Paracel Islands (2006) | Maldives (2001) | |
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:
45.63% (male 72,920; female 68,895) 15-64 years: 51.37% (male 81,506; female 78,149) 65 years and over: 3% (male 4,806; female 4,488) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 5 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total:
2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. | The Maldives were long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. They became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago. |
Birth rate | - | 38.15 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues:
$166 million (excluding foreign grants) expenditures: $192 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (1999 est.) |
Capital | - | Male |
Climate | tropical | tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
Coastline | 518 km | 644 km |
Constitution | - | adopted January 1998 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
conventional long form:
Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje |
Currency | - | rufiyaa (MVR) |
Death rate | - | 8.09 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $237 million (2000 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 | - | Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York |
Disputes - international | occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. | 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. Almost 400,000 tourists visited the islands in 1998. 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 minor 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 93.9 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | - | 101 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching |
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 |
Exchange rates | - | rufiyaa per US dollar - 11.770 (fixed rate since 1995) |
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: appointed by the president; note - need not be members of Majlis elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then that 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 16 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003) election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.9% |
Exports | - | $88 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | - | fish, clothing |
Exports - partners | - | US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan |
Fiscal 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 |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $594 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 7.6% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 30 N, 112 00 E | 3 15 N, 73 00 E |
Geography - note | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group | 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean |
Highways | - | total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km; note - Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city (1988 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $372 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | - | consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | - | Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada |
Independence | - | 26 July 1965 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 4.4% (1996 est.) |
Industries | - | fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining |
Infant mortality rate | - | 63.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | - | AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | High Court |
Labor force | - | 67,000 (1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land:
10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 3% other: 84% (1993 est.) |
Languages | - | Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials |
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 20 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 42 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
62.56 years male: 61.39 years female: 63.8 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.2% male: 93.3% female: 93% (1995 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines | Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Asia |
Maritime claims | NA | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 58,604 GRT/81,451 DWT ships by type: cargo 16, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | occupied by China | - |
Military branches | - | National Security Service |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
71,856 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
40,006 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) |
Nationality | - | noun:
Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian |
Natural hazards | typhoons | low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise |
Natural resources | none | fish |
Net migration rate | - | 0 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 | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons |
310,764 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 3.01% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Gan, Male |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | - | 35,000 (1999) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Sunni Muslim |
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: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 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: satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 21,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 1,290 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly low and flat | flat, with white sandy beaches |
Total fertility rate | - | 5.5 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | NEGL% |
Waterways | - | none |