Maldives (2004) | Dhekelia (2008) | |
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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: 44.4% (male 77,424; female 73,191)
15-64 years: 52.6% (male 91,045; female 87,331) 65 years and over: 3% (male 5,207; female 5,132) (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish | - |
Airports | 5 (2003 est.) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
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Area | total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC | about three-quarters 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. Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM - currently in his sixth term in office - has dominated the island's political scene. Following riots in the capital Male in August 2004, the president and his government have pledged to embark upon democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago. | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. |
Birth rate | 36.06 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $224 million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $282 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (2002 est.) |
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Capital | Male | name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
Coastline | 644 km | 27.5 km |
Constitution | adopted January 1998 | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document |
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: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia |
Currency | rufiyaa (MVR) | - |
Death rate | 7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $281 million (2003 est.) | - |
Dependency status | - | a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
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 | chief of mission: Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | - |
Economic aid - recipient | NA (1995) | - |
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. 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 lesser 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. | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. |
Electricity - consumption | 108.8 million kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production | 117 million kWh (2001) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
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Environment - current issues | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching | netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn |
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 |
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Ethnic groups | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs | - |
Exchange rates | rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.2421 (2001), 11.77 (2000), 11.77 (1999) | Cypriot pounds per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003) |
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 elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then the 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 17 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2008) election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected in referendum held 17 October 2003; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.3% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
Exports | NA (2001) | - |
Exports - commodities | fish, clothing | - |
Exports - partners | US 32.1%, Thailand 17%, Sri Lanka 13.4%, Japan 10.7%, UK 9.8%, Indonesia 4.5% (2003) | - |
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 | the flag of the UK is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.25 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 20%
industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.3% (2002 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 3 15 N, 73 00 E | 34 59 N, 33 45 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 | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Imports | NA (2001) | - |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products | - |
Imports - partners | Singapore 24.8%, Sri Lanka 13.8%, India 10.2%, Malaysia 7.6%, UAE 7.6%, Thailand 5.1% (2003) | - |
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 | none |
Infant mortality rate | total: 58.32 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 57.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (2002 est.) | - |
International organization participation | AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | - |
Judicial branch | High Court | - |
Labor force | 88,000 (2000) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 103 km (approximately)
border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately) |
Land use | arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 16.67% other: 70% (2001) |
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Languages | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials | English, Greek |
Legal system | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus |
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 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 50 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 63.68 years
male: 62.41 years female: 65.01 years (2004 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.2% male: 97.1% female: 97.3% (2003 est.) |
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Location | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India | on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta |
Map references | Asia | Middle East |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,164 GRT/68,973 DWT
by type: cargo 13, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, short-sea/passenger 1 foreign-owned: North Korea 1 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Military - note | - | includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway |
Military branches | National Security Service: comprising Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element; Coast Guard | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $43.1 million (2003) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 8.6% (2003) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 81,221 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 45,142 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) | - |
Nationality | noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
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Natural hazards | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise | - |
Natural resources | fish | - |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | although political parties are not banned, none exist | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 339,330 (July 2004 est.) | approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK Based Contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents |
Population below poverty line | NA | - |
Population growth rate | 2.86% (2004 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Gan, Male | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
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: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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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: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 28,700 (2002) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 41,900 (2002) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
Terrain | flat, with white sandy beaches | - |
Total fertility rate | 5.14 children born/woman (2004 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | NEGL% (2003 est.) | - |