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