Maldives

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

highest point:

8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m

lowest point:

Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation:

2 m

agricultural land:

23.3% (2018 est.)

arable land:

10% (2018 est.)

permanent crops:

10% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture:

3.3% (2018 est.)

forest:

3% (2018 est.)

other:

73.7% (2018 est.)

• about a third of the population lives in the centrally located capital city of Male and almost a tenth in southern Addu City;
• the remainder of the populace is spread over the 200 or so populated islands of the archipelago

• 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

• about a third of the population lives in the centrally located capital city of Male and almost a tenth in southern Addu City;
• the remainder of the populace is spread over the 200 or so populated islands of the archipelago

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.27 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.19 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.81 male(s)/female

total population:

1.13 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

• depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies;
• inadequate sewage treatment;
• coral reef bleaching

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

particulate matter emissions:

7.63 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

1.44 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

0.14 megatons (2020 est.)

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

agricultural land:

23.3% (2018 est.)

arable land:

10% (2018 est.)

permanent crops:

10% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture:

3.3% (2018 est.)

forest:

3% (2018 est.)

other:

73.7% (2018 est.)

urban population:

41.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal:

5.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

300,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

0 cubic meters (2017 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 Dhivehi 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)

etymology:

derived from the Sanskrit word "mahaalay" meaning "big house"

21 administrative atolls (atholhuthah, singular - atholhu); Addu (Addu City), Ariatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Ari Atoll), Ariatholhu Uthuruburi (North Ari Atoll), Faadhippolhu, Felidhuatholhu (Felidhu Atoll), Fuvammulah, Hahdhunmathi, Huvadhuatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Huvadhu Atoll), Huvadhuatholhu Uthuruburi (North Huvadhu Atoll), Kolhumadulu, Maale (Male), Maaleatholhu (Male Atoll), Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Maalhosmadulu), Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi (North Maalhosmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Miladhunmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi (North Miladhunmadulu), Mulakatholhu (Mulaku Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Nilandhe Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Uthuruburi (North Nilandhe Atoll), Thiladhunmathee Dhekunuburi (South Thiladhunmathi), Thiladhunmathee Uthuruburi (North Thiladhunmathi)

history:

many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008

amendments:

• proposed by Parliament;
• passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote by its membership and the signature of the president of the republic;
• passage of amendments to constitutional articles on rights and freedoms and the terms of office of Parliament and of the president also requires a majority vote in a referendum;
• amended 2015

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Maldives

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

unknown

chief of state:

• President Ibrahim "Ibu" Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018);
• Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018);
• the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018); Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by Parliament

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);
• election last held on 23 September 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

election results:

Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president (in 1 round); Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%

description:

unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (87 seats - includes 2 seats added by the Elections Commission in late 2018; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 6 April 2019 (next to be held in 2023)

election results:

• percent of vote - MDP 44.7%, JP 10.8%, PPM 8.7%, PNC 6.4%, MDA 2.8%, other 5.6%, independent 21%;
• seats by party - MDP 65, JP 5, PPM 5, PNC 3, MDA 2, independent 7;
• composition - men 83, women 4, percent of women 4.6%

highest courts:

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4-6 justices; note - 3 justices as of late 2019)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission - a 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:

Maldives has no embassy in the US, but its Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, THILMEEZA Hussain (since 8 July 2019), is accredited to the US (2020)

chancery:

801 Second Avenue, Suite 202E, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 599-6194; [1] (212) 599-6195

FAX:

[1] (212) 661-6405

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.maldivesmission.com/

• 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"

Fitch rating:

CCC (2020)

Moody's rating:

B3 (2020)

agriculture:

7.7%

industry:

22.8%

services:

69.5% (2017 est.)

total:

15.5%

male:

18.5%

female:

11.7% (2019 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.2%

highest 10%:

33.3% (FY09/10)

• state-owned radio and TV monopoly until recently;
• 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned TV stations and 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned radio stations (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

3 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 36

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

1,147,247 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

7.75 million (2018)

total:

93 km (2018)

paved:

• 93 km - 60 km in Male;
• 16 km on Addu Atolis;
• 17 km on Laamu (2018)

note: island roads are mainly compacted coral

• 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 (2021)

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 meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so;
• efforts included convicting two individuals for trafficking-related offenses, convening the National Anti-Trafficking Steering Committee for the first time in two years;
• drafting and finalizing a 2020-2022 national action plan;
• however, efforts to hold employers accountable for trafficking did not increase, non-payment of wages and of the retention of migrant workers’ passports continued;
• standard operating procedures for victim identification, protection, and referral were not adopted;
• insufficient resources were devoted to the national action plan;
• Maldives was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 (2020)