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Compare Maldives (2002) - Solomon Islands (2001)

Compare Maldives (2002) z Solomon Islands (2001)

 Maldives (2002)Solomon Islands (2001)
 MaldivesSolomon Islands
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 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western; note - there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished
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:
43.79% (male 107,229; female 103,162)

15-64 years:
53.15% (male 129,315; female 126,021)

65 years and over:
3.06% (male 7,190; female 7,525) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Airports 5 (2001) 31 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


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

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)
total:
29

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
18 (2000 est.)
Area total: 300 sq km


land: 300 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
28,450 sq km

land:
27,540 sq km

water:
910 sq km
Area - comparative about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Maryland
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. The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control.
Birth rate 37.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 34.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $166 million (excluding foreign grants)


expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million
revenues:
$147 million

expenditures:
$168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Capital Male Honiara
Climate tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline 644 km 5,313 km
Constitution adopted January 1998 7 July 1978
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:
none

conventional short form:
Solomon Islands

former:
British Solomon Islands
Currency rufiyaa (MVR) Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
Death rate 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 4.27 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $237 million (2000 est.) $152.4 million (1998)
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 the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Jeremiah MANELE

chancery:
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017

telephone:
[1] (212) 599-6192, 6193

FAX:
[1] (212) 661-8925
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $47 million (1999 est.), mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ
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. The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to a continuing economic downslide. Deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) by tankers have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country.
Electricity - consumption 102.3 million kWh (2000) 27.9 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 110 million kWh (2000) 30 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
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:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
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, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Exchange rates rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.0968 (November 2000), 5.0864 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997), 3.5664 (1996)
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), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999)

head of government:
Prime Minister Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE (since 1 July 2000); Assistant Prime Minister Nathaniel WAENA (since 1 July 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 1 July 2000); note - Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU was forced to resign his position in June 2000 following the armed takeover of the capital by elements supporting the opposition parties; Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE, who had been opposition leader, was then elected prime minister at a sitting of National Parliament on 30 June 2000

cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
Exports $88 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) $165 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities fish, clothing timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra
Exports - partners US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan Japan 35.5%, other Asian countries 47.3% (1999)
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 divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
GDP purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $900 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 20%


industry: 18%


services: 62% (2000 est.)
agriculture:
50%

industry:
3.5%

services:
46.5% (1995)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,870 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7% (2001 est.) 1% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 3 15 N, 73 00 E 8 00 S, 159 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 -
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:
1,360 km

paved:
34 km

unpaved:
1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
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.) $152 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada Australia 38.5%, Singapore 15%, Japan 10.6%, NZ 6.2% (1999)
Independence 26 July 1965 (from UK) 7 July 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 4.4% (1996 est.) NA%
Industries fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining fish (tuna), mining, timber
Infant mortality rate 61.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2000 est.) 10% (1999 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 ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km NA sq km
Judicial branch High Court Court of Appeal
Labor force 67,000 (1995) (1995) 26,842
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) (1995) agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 3.33%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 90% (1998 est.)
arable land:
1%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
88%

other:
9% (1993 est.)
Languages Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

note:
120 indigenous languages
Legal system based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English common law
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 National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 62.93 years


male: 61.72 years


female: 64.2 years (2002 est.)
total population:
71.55 years

male:
69.12 years

female:
74.1 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:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references Asia Oceania
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

continental shelf:
200 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 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.)
none (2000 est.)
Military branches National Security Service no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $34.5 million (FY01) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 8.6% (FY01) NA%
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) Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Nationality noun: Maldivian(s)


adjective: Maldivian
noun:
Solomon Islander(s)

adjective:
Solomon Islander
Natural hazards low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources fish fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders although political parties are not banned, none exist there are two main coalitions - Coalition for National Unity, Reconciliation, and Peace or CNURP and Alliance for Change; the CNURP took power on 30 June 2000, it comprises members of the Liberal Party, People's Alliance Party, and the United Party, as well as a number of independents; the Alliance for Change, represents the former government and now is the opposition; in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [Francis SAEMALA]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [George LEPPING]; People's Progressive Party [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; United Party or UP [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders none NA
Population 320,165 (July 2002 est.) 480,442 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.95% (2002 est.) 2.98% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Gan, Male Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 35,000 (1999) 57,000 (1997)
Railways 0 km 0 km
Religions Sunni Muslim Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%
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:
1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.96 male(s)/female

total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 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:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 21,000 (1999) 8,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,290 (1997) 658 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 0 (1997)
Terrain flat, with white sandy beaches mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Total fertility rate 5.38 children born/woman (2002 est.) 4.65 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NEGL% NA%
Waterways none none
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