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Maldives travel guides

Maldives - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
Travel Weather
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Military
Transnational Issues

Travel Weather

Travel Weather: Maldives

The dry season starts in December and lasts till April. It usually offers beautiful weather and. The temperatures usually cool down in May and the time between May and November it will still be warm, but there can be clouds in the sky and rain is more likely. Still a good time to travel though.

Introduction

General Information: Maldives

The capital of Maldives is Male.

Major cities of Maldives are:
Gan Island, Hanimaadhoo, Kaadedhdhoo, Kadhonoo, Male.

Geography

Location:	Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Coordinates:	3 15 N, 73 00 E
Area:	total: 300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area Comparative:	about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land Boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	644 km
Maritime Claims:	measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:	tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Terrain:	flat, with white sandy beaches
Elevation Extremes:	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m
Natural Resources:	fish
Land Use:	arable land: 13.33% permanent crops: 16.67% other: 70% (2001)
Irrigated Land:	NA sq km
Natural Hazards:	low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise
Environment Current Issues:	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
Note:	1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

People

Population:	339,330 (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 17.5 years male: 17.4 years female: 17.6 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	2.86% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	36.06 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
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: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate:	total: 58.32 deaths/1,000 live births male: 57.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 63.68 years male: 62.41 years female: 65.01 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	5.14 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV Adult Prevalence Rate:	0.1% (2001 est.)
People Living HIV:	less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:	noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian
Ethnic Groups:	South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs
Religions:	Sunni Muslim
Languages:	Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.2% male: 97.1% female: 97.3% (2003 est.)

Gouvernment

Country Name:	conventional long form: Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
Government Type:	republic
Capital:	Male
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
Independence:	26 July 1965 (from UK)
National Holiday:	Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Constitution:	adopted January 1998
Legal System:	based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:	21 years of age; universal
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: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then the 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 17 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2008) election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected in referendum held 17 October 2003; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 90.3%
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 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 50
Judicial Branch:	High Court
Political Parties Leaders:	although political parties are not banned, none exist
Political Pressure Groups Leaders:	none
International Organization Participation:	AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic in US:	chief of mission: Dr. Mohamed LATHEEF chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195
Diplomatic from 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
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

Economy

Economy Overview:	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. 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 lesser 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.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $1.25 billion (2002 est.)
GDP Growth Rate:	2.3% (2002 est.)
GDP Capital:	purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: 20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.)
Household Income:	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation Rate:	1% (2002 est.)
Labor Force:	88,000 (2000)
Labor Force Occupation:	agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995)
Unemployment Rate:	NEGL% (2003 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $224 million (excluding foreign grants) expenditures: $282 million, including capital expenditures of $80 million (2002 est.)
Agriculture Products:	coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish
Industries:	fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining
Industry Production Growth Rate:	4.4% (1996 est.)
Electricity Production:	117 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	108.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	0 kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	3,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	NA (2001)
Oil Imports:	NA (2001)
Exports:	$90 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports Commodities:	fish, clothing
Exports Partners:	US 32.1%, Thailand 17%, Sri Lanka 13.4%, Japan 10.7%, UK 9.8%, Indonesia 4.5% (2003)
Imports:	$392 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports Commodities:	consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products
Imports Partners:	Singapore 24.8%, Sri Lanka 13.8%, India 10.2%, Malaysia 7.6%, UAE 7.6%, Thailand 5.1% (2003)
Debt External:	$281 million (2003 est.)
Currency:	rufiyaa (MVR)
Currency Code:	MVR
Exchange Rates:	rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.2421 (2001), 11.77 (2000), 11.77 (1999)
Fiscal Year:	calendar year

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	28,700 (2002)
Mobile Cellular:	41,900 (2002)
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: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio Stations:	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television Stations:	1 (1997)
Internet Code:	.mv
Internet Hosts:	532 (2003)
Internet Users:	15,000 (2002)

Military

Military Branches:	National Security Service: comprising Security Branch (ground forces), Air Element; Coast Guard
Military Age Obligation:	18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Military Availability:	males age 15-49: 81,221 (2004 est.)
Fit Military Service:	males age 15-49: 45,142 (2004 est.)
Military Expenditures Dollar Figure:	$43.1 million (2003)
Military Expenditures Percent GDP:	8.6% (2003)