Republic of Maldives

National name: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

President: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (1978)

Total area: 116 sq mi (300 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 359,008 (growth rate: 2.8%); birth rate: 34.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 54.9/1000; life expectancy: 64.4; density per sq mi: 3,099

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Malé, 81,600

Monetary unit: Rufiya

Languages: Maldivian Dhivehi (official); English spoken by most government officials

Ethnicity/race: South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs

Religion: Islam (Sunni)

Literacy rate: 97% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2002 est.): $1.25 billion; per capita $3,900. Real growth rate: –5.5%. Inflation: 5.6%. Unemployment: negl. (2003 est.). Arable land: 13%. Agriculture: coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish. Labor force: 88,000 (2000); agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995). Industries: fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining. Natural resource: fish. Exports: $123 million f.o.b. (2004 est.); fish, clothing. Imports: $567 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, intermediate and capital goods. Major trading partners: U.S., Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, UK, Germany, Singapore, UAE, India, Malaysia, Bahrain (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 21,000 (1999); mobile cellular: 1,290 (1997). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998). Radios: 35,000 (1999). Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997). Televisions: 10,000 (1999). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000). Internet users: 6,000 (2001).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: n.a.; paved: n.a.; unpaved: n.a. Ports and harbors: Gan, Malé. Airports: 5 (2002).

International disputes: none.


 

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