218 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
218 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
MALDIVES
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 300 km2; land area: 300 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 644 km
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Maritime claims:
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Exclusive economic zone: 35-310 nm (defined by geographic
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coordinates; segment of zone coincides with maritime boundary with
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India);
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to
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March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
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Terrain: flat with elevations only as high as 2.5 meters
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Natural resources: fish
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Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
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3%; forest and woodland 3%; other 84%
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Environment: 1,200 coral islands grouped into 19 atolls
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Note: archipelago of strategic location astride and along
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major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
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PEOPLE
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Population: 226,200 (July 1991), growth rate 3.7% (1991)
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Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 72 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 65 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Maldivian(s); adjective--Maldivian
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Ethnic divisions: admixtures of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, and
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black
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Religion: Sunni Muslim
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Language: Divehi (dialect of Sinhala; script derived from Arabic);
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English spoken by most government officials
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Literacy: 92% (male 92%, female 92%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1985)
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Labor force: 66,000 (est.); 25% engaged in fishing industry
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Organized labor: none
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Maldives
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Type: republic
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Capital: Male
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Administrative divisions: 19 district (atolls); Aliff, Baa, Daalu,
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Faafu, Gaafu Aliff, Gaafu Daalu, Haa Aliff, Haa Daalu, Kaafu, Laamu,
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Laviyani, Meemu, Naviyani, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Waavu
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Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK)
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Constitution: 4 June 1964
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Legal system: based on Islamic law with admixtures of English
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common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory
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ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
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Executive branch: president, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral Citizens' Council (Majlis)
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Judicial branch: High Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Maumoon Abdul
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GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978)
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Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties;
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country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries
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Suffrage: universal at age 21
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Elections:
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President--last held 23 September 1988 (next to be held September
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1994);
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results--President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected;
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Citizens' Council--last held on 7 December 1989 (next to be held
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7 December 1994);
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results--percent of vote NA;
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seats--(48 total, 40 elected)
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Communists: negligible
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Member of: AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
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IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC,
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SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Maldives does not maintain an embassy
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in the US, but does have a UN mission in New York;
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US--the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and
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makes periodic visits there; US Consular Agency, Midhath Hilmy,
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Male; telephone 2581
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Flag: red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a
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vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist
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side of the flag
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and shipping.
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Agriculture is limited to the production of a few subsistence crops that
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provide only 10% of food requirements. Fishing is the largest industry,
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employing 25% of the work force and accounting for over 60% of exports;
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it is also an important source of government revenue. During the 1980s
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tourism has become one of the most important and highest growth sectors
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of the economy. In 1988 industry accounted for about 5% of GDP. Real
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GDP is officially estimated to have increased by about 10% annually
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during the period 1974-87, and GDP estimates for 1988 show a further
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growth of 9% on the strength of a record fish catch and an improved
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tourist season.
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GDP: $136 million, per capita $670; real growth rate 9.2% (1988)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1988 est.)
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Unemployment rate: NEGL%
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Budget: revenues $51 million; expenditures $50 million, including
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capital expenditures of $25 million (1988 est.)
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Exports: $39.4 million (f.o.b., 1988);
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commodities--fish 57%, clothing 39%;
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partners--Thailand, Western Europe, Sri Lanka
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Imports: $105.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
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commodities--intermediate and capital goods 47%, consumer goods
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42%, petroleum products 11%;
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partners--Japan, Western Europe, Thailand
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External debt: $70 million (December 1989)
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Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988); accounts
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for 5% of GDP
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Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 11 million kWh produced,
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50 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat
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building, some coconut processing, garments, woven mats, coir (rope),
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handicrafts
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Agriculture: accounts for almost 30% of GDP (including fishing);
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fishing more important than farming; limited production of coconuts,
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corn, sweet potatoes; most staple foods must be imported; fish catch
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of 63,000 tons (1988 est.)
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $28
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $105 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $14 million
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Currency: rufiyaa (plural--rufiyaa); 1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laaris
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Exchange rates: rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1--9.937 (January 1991),
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9.509 (1990), 9.0408 (1989), 8.7846 (1988), 9.2230 (1987), 7.1507 (1986),
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7.0981 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city
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Ports: Male, Gan
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Merchant marine: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,131
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GRT/85,770 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and
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lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
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Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
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Telecommunications: minimal domestic and international facilities;
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2,804 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
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earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: National Security Service (paramilitary police force)
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 50,788; 28,378 fit for military
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service
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Defense expenditures: $1.8 million, NA% of GDP (1984 est.)
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