Maldives (2005) | West Bank (2001) | |
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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: 43.9% (male 78,794/female 74,505)
15-64 years: 53% (male 94,488/female 90,624) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,339/female 5,356) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years:
44.61% (male 478,232; female 454,439) 15-64 years: 51.8% (male 552,661; female 530,230) 65 years and over: 3.59% (male 32,629; female 42,522) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish | olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products |
Airports | 5 (2004 est.) | 3 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
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:
5,860 sq km land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Delaware |
Background | The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. It 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 islands' 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. | The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations, which resumed in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus. An intifadah broke out in September 2000; the resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability in the Palestinian Authority are undermining progress toward a permanent settlement. |
Birth rate | 35.43 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 35.83 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $224 million (excluding foreign grants)
expenditures: $282 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (2002 est.) |
revenues:
$1.6 billion expenditures: $1.73 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.) |
Capital | Male | - |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) | temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters |
Coastline | 644 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | adopted 1 January 1998 | - |
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: West Bank |
Currency | - | new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD) |
Death rate | 7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 4.37 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $281 million (2003 est.) | $108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 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 | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195 |
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Disputes - international | none | West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation |
Economic aid - recipient | NA (1995) | $121 million disbursed (includes Gaza Strip) (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. In late December 2004, a major tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000 displaced, and property damage exceeding $300 million. | Economic output in the West Bank is governed by the Paris Economic Protocol of April 1994 between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by 36.1% between 1992 and 1996 owing to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted established labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment; unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Since 1997 Israel's use of comprehensive closures has decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of Palestinian violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and a severe disruption of trade and labor movements. |
Electricity - consumption | 115.7 million kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | 124.4 million kWh (2002) | NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; at the same time, some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
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: Tall Asur 1,022 m |
Environment - current issues | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching | adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment |
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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs | Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% |
Exchange rates | rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.24 (2001), 11.77 (2000) | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.0810 (December 2000), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996); Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 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 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% |
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Exports | NA | $682 million (includes Gaza Strip) (f.o.b., 1998 est.) |
Exports - commodities | fish, clothing | olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone |
Exports - partners | US 26.5%, Thailand 23.5%, Sri Lanka 12.3%, Japan 11.7%, UK 9.8%, Germany 4.9% (2004) | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year (since 1 January 1992) |
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 | - |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $3.1 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 20%
industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
9% industry: 28% services: 63% note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.3% (2002 est.) | -7.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 3 15 N, 73 00 E | 32 00 N, 35 15 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; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 1999 est.) |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total:
4,500 km paved: 2,700 km unpaved: 1,800 km (1997 est.) note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $2.5 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (c.i.f., 1998 est.) |
Imports - commodities | petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, intermediate and capital goods | food, consumer goods, construction materials |
Imports - partners | Singapore 24.9%, Sri Lanka 10.6%, UAE 10.3%, India 10.2%, Malaysia 7.6%, Bahrain 5.4% (2004) | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip |
Independence | 26 July 1965 (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 | generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers |
Infant mortality rate | total: 56.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 55.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 57.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
21.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (2002 est.) | 3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2000 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 | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 8 (1999) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | High Court | - |
Labor force | 88,000 (2000) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) | services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km |
Land use | arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 16.67% other: 70% (2001) |
arable land:
27% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 32% forests and woodland: 1% other: 40% |
Languages | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials | Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) |
Legal system | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; 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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 64.06 years
male: 62.76 years female: 65.42 years (2005 est.) |
total population:
72.28 years male: 70.58 years female: 74.07 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.2% male: 97.1% female: 97.3% (2003 est.) |
definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India | Middle East, west of Jordan |
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 |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 57,118 GRT/72,831 DWT
by type: cargo 12, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
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Military branches | National Security Service includes Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element, Coast Guard | NA |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $41.1 million (2004) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.5% (2004) | NA% |
National holiday | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) | - |
Nationality | noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
noun:
NA adjective: NA |
Natural hazards | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise | droughts |
Natural resources | fish | arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | although political parties are not banned, none exist | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 349,106 (July 2005 est.) | 2,090,713 (July 2001 est.)
note: in addition, there are some 176,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and about 173,000 in East Jerusalem (August 1999 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.82% (2005 est.) | 3.48% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Male | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000) |
Radios | - | NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% |
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 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: NA note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank |
Telephones - main lines in use | 28,700 (2002) | 95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 41,900 (2002) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA |
Terrain | flat, with white sandy beaches | mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east |
Total fertility rate | 5.02 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 4.9 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NEGL% (2003 est.) | 40% (includes Gaza Strip) (yearend 2000) |
Waterways | - | none |