mirror of
https://github.com/opsxcq/mirror-textfiles.com.git
synced 2025-09-01 01:42:08 +02:00
218 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
218 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
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.)
|
||
|
||
|