Compare Maldives (2007) - Paraguay (2006)

Compare Maldives (2007) z Paraguay (2006)

	Maldives (2007)	Paraguay (2006)

Administrative divisions	19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and the capital city; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale (Male), Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu	17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
Age structure	0-14 years: 42.9% (male 81,383/female 76,984) 15-64 years: 54% (male 101,699/female 97,518) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,619/female 5,828) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 37.7% (male 1,245,149/female 1,204,970) 15-64 years: 57.5% (male 1,878,761/female 1,862,266) 65 years and over: 4.8% (male 145,899/female 169,419) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish	cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber
Airports	5 (2007)	881 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)	total: 12 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)	total: 869 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 325 under 914 m: 518 (2006)
Area	total: 300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 406,750 sq km land: 397,300 sq km water: 9,450 sq km
Area - comparative	about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than California
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 pledged to embark upon democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress has been slow, however, and many promised reforms have been delayed indefinitely. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.	In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular presidential elections have been held since then.
Birth rate	34.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	29.1 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $508 million (including foreign grants) expenditures: $671 million (2006 est.)	revenues: $1.334 billion expenditures: $1.37 billion; including capital expenditures of $700 million (2005 est.)
Capital	name: Male geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Asuncion geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)	subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
Coastline	644 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	adopted 1 January 1998	promulgated 20 June 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: Republic of Paraguay conventional short form: Paraguay local long form: Republica del Paraguay local short form: Paraguay
Death rate	6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$482 million (2006 est.)	$3.45 billion (2005 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	Ambassador James C. CASON embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001 telephone: [595] (21) 213-715 FAX: [595] (21) 213-728
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed LATHEEF chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195 FAX: [1] (212) 661-6405	chief of mission: Ambassador James SPALDING Hellmers chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962 FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508 consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
Disputes - international	none	unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations
Economic aid - recipient	$66.83 million (2005)	$NA
Economy - overview	Tourism, Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 28% 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 the second leading sector. 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 7% of GDP. 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. Real GDP growth averaged over 7.5% per year for more than a decade. In late December 2004, a major tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000 displaced, and property damage exceeding $300 million. As a result of the tsunami, the GDP contracted by about 3.6% in 2005. A rebound in tourism, post-tsunami reconstruction, and development of new resorts helped boost GDP by about 18 percent in 2006. The trade deficit has expanded sharply as a result of high oil prices and imports of construction material. Diversifying beyond tourism and fishing is the major challenge facing the government. Over the longer term 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.	Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. This sector features both reexport of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population derives its living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3% annually in 1995-97, but averaged near-zero growth in 1998-2001 and contracted by 2.3 percent in 2002, in response to regional contagion and an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty, corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial internal and external debt, and deficient infrastructure. Aided by a firmer exchange rate and perhaps a greater confidence in the economic policy of the DUARTE FRUTOS administration, the economy rebounded between 2003 and 2005, posting modest growth each year.
Electricity - consumption	157.1 million kWh (2005)	3.528 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	44.17 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	169 million kWh (2005)	51.29 billion 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: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
Environment - current issues	depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching	deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs	mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%
Exchange rates	rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002)	guarani per US dollar - 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004), 6,424.3 (2003), 5,716.3 (2002), 4,105.9 (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) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president nominated by the Majlis; 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 in 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 Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held April 2008) election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected president; percent of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS 37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO Gomez 23.9%, Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo SANCHEZ Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2%
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	fish	soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather
Exports - partners	Thailand 33.1%, UK 14.3%, Sri Lanka 11.9%, Japan 10.3%, France 6.9%, Algeria 6.1% (2006)	Uruguay 26.7%, Brazil 15.2%, Argentina 4.8%, Chile 4.7% (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	three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 16% industry: 7% services: 77% (2006 est.)	agriculture: 22.4% industry: 20.7% services: 56.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	18% (2006 est.)	2.7% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	3 15 N, 73 00 E	23 00 S, 58 00 W
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; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.8% (1998)
Illicit drugs	-	major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe; corruption and some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate and capital goods	road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery
Imports - partners	Singapore 23.2%, UAE 15.8%, India 11.1%, Malaysia 7.9%, Thailand 6.9%, Sri Lanka 5.7% (2006)	Brazil 26.8%, Argentina 21.1%, US 20.8%, China 9.5% (2005)
Independence	26 July 1965 (from UK)	14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	-0.9% (2004 est.)	0% (2000 est.)
Industries	tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining	sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power
Infant mortality rate	total: 53.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 52.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 54.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 24.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	6% (2005 est.)	6.8% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	NA	670 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	High Court	Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura)
Labor force	101,300 (2004)	2.68 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 22% industry: 18% services: 60% (1995)	agriculture: 45% industry: NA% services: NA%
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 3,920 km border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Land use	arable land: 13.33% permanent crops: 30% other: 56.67% (2005)	arable land: 7.47% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 92.29% (2005)
Languages	Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials	Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
Legal system	based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 members elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 22 January 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50	bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held April 2008) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ANR 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2 note: as of January 2006, changes in party affiliation has led to the composition of the legislature as follows: Chamber of Senators - seats by party - ANR 18, PLRA 12, UNACE 5, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - ANR 39, PLRA 21, UNACE 8, PQ 10, PPS 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 64.76 years male: 63.41 years female: 66.19 years (2007 est.)	total population: 75.1 years male: 72.56 years female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.3% male: 96.2% female: 96.4% (2000 census)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94% male: 94.9% female: 93% (2003 est.)
Location	Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India	Central South America, northeast of Argentina
Map references	Asia	South America
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: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 85,935 GRT/114,054 DWT by type: cargo 17, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Greece 1) registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Tuvalu 1) (2007)	total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,749 GRT/39,280 DWT by type: cargo 15, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Argentina 3) registered in other countries: 1 (Ecuador 1) (2006)
Military - note	Maldives has no regular armed forces; the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) includes ground forces, the Coast Guard, and a small, undermanned air element; with its small size and with little servable equipment, the MNDF is inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone (2007)	-
Military branches	Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Quick Reaction Force, Security Protection Group, Coast Guard (2007)	Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation, Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Paraguay, FAP) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$53.1 million (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	5.5% (2005 est.)	0.9% (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 26 July (1965)	Independence Day, 14 May 1811 (observed 15 May annually)
Nationality	noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian	noun: Paraguayan(s) adjective: Paraguayan
Natural hazards	low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise	local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Natural resources	fish	hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Abdul Majeed Abdul BARI]; Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) or DRP [Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM]; Islamic Democratic Party or IDP [Omar NASEER]; Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed NASHEED]; note - political parties were allowed to register in June 2005	Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Herminio CACERES, interim president]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana, acting chairman]; Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Luis TORALES Kennedy]; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Blas LLANO]; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares] note: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS on leave as party leader of the Colorado Party or ANR while serving as President of Paraguay; Lino Cesar OVIEDO Silva, leader of UNACE, is currently serving a ten-year prison term
Political pressure groups and leaders	various unregistered political parties	Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federation of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]
Population	369,031 (July 2007 est.)	6,506,464 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	21% (2004)	32% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate	2.732% (2007 est.)	2.45% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (three inactive) (1998)
Railways	-	total: 36 km standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Religions	Sunni Muslim	Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite and other Protestant 10%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.057 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.043 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.964 male(s)/female total population: 1.046 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75
Telephone system	general assessment: telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with expanding subscribership domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service international: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)	general assessment: meager telephone service; principal switching center is in Asuncion domestic: fair microwave radio relay network international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	32,500 (2006)	320,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	262,600 (2006)	1.887 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2006)	5 (2003)
Terrain	flat, with white sandy beaches	grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Total fertility rate	4.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)	3.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	NEGL% (2003 est.)	16% (2005 est.)
Waterways	-	3,100 km (2005)

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