Compare Maldives (2004) - Moldova (2002)

Compare Maldives (2004) z Moldova (2002)

	Maldives (2004)	Moldova (2002)

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	9 counties (judetele, singular - judetul), 1 municipality* (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitate teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit* (unitate teritoriala); Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau, Edinet, Gagauzia, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Stinga Nistrului**, Tighina, Ungheni
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: 21.7% (male 490,414; female 472,912) 15-64 years: 68.2% (male 1,451,962; female 1,572,561) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 165,860; female 280,838) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish	vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk
Airports	5 (2003 est.)	30 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.)	total: 23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 14 (2002)
Area	total: 300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km
Area - comparative	about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger 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. 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.	Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.
Birth rate	36.06 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	13.82 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: $536 million expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Capital	Male	Chisinau
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)	moderate winters, warm summers
Coastline	644 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	adopted January 1998	new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979
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: Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: none former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia
Currency	rufiyaa (MVR)	Moldovan leu (MDL)
Death rate	7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	12.64 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$281 million (2003 est.)	$1.3 billion (2002)
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 Pamela Hyde SMITH embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address - American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080 telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72 FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44
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 Mihai MANOLI chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
Disputes - international	none	Moldovan difficulties with break-away Transnistria region inhibit establishment of a joint customs regime with Ukraine to curtail smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities
Economic aid - recipient	NA (1995)	$100 million (2000)
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.	Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The economy returned to positive growth, of 2.1% in 2000 and 6.1% in 2001. Growth remained strong in 2002, in part because of the reforms and because of starting from a small base. Further reforms are in doubt because of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the scepticism of foreign investors.
Electricity - consumption	108.8 million kWh (2001)	3.655 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	630 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	1.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	117 million kWh (2001)	3.317 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 90% hydro: 10% 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: Dniester River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
Environment - current issues	depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching	heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Ethnic groups	South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs	Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.) note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region
Exchange rates	rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.2421 (2001), 11.77 (2000), 11.77 (1999)	lei per US dollar - 12.8579 (October 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu
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: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Vasile IOVV (since NA 2002), Deputy Prime Minister Stefan ODAGIU (since NA 2002) cabinet: selected by prime minister, subject to approval of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 4 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note - presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct, popular elections; Parliament's failure to chose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections in February 2001; prime minister designated by the president, upon consultation with Parliament; note - within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated 15 April 2001, cabinet received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001 election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101
Exports	NA (2001)	$590 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities	fish, clothing	foodstuffs, textiles, and machinery (2001)
Exports - partners	US 32.1%, Thailand 17%, Sri Lanka 13.4%, Japan 10.7%, UK 9.8%, Indonesia 4.5% (2003)	Russia 43%, Ukraine 10.1%, Italy 8.1%, Germany 7.2%, Romania 6.7% (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	same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow
GDP	purchasing power parity - $1.25 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $11 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 28% industry: 23% services: 49% (2000)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2.3% (2002 est.)	4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	3 15 N, 73 00 E	47 00 N, 29 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	landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
Highways	total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km	total: 20,000 km paved: 13,900 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 31% (1997)
Illicit drugs	-	limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity
Imports	NA (2001)	$980 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities	consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products	mineral products and fuel 32%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (2000)
Imports - partners	Singapore 24.8%, Sri Lanka 13.8%, India 10.2%, Malaysia 7.6%, UAE 7.6%, Thailand 5.1% (2003)	Ukraine 18%, Russia 15.1%, Romania 13.1%, Germany 10.5%, Italy 6.4% (2001)
Independence	26 July 1965 (from UK)	27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate	4.4% (1996 est.)	9% (2002 est.)
Industries	fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining	food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
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.)	42.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1% (2002 est.)	5.5% (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	ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	2 (1999)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	3,070 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	High Court	Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)
Labor force	88,000 (2000)	1.7 million (1998) (1998)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995)	agriculture 40%, industry 14%, services 46% (1998) (1998)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Land use	arable land: 13.33% permanent crops: 16.67% other: 70% (2001)	arable land: 54.08% permanent crops: 12.1% other: 33.82% (1998 est.)
Languages	Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials	Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian (official), Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Legal system	based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents
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	unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs, as well as independent candidates, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis Alliance 19, PPCD 11
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 63.68 years male: 62.41 years female: 65.01 years (2004 est.)	total population: 64.74 years male: 60.39 years female: 69.31 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: 96% male: 99% female: 94% (1989 est.)
Location	Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India	Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Map references	Asia	Europe
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
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.)	-
Military branches	National Security Service: comprising Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element; Coast Guard	Ground Forces (includes Air and Air Defense Forces), Republic Security Forces (includes paramilitary Internal Troops and Border Troops)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$43.1 million (2003)	$6 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	8.6% (2003)	0.4% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 81,221 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 1,172,714 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 45,142 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 929,316 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 42,268 (2002 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 26 July (1965)	Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Nationality	noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian	noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan
Natural hazards	low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise	landslides (57 cases in 1998)
Natural resources	fish	lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines	-	natural gas 310 km (1992)
Political parties and leaders	although political parties are not banned, none exist	Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Social Democratic Union (composed of Braghis Alliance and the Democratic Party of Moldova) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	NA
Population	339,330 (July 2004 est.)	4,434,547 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	80% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	2.86% (2004 est.)	0.09% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Gan, Male	none
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios	-	3.22 million (1997)
Railways	-	total: 1,328 km broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (2001)
Religions	Sunni Muslim	Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal	18 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: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced international: service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik
Telephones - main lines in use	28,700 (2002)	627,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	41,900 (2002)	2,200 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	flat, with white sandy beaches	rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Total fertility rate	5.14 children born/woman (2004 est.)	1.71 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	NEGL% (2003 est.)	8% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad) (2002 est.)
Waterways	-	424 km (1994)

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