate 61.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 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, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO -
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch High Court -
Labor force 67,000 (1995) (1995) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) (1995) -
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 3.33%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 90% (1998 est.)		 arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2001)
Languages Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials -
Legal system based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
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		 -
Life expectancy at birth total population: 62.93 years


male: 61.72 years


female: 64.2 years (2002 est.)		 -
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93.2%


male: 93.3%


female: 93% (1995 est.)		 -
Location Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references Asia Political Map of the World
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM		 territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine 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; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
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 Independence Day, 26 July (1965) -
Nationality noun: Maldivian(s)


adjective: Maldivian		 -
Natural hazards low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise NA
Natural resources fish coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Political parties and leaders although political parties are not banned, none exist -
Political pressure groups and leaders none -
Population 320,165 (July 2002 est.) no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% -
Population growth rate 2.95% (2002 est.) -
Ports and harbors Gan, Male Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 35,000 (1999) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Sunni Muslim -
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: 1.05 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)		 -
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal -
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: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use 21,000 (1999) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,290 (1997) -
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 1 (1997)
Terrain flat, with white sandy beaches flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate 5.38 children born/woman (2002 est.) -
Unemployment rate NEGL% -
Waterways none -
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