Maldives (2004) | Togo (2006) | |
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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 | 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes |
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: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321)
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish | coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish |
Airports | 5 (2003 est.) | 9 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
Area | total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
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. | French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to rule well into the 21st century. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government continued to be dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has maintained power almost continually since 1967. Togo has come under fire from international organizations for human rights abuses and is plagued by political unrest. While most bilateral and multilateral aid to Togo remains frozen, the EU initiated a partial resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo in late 2004 based upon commitments by Togo to expand opportunities for political opposition and liberalize portions of the economy. Upon his death in February 2005, President EYADEMA was succeeded by his son Faure GNASSINGBE. The succession, supported by the military and in contravention of the nation's constitution, was challenged by popular protest and a threat of sanctions from regional leaders. GNASSINGBE succumbed to pressure and in April 2005 held elections that legitimized his succession. |
Birth rate | 36.06 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 37.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $224 million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $282 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (2002 est.) |
revenues: $251.3 million
expenditures: $292.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
Capital | Male | name: Lome
geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
Coastline | 644 km | 56 km |
Constitution | adopted January 1998 | multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 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: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland |
Currency | rufiyaa (MVR) | - |
Death rate | 7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $281 million (2003 est.) | $2 billion (2005) |
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 Gregory ENGLE
embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome telephone: [228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94 FAX: [228] 221 79 52 |
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 Akoussoulelou BODJONA
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190 |
Disputes - international | none | in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary |
Economic aid - recipient | NA (1995) | ODA, $80 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. | This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export earnings, with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate. The government's decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly. Progress depends on follow-through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors. Togo is working with donors to write a PRGF that could eventually lead to a debt reduction plan. |
Electricity - consumption | 108.8 million kWh (2001) | 654.3 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 500 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2003) |
Electricity - production | 117 million kWh (2001) | 165.9 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m |
Environment - current issues | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching | deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas |
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, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs | African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1% |
Exchange rates | rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.2421 (2001), 11.77 (2000), 11.77 (1999) | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) |
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 Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February 2005); note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE; popular elections in April 2005 validated the succession
head of government: Prime Minister Yawovi AGBOYIBO (since 16 September 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held NA); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Faure GNASSINGBE elected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 38.3%, Nicolas LAWSON 1%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.5% |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | fish, clothing | reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa |
Exports - partners | US 32.1%, Thailand 17%, Sri Lanka 13.4%, Japan 10.7%, UK 9.8%, Indonesia 4.5% (2003) | Ghana 21.1%, Burkina Faso 18.2%, Benin 11.5%, Mali 7.3%, India 5.8%, Nigeria 4% (2005) |
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 | five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.25 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 20%
industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 39.5%
industry: 20.4% services: 40.1% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.3% (2002 est.) | 1% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 3 15 N, 73 00 E | 8 00 N, 1 10 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 | the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | Singapore 24.8%, Sri Lanka 13.8%, India 10.2%, Malaysia 7.6%, UAE 7.6%, Thailand 5.1% (2003) | France 17.8%, China 13.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.5%, Italy 4.5%, Spain 4.3% (2005) |
Independence | 26 July 1965 (from UK) | 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
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 | phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages |
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.) |
total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (2002 est.) | 6% (2005 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, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 70 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | High Court | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
Labor force | 88,000 (2000) | 1.302 million (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) | agriculture: 65%
industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km |
Land use | arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 16.67% other: 70% (2001) |
arable land: 44.2%
permanent crops: 2.11% other: 53.69% (2005) |
Languages | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials | French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north) |
Legal system | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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 National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1 note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of the Forces for Change and the Action Committee for Renewal |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 63.68 years
male: 62.41 years female: 65.01 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 57.42 years
male: 55.41 years female: 59.49 years (2006 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: 60.9% male: 75.4% female: 46.9% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana |
Map references | Asia | Africa |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 30 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2006) |
Military branches | National Security Service: comprising Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element; Coast Guard | Togolese Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $43.1 million (2003) | $29.98 million (2005 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 8.6% (2003) | 1.6% (2005 est.) |
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) | Independence Day, 27 April (1960) |
Nationality | noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese |
Natural hazards | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts |
Natural resources | fish | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | although political parties are not banned, none exist | Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP; Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 339,330 (July 2004 est.) | 5,548,702
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 32% (1989 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.86% (2004 est.) | 2.72% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Gan, Male | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20% |
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: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | NA years of age; universal adult |
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: fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile cellular system
domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie |
Telephones - main lines in use | 28,700 (2002) | 58,600 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 41,900 (2002) | 443,600 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 3 (plus two repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | flat, with white sandy beaches | gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes |
Total fertility rate | 5.14 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NEGL% (2003 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | - | 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2005) |