Maldives (2004) | Jordan (2002) | |
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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 | 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba |
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.) |
0-14 years: 36.6% (male 991,370; female 949,247)
15-64 years: 60% (male 1,698,568; female 1,485,261) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 90,186; female 92,838) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish | wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry |
Airports | 5 (2003 est.) | 18 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Area | total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 92,300 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km water: 329 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Indiana |
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. | For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, through several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections and gradually permitted political liberalization; in 1994 a formal peace treaty was signed with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and established his domestic priorities, including an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements with the United States in 2000, and with the European Free Trade Association in 2001. |
Birth rate | 36.06 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 24.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $224 million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $282 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (2002 est.) |
revenues: $2.9 billion
expenditures: $3.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
Capital | Male | Amman |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) |
Coastline | 644 km | 26 km |
Constitution | adopted January 1998 | 8 January 1952 |
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: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah local short form: Al Urdun former: Transjordan |
Currency | rufiyaa (MVR) | Jordanian dinar (JOD) |
Death rate | 7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $281 million (2003 est.) | $8.2 billion (2002 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 Edward William GNEHM, Jr.
embassy: Abdoun, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 5920101 FAX: [962] (6) 5920121 |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | NA (1995) | ODA, $600 million (2000 est.) |
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. | Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH since assuming the throne in 1999 has undertaken some broad economic reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. Amman in the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced careful monetary policy, and made significant headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO (2000), an association agreement with the EU (2000), and a free trade accord with US (2000). These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. The substantial trade deficit is covered by tourism receipts, worker remittances, and foreign assistance. Ongoing challenges include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit and broader investment incentives to promote job-creating ventures. |
Electricity - consumption | 108.8 million kWh (2001) | 7.092 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 5 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 650 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 117 million kWh (2001) | 6.932 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1% 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: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m |
Environment - current issues | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching | limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs | Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% |
Exchange rates | rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.2421 (2001), 11.77 (2000), 11.77 (1999) | Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.7090 (1996-present )
note: since May 1989, the Jordanian dinar has been pegged to a group of currencies |
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: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HAMZAH (half brother of the monarch, born 29 March 1980)
head of government: Prime Minister Ali Abul RAGHEB (since 19 June 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch |
Exports | NA (2001) | $2.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
Exports - commodities | fish, clothing | phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures, pharmaceuticals |
Exports - partners | US 32.1%, Thailand 17%, Sri Lanka 13.4%, Japan 10.7%, UK 9.8%, Indonesia 4.5% (2003) | India 11.4%, US 9.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.6%, Israel 3.7% (2001) |
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 | three equal horizontal bands of black (top, the Abbassid Caliphate of Islam), white (the Ummayyad Caliphate of Islam), and green (the Fatimid Caliphate of Islam) with a red isosceles triangle (representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916) based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.25 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $22.8 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 20%
industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 4%
industry: 26% services: 70% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.3% (2002 est.) | 3.5% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 3 15 N, 73 00 E | 31 00 N, 36 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 | strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank |
Heliports | - | 2 (2002) |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 8,000 km
paved: 8,000 km unpaved: 0 km (2000 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 30% (1997) (1997) |
Imports | NA (2001) | $4.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products | crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals, manufactured goods |
Imports - partners | Singapore 24.8%, Sri Lanka 13.8%, India 10.2%, Malaysia 7.6%, UAE 7.6%, Thailand 5.1% (2003) | Germany 8.8%, US 7.8%, Italy 5.6%, France 5.5% (2001) |
Independence | 26 July 1965 (from UK) | 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.4% (1996 est.) | -1.1% (2002 est.) |
Industries | fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining | phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, tourism |
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.) |
19.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (2002 est.) | 3.3% (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 | ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 5 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 750 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | High Court | Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal) |
Labor force | 88,000 (2000) | 1.26 million
note: in addition, at least 300,000 workers are employed abroad (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) | services 83%, industry 13%, agriculture 5% (2001 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km |
Land use | arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 16.67% other: 70% (2001) |
arable land: 2.87%
permanent crops: 1.52% other: 95.61% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials | Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes |
Legal system | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; 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 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 50 |
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Aayan), a 40-member body appointed by the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms and the House of Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab), an 80-member body elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms
elections: House of Representatives - last held 4 November 1997 (November 2001 election postponed, next scheduled to be held in June 2003) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - National Constitutional Party 2, Arab Land Party 1, independents 75, other 2 note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 63.68 years
male: 62.41 years female: 65.01 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 77.71 years
male: 75.26 years female: 80.3 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.2% male: 97.1% female: 97.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.6% male: 93.4% female: 79.4% (1995 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India | Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia |
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 |
territorial sea: 3 NM |
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.) |
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,206 GRT/53,401 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3, container 1, roll on/roll off 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 6 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | National Security Service: comprising Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element; Coast Guard | Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations Command or Socom); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $43.1 million (2003) | $757.5 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 8.6% (2003) | 8.6% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 81,221 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49: 1,517,751 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 45,142 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49: 1,073,991 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 57,131 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) | Independence Day, 25 May (1946) |
Nationality | noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian |
Natural hazards | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise | droughts; periodic earthquakes |
Natural resources | fish | phosphates, potash, shale oil |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 6.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 209 km; note - may not be in use |
Political parties and leaders | although political parties are not banned, none exist | Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id DHIYAB, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; Islamic Action Front [Abd al latif al-ARABIYAT, secretary general]; National Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary general]; (Arab) Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysif al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general]; Pan-Arab (Democratic) Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Constitutional Front [Mahdi al-TALL, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general]; Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president] |
Population | 339,330 (July 2004 est.) | 5,307,470 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 30% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.86% (2004 est.) | 2.89% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Gan, Male | Al 'Aqabah |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999) |
Radios | - | 1.66 million (1997) |
Railways | - | total: 677 km
narrow gauge: 677 km 1.050-m gauge (2001) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.) |
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.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 20 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) |
general assessment: service has improved recently with the increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links total about 4,000 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 28,700 (2002) | 403,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 41,900 (2002) | 11,500 (1995) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | flat, with white sandy beaches | mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River |
Total fertility rate | 5.14 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 3.15 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NEGL% (2003 est.) | 16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |