Maldives

• tropical;
• hot, humid;
• dry, northeast monsoon (November to March);
• rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

lowest point:

Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:

unnamed location on Viligili in the Addu Atholhu 2.4 m

total:

0.003 cu km/yr (98%/2%/0%)

per capita:

9 cu m/yr (1987)

• depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies;
• global warming and sea level rise;
• coral reef bleaching

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• 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

noun:

Maldivian(s)

adjective:

Maldivian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.57 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.98 male(s)/female

total population:

1.4 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Maldives

conventional short form:

Maldives

local long form:

Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

local short form:

Dhivehi Raajje

name:

Male

geographic coordinates:

4 10 N, 73 30 E

time difference:

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

chief of state:

• President Mohamed "Anni" NASHEED (since 11 November 2008);
• Vice President Mohamed WAHEED Hassan Maniku (since 11 November 2008);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Mohamed "Anni" NASHEED (since 11 November 2008); Vice President Mohamed WAHEED Hassan Maniku (since 11 November 2008)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers is appointed by the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• under the new constitution, the president elected by direct vote;
• president elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 8 and 28 October 2008 (next to be held in 2013)

election results:

Mohamed NASHEED elected president; percent of vote - Mohamed NASHEED 54.3%, Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 45.7%

• unicameral People's Council or People's Majlis (77 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve five-year terms);
• note - the Majlis in February 2009 passed legislation that increased the number of seats to 77 from 50

elections:

last held on 9 May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)

election results:

• percent of vote - DRP 36.4%, MDP 33.8 %, PA 9.1%, DQP 2.6% Republican Party 1.2%, independents 16.9%;
• seats by party as of October 2011 - MDP 35, DRP 17, PPM 15, JP 2, PA 2, Meedhu DHAAIRA 1, independents 5

• Supreme Court;
• Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval of voting members of the People's Council;
• High Court;
• Trial Courts;
• all lower court judges are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission

• Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Shaykh Hussein RASHEED Ahmed];
• Dhivehi Qaumee Party or DQP [Hassan SAEED];
• Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) or DRP [Ahmed THASMEEN Ali];
• Gaumee Itthihaad (National Alliance) or GI [Mohamed WAHEED];
• Islamic Democratic Party or IDP;
• Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Ibrahim DIDI];
• Maldives National Congress or MNC;
• Maldives Social Democratic Party or MSDP;
• Meedhu Dhaaira;
• People's Alliance or PA [Abdullah YAMEEN];
• People's Party or PP;
• Poverty Alleviation Party or PAP;
• Progressive Party of Maldives or PPM [Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM];
• Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP [Gasim IBRAHIM];
• Social Liberal Party or SLP [Mazian RASHEED]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed

chancery:

800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 599-6195

FAX:

[1] (212) 661-6405

• the US does not have an embassy in Maldives;
• the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ambassador Patricia A. BUTENIS, is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits

• red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent moon;
• the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag;
• red recalls those who have sacrificed their lives in defense of their country, the green rectangle represents peace and prosperity, and the white crescent signifies Islam

name:

"Gaumee Salaam" (National Salute)

lyrics/music:

Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA

note: lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; between 1948 and 1972, the lyrics were sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne"

agriculture:

11%

industry:

23%

services:

65% (2006 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

• telephone services have improved;
• interatoll communication through microwave links;
• all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service

domestic:

each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that exceeds 100 per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 960;
• linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
• satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)

• state-owned radio and television monopoly until recently;
• state-owned TV operates 2 channels;
• 2 privately-owned TV stations;
• state owns Voice of Maldives and operates both an entertainment and a music-based station;
• there are 5 privately-owned radio broadcast stations operating (2009)

total:

88 km

country comparison to the world: 214

paved roads:

• 88 km - 60 km in Male;
• 14 km on Addu Atolis;
• 14 km on Laamu

note: village roads are mainly compacted coral (2006)

males age 16-49:

156,319

females age 16-49:

98,815 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

135,374

females age 16-49:

85,181 (2010 est.)

male:

4,167

female:

3,595 (2010 est.)

current situation:

• The Maldives is primarily a destination country for migrant workers from Bangladesh and, to a lesser extent, India, some of whom are subjected to forced labor primarily in the construction and service sectors;
• some women and girls also are subjected to sex trafficking;
• some underage Maldivian children are transported to Male from other islands for forced domestic service, and a small number were reportedly sexually abused

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List - the government has not demonstrated increased efforts to address human trafficking and lacks systematic procedures for identifying victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations, and it did not investigate or prosecute trafficking-related offenses or take concrete actions to protect trafficking victims and prevent trafficking;
• counter-trafficking efforts are impeded by the lack of understanding of the issue, a legal structure, and a legal definition of trafficking (2011)