Maldives (2007) | Tonga (2002) | |
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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 | 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u |
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: 39.5% (male 21,374; female 20,555)
15-64 years: 56.4% (male 29,519; female 30,322) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,945; female 2,422) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish | squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish |
Airports | 5 (2007) | 6 (2001) |
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: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Area | total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 748 sq km
land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC | four times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific. |
Birth rate | 34.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 24.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $508 million (including foreign grants)
expenditures: $671 million (2006 est.) |
revenues: $39.9 million
expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 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) |
Nuku'alofa |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) | tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) |
Coastline | 644 km | 419 km |
Constitution | adopted 1 January 1998 | 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967 |
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: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands |
Currency | - | pa'anga (TOP) |
Death rate | 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $482 million (2006 est.) | $57.5 million (June 2001) |
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 | the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga |
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 Sonatane T. T. TUPOU
chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1136 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 consulate(s) general: San Francisco |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $66.83 million (2005) | Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02) |
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. | Tonga has a small, open economy with a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. Tourism is the second largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonable basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. |
Electricity - consumption | 157.1 million kWh (2005) | 27.9 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 169 million kWh (2005) | 30 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% 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: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m |
Environment - current issues | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching | deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations |
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, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs | Polynesian, Europeans about 300 |
Exchange rates | rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002) | pa'anga per US dollar - 2.1920 (January 2002), 2.1236 (2001), 1.7585 (2000), 1.5991 (1999), 1.4920 (1998), 1.2635 (1997) |
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: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Tevita TOPOU (since NA January 2001) cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the monarch, consists of 12 members note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the Cabinet, and two governors elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $9.3 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | fish | squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops |
Exports - partners | Thailand 33.1%, UK 14.3%, Sri Lanka 11.9%, Japan 10.3%, France 6.9%, Algeria 6.1% (2006) | Japan 50.4%, US 31.6%, NZ 4.1%, Australia 2.1%, Fiji 1.7% (2000 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $225 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 16%
industry: 7% services: 77% (2006 est.) |
agriculture: 30%
industry: 10% services: 60% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 18% (2006 est.) | 5.3% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 3 15 N, 73 00 E | 20 00 S, 175 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 | archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited) |
Highways | - | total: 680 km
paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $70 million c.i.f. (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate and capital goods | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Singapore 23.2%, UAE 15.8%, India 11.1%, Malaysia 7.9%, Thailand 6.9%, Sri Lanka 5.7% (2006) | New Zealand 29.8%, Japan 18.6%, Australia 12.7%, US 12.7%, Fiji 12.2% (2000 est.) |
Independence | 26 July 1965 (from UK) | 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate) |
Industrial production growth rate | -0.9% (2004 est.) | 8.6% (FY98/99) |
Industries | tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining | tourism, fishing |
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.) |
13.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6% (2005 est.) | 9.4% (2001 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 | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | High Court | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court) |
Labor force | 101,300 (2004) | 33,908 (1996) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 22%
industry: 18% services: 60% (1995) |
agriculture 65% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 30% other: 56.67% (2005) |
arable land: 23.61%
permanent crops: 43.06% other: 33.33% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials | Tongan, English |
Legal system | based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English law |
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 |
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 7 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote - pro-democratic 70%; seats - pro-democratic 7, traditionalist 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 64.76 years
male: 63.41 years female: 66.19 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 68.56 years
male: 66.13 years female: 71.11 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.3% male: 96.2% female: 96.4% (2000 census) |
definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.5% male: 98.4% female: 98.7% (1996 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
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: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 292,139 GRT/421,221 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 54, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 1, Australia 4, Austria 1, Bolivia 1, Cyprus 1, Djibouti 1, Egypt 2, Greece 4, Lebanon 2, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2, Morocco 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Romania 3, Russia 1, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 3, Syria 5, Ukraine 1, United Arab Emirates 16, United States 4 (2002 est.) |
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) | Tonga Defense Services (made up of three operational command components and two support elements, including the Royal Marines, Royal Guards, Maritime Force, a support/logistics group, and a training group), Police; note - a new air wing that will be subordinate to the Ministry of Defense is being developed |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.5% (2005 est.) | NA% |
National holiday | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) | Independence Day, 4 June (1970) |
Nationality | noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian |
noun: Tongan(s)
adjective: Tongan |
Natural hazards | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise | cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou |
Natural resources | fish | fish, fertile soil |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 | there are no political parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | various unregistered political parties | Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [Akilisi POHIVA, president] |
Population | 369,031 (July 2007 est.) | 106,137 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 21% (2004) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.732% (2007 est.) | 1.85% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2001) |
Radios | - | 61,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) |
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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
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: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (1996) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 32,500 (2006) | 8,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 262,600 (2006) | 302 (1996) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2006) | 2 (2001) |
Terrain | flat, with white sandy beaches | most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base |
Total fertility rate | 4.78 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 3 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NEGL% (2003 est.) | 13.3% (1996 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |