Compare Maldives (2002) - Saudi Arabia (2007)

Compare Maldives (2002) z Saudi Arabia (2007)

	Maldives (2002)	Saudi Arabia (2007)

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	13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
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.)	0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,369,285/female 5,162,585) 15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,316,694/female 7,089,370) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 348,827/female 314,277) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish	wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Airports	5 (2001)	213 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)	total: 77 over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)	total: 136 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 15 (2007)
Area	total: 300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 2,149,690 sq km land: 2,149,690 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
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.	Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A male descendent of Ibn Saud, his son ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz, rules the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased political participation, the government held elections nationwide from February through April 2005 for half the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the process by appointing the remaining members of the advisory municipal councils. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds approximately 25% of the world's proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO in December 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
Birth rate	37.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	29.1 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $166 million (excluding foreign grants) expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million	revenues: $174.8 billion expenditures: $104.1 billion (2006 est.)
Capital	Male	name: Riyadh geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)	harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Coastline	644 km	2,640 km
Constitution	adopted January 1998	governed according to Islamic law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was promulgated by royal decree in 1992
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: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Currency	rufiyaa (MVR)	-
Death rate	7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	2.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$237 million (2000 est.)	$46.6 billion (2006 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 Ford FRAKER embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
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	chief of mission: Ambassador Adil al-Ahmad al-JUBAYR chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Disputes - international	none	Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran
Economic aid - donor	-	since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $230 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq; pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits for Pakistan earthquake relief; pledged a total of $1.59 billion to Lebanon in assistance and deposits to the Central Bank of Lebanon in 2006 and pledged an additional $1.1 billion in early 2007
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.	Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 5.5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and to increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. The government is promoting private sector and foreign participation in the power generation, telecom, natural gas, and petrochemical industries. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in December 2005 after many years of negotiations. With high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget surpluses, Riyadh has substantially boosted spending on job training and education, infrastructure development, and government salaries. The government has announced plans to establish six "economic cities" in different regions of the country to promote development and diversification.
Electricity - consumption	102.3 million kWh (2000)	146.9 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	110 million kWh (2000)	165.6 billion kWh (2005)
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: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Environment - current issues	depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching	desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs	Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Exchange rates	rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995)	Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2006), 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002)
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: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch every four years and includes many royal family members elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note - a new Allegiance Commission created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes that will play a role in selecting future Saudi kings, but the new system will not take effect until after Crown Prince Sultan becomes king
Exports	$88 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)	8.554 million bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	fish, clothing	petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners	US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan	Japan 17.7%, US 15.8%, South Korea 9%, China 7.2%, Taiwan 4.6%, Singapore 4.4% (2006)
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	green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932
GDP	purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (2001 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 3% industry: 63.6% services: 33.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $3,870 (2001 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	7% (2001 est.)	4.3% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	3 15 N, 73 00 E	25 00 N, 45 00 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	extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Heliports	-	8 (2007)
Highways	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%
Illicit drugs	-	death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement
Imports	$372 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners	Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada	US 12.3%, Germany 8.6%, China 8%, Japan 7.3%, UK 4.9%, Italy 4.8%, South Korea 4.1% (2006)
Independence	26 July 1965 (from UK)	23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
Industrial production growth rate	4.4% (1996 est.)	1.9% (2006 est.)
Industries	fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining	crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction
Infant mortality rate	61.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 12.41 deaths/1,000 live births male: 14.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2000 est.)	2.2% (2006 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	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	NA sq km	16,200 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	High Court	Supreme Council of Justice
Labor force	67,000 (1995) (1995)	6.311 million note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) (1995)	agriculture: 12% industry: 25% services: 63% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 4,431 km border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Land use	arable land: 3.33% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 90% (1998 est.)	arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2005)
Languages	Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials	Arabic
Legal system	based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Shari'a law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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	Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note - though the Council of Ministers announced in October 2003 its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years, to date no such elections have been held or announced
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 62.93 years male: 61.72 years female: 64.2 years (2002 est.)	total population: 75.88 years male: 73.85 years female: 78.02 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.2% male: 93.3% female: 93% (1995 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
Location	Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references	Asia	Middle East
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified
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.)	total: 59 ships (1000 GRT or over) 847,094 GRT/1,059,026 DWT by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8 foreign-owned: 10 (Egypt 1, Greece 2, Kuwait 6, UAE 1) registered in other countries: 63 (Bahamas 15, Comoros 1, Dominica 1, France 1, Liberia 24, Marshall Islands 4, Norway 3, Panama 14) (2007)
Military branches	National Security Service	Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$34.5 million (FY01)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	8.6% (FY01)	10% (2005 est.)
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)	Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Nationality	noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian	noun: Saudi(s) adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Natural hazards	low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise	frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources	fish	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	-5.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	-	condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil 4,531 km; refined products 1,150 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	although political parties are not banned, none exist	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	none
Population	320,165 (July 2002 est.)	27,601,038 note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.95% (2002 est.)	2.06% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Gan, Male	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios	35,000 (1999)	-
Railways	0 km	total: 1,392 km standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2006)
Religions	Sunni Muslim	Muslim 100%
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.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.314 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1.196 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal	21 years of age; male
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: modern system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use	21,000 (1999)	4.5 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1,290 (1997)	19.663 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	117 (1997)
Terrain	flat, with white sandy beaches	mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Total fertility rate	5.38 children born/woman (2002 est.)	3.94 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NEGL%	13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)
Waterways	none	-

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