Maldives

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

mean elevation:

1.8 m

elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:

unnamed location on Viligili in the Addu Atholhu 2.4 m

agricultural land:

23.3%;

• arable land 10%;
• permanent crops 10%;
• permanent pasture 3.3%

forest:

3%

other:

73.7% (2011 est.)

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:

1.37 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.34 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.89 male(s)/female

total population:

1.23 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Maldives

conventional short form:

Maldives

local long form:

Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

local short form:

Dhivehi Raajje

etymology:

• archipelago apparently named after the main island (and capital) of Male;
• the word "Maldives" means "the islands (dives) of Male";
• alternatively, the name may derive from the Sanskrit word "maladvipa" meaning "garland of islands";
• Dhivehi Raajje in Maldivian means "Kingdom of the Dhivehi people"

name:

Male

geographic coordinates:

4 10 N, 73 30 E

time difference:

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

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Maldives

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

unknown

chief of state:

• President Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013);
• Vice President Abdulla JIHAD (since 21 June 2016);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government;
• Vice President Ahmed ADHEEB Abdul Ghafoor (since 22 July 2015) was removed from office 5 November 2015

head of government:

• President Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013);
• Vice President Abdulla JIHAD (since 22 June 2016);
• note - Vice President Ahmed ADHEEB Abdul Ghafoor (since 22 July 2015) was removed from office 5 November 2015

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-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 a runoff held on 16 November (next election to be held in 2018)

election results:

• first round - percent of vote - Mohamed NASHEED (MDP) 46.9%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 29.7%, Qasim IBRAHIM (JP) 23.3%;
• runoff second round - percent of vote - Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom elected president 51.4%, Mohamed NASHEED 48.6%

description:

unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (85 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

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

election results:

• percent of vote - MDP 40.8%, MDP 27.7%, JP 13.6%, MDA 4.0%, AP 2.7% other 0.3%, independent 10.9%;
• seats by party - PPM 33, MDP 26, JP 15, MDA 5, AP 1, independent 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)

• Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Sheikh Imran ABDULLA]
• Maldives Development Alliance or MDA [Ahmed Shiyam Mohamed]
• Maldavian Democratic Party or MDP [Ali WAHEED]
• Progressive Party of Maldives or PPM [Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM]
• Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP [Qasim IBRAHIM]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ahmed SAREER (since 11 January 2013)

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (212) 599-6195

FAX:

[1] (212) 661-6405

• 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:

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 over 180 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) (2015)

• 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

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)

country comparison to the world: 216

• 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)

current situation:

• Maldives is a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and a source country for women and children subjected to labor and sex trafficking;
• primarily 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 and withholding of wages, and debt bondage;
• a small number of women from Asia, Eastern Europe, and former Soviet states are trafficked to Maldives for sexual exploitation;
• Maldivian women may be subjected to sex trafficking domestically or in Sri Lanka;
• some Maldivian children are transported to the capital for domestic service, where they may also be victims of sexual abuse and forced labor

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Maldives does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• the government adopted a national action plan for 2015-2019 and is continuing to develop victim identification, protection, and referral procedures, but overall its anti-trafficking efforts did not increase;
• only five trafficking investigations were conducted, no new prosecutions were initiated for the second consecutive year, and no convictions were made, down from one in 2013;
• some officials warned businesses in advanced of planned raids for suspected trafficking offenses;
• victim protection deteriorated when the state-run shelter for female victims barred access to victims shortly after opening in January 2014, in part because of bureaucratic disputes, which dissuaded victims from pursuing charges against perpetrators;
• the government did not prosecute or hold accountable any employers or government officials for withholding passports (2015)