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

arable land:

10%

permanent crops:

10%

other:

80% (2011)

total:

0.01 cu km/yr (95%/5%/0%)

per capita:

18.44 cu m/yr (2008)

• 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

• smallest Asian country;
• archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts);
• strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

noun:

Maldivian(s)

adjective:

Maldivian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.4 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.43 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.29 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.94 male(s)/female

total population:

1.34 male(s)/female (2014 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 Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013);
• Vice President Mohamed JAMEEL Ahmed (since 17 November 2013);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013); Vice President Mohamed JAMEEL Ahmed (since 17 November 2013)

cabinet:

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

elections:

• president elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• the election held on 7 September 2013 was annulled by the Supreme Court;
• rerun of first round held on 9 November 2013 and runoff held on 16 November (next election to be held in 2018)

election results:

• first round (9 November 2013);
• percent of vote - Mohamed NASHEED 46.9%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom 29.7%, Qasim IBRAHIM 23.3%;
• runoff (postponed to 16 November 2013);
• percent of vote - Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom elected president 51.4%, Mohamed NASHEED 48.6%

• unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (85 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve 5-year terms);
• note - the Elections Commission in December 2013 increased the number of seats to 85 from 77

elections:

last held on 22 March 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

election results:

percent of vote - PPM 40%, MDP 28.2%, JP 18.8%, MDA 5.9%, other 1.2%, independents 5.9%; seats by party - PPM 33, MDP 26, JP 15, MDA 5, other 1, independents 5

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission - a separate 10-member body of selected high government officials and the public - and upon confirmation by voting members of the People's Majlis;
• judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts:

• High Court;
• Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts;
• Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ahmed SAREER (since 11 January 2013)

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (212) 599-6194

FAX:

[1] (212) 599-6195

• the US does not have an embassy in Maldives;
• the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, currently Ambassador Michele J. SISON, 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

agriculture:

15%

industry:

15%

services:

70% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.2%

highest 10%:

33.3% (FY09/10)

general assessment:

• telephone services have improved;
• inter-atoll 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 has reached 135 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) (2011)

• state-owned radio and TV monopoly until recently;
• state-owned TV operates 2 channels;
• 3 privately owned TV stations;
• state owns Voice of Maldives and operates both an entertainment and a music-based station;
• 5 privately owned radio stations (2012)

total:

88 km

country comparison to the world: 215

paved roads:

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

note: island roads are mainly compacted coral (2013)

• 18-28 years of age for voluntary service;
• no conscription;
• 10th grade or equivalent education required;
• must not be a member of a political party (2012)

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:

• Maldives is a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and a source country for Maldivian children subjected to human trafficking within the country;
• Bangladeshi and Indian migrants working both legally and illegally in the construction and service sectors face conditions of forced labor, including fraudulent recruitment, confiscation of identity and travel documents, nonpayment of wages, and debt bondage;
• a small number of women from Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, China, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, and former Soviet states are trafficked to Maldives for sexual exploitation;
• some Maldivian children are transported to the capital for forced domestic service, where they may also be sexually abused

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List - Maldives does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• the government does not have laws prohibiting all human trafficking offenses but introduced an anti-trafficking law to the legislature in December 2012, approved an anti-trafficking plan for 2012-13, and formed an anti-trafficking steering committee in May 2012;
• the government reported that it prosecuted some sex trafficking cases but did not take concrete actions to protect trafficking victims and prevent trafficking;
• the government continues to lack systematic procedures for identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable populations and referring them to protective services;
• officials continue to confuse human trafficking with human smuggling and the presence of undocumented migrants (2013)