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

total:

31.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

31.3 years

female:

32.4 years

• 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

15-64 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.77 male(s)/female

total population:

1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

24.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

27.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

21.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

77.4 years (2024 est.)

male:

75.1 years

female:

79.9 years

total:

1.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

25.2% (2020 est.)

male:

44.4% (2020 est.)

female:

6% (2020 est.)

women married by age 18:

2.2%

men married by age 18:

2.2% (2017 est.)

• rising sea levels threaten land;
• 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

• 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:

42% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

particulate matter emissions:

13 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

1.44 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

0.14 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal:

10 million cubic meters (2020 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 Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)

head of government:

President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by People's Majlis

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);
• first round held on 9 September 2023 and runoff held on 30 September 2023 (next to be held in 2028)

election results:

• 2023: Mohamed MUIZZU elected president in the second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Mohamed MUIZZU (PNC) 46.1%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 39.1%, Ilyas LABEEB (DEMS) 7.1%, other 7.7%;
• percent of vote in the second round - Mohamed MUIZZU 54%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH 46%

; 2018 : Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president in first round; Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%

description:

unicameral People's Majlis (93 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 21 April 2024 (next to be held in 2029)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - PNC 66, MDP 12, MDA 2, JP 1, MNP 1, independent 11;
• composition - men 90, women 3, percentage women 3.3%

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices

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)

• Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP
• Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party or DRP
• Maldives Development Alliance or MDA
• Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP
• Maldives Third Way Democrats or MTD
• People's National Congress or PNC
• People's National Front
• Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 15 June 2023)

chancery:

1100 H Street NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20005

telephone:

[1] (202) 516-5458

email address and website:

[email protected]; The Embassy (mdvmission.gov.mv)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Hugo Yue-Ho YON (since 6 September 2023); note - Ambassador YON is the first resident US ambassador to the Republic of Maldives

embassy:

• 210 Galle Road, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka;
• note - as of early November 2023, the US has no consular or diplomatic offices in Maldives;
• the US Mission to Maldives operates from US Embassy Colombo, Sri Lanka

telephone:

[94] (11) 249-8500

FAX:

[94] (11) 243-7345

• 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"

• upper middle-income Indian Ocean island economy;
• major tourism, fishing, and shipping industries;
• high public debt;
• systemic corruption;
• crippled by COVID-19;
• ongoing deflation;
• poverty has tripled since pandemic began

Fitch rating:

CCC (2020)

Moody's rating:

B3 (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

4.9% (2022 est.)

industry:

10.3% (2022 est.)

services:

73.3% (2022 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

14.9% (2023 est.)

male:

18.6% (2023 est.)

female:

9.2% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

3.8% (2019 est.)

highest 10%:

23.3% (2019 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

general assessment:

• with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic;
• the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020;
• but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process;
• the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed;
• the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world;
• that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up;
• however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators;
• with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)

domestic:

fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 135 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

• country code - 960;
• landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka;
• satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)

• 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

paved:

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

note: island roads are mainly compacted coral

total ports:

1 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

0

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Male

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF):

• the MNDF has combined force structure with seven services divided into Combat and Maneuver Forces (Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Fire and Rescue Service) and Support Services (Service Corps, Defense Intelligence Service, Medical Corps, Adjutant General's Corps);
• there is also a separate Special Forces command and a Special Protection Service (2024)

note: the Maldives Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology

• the Defense Force has a limited inventory consisting of a mix of mostly secondhand or donated equipment from suppliers such as Germany, India, Japan, and the UK;
• in 2024, the Maldives received surveillance drones from Turkey (2024)

• 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 (2023)

• the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) is responsible for defending and safeguarding the Maldives' territorial integrity, economic exclusion zone, and people;
• it is also responsible for disaster relief, and if requested, assisting the Maldives Police Service in maintaining internal security and law and order;
• the MNDF is organized into four area commands and a functional Special Forces command;
• the head of the MNDF reports to the Minister of Defense (2024)

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — the Maldives did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/maldives/