Country Facts = Maldives

The People

Nationality

Maldivian(s)

Ethnic Composition

South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs.

Religious Composition

Sunni Muslim.

Languages Spoken

Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials.

Education and Literacy

The Maldives' overall adult literacy is around 93.2 per percent. Among males it is 93.3 percent and females 93 percent.
(1995 est.)

Labor Force

Total: 67,000
By occupation:

Agriculture	22.0%
Industry	18.0%
Services	60.0%

(1995)

Geography

Land Mass Total

115 sq mi (300 sq km)

Land

115 sq mi (300 sq km)

Water

0 sq mi (0 sq km)

Land Boundaries

0 mi (0 km), island chain

Coastline

400 mi (644 km)

Maritime claim

Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate/Weather

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

Terrain

Flat, with white sandy beaches.

Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 ft (0 m).
Highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 7.8 ft (2.4 m)

Natural Resources

Fish

Land use

Arable land	3%
Permanent crops	7%
Other	90%

(1998)

Natural hazards

Low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise.

Environment - current issues

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

Geography Note

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

Demographics

Population

310,764
(July 2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:	45.63%	Male: 72,920	Female:68,895
15-64 years:	51.37%	Male: 81,506	Female: 78,149
65 years and over:	3%	Male: 4,806	Female: 4,488

(2001)

Growth Rate

3.01%
(2001 est.)

Life Expectancy

62.56 years
Male: 61.39 years
Female: 63.8 years

GDP Per Capita

$2,000
(2000 est.)

Infant Mortality

63.72 deaths per 1,000 live births.
(2001 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth:	1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years:	1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:	1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:	1.07 male(s)/female
Total population:	1.05 male(s)/female

(2001 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s) per 1,000 population.
(2001 est.)

Economy & Trade

The economy of the archipelago of the Maldives is split mostly between a service sector devoted primarily to tourism and an industrial sector that combines the traditional with the modern. A lack of arable land has stunted agriculture, although aquaculture is a major export contributor. Tourism heads the pack, however, controlling a fifth of GDP and the majority of foreign exchange transactions. Unemployment in the Maldives is considered "negligible", which inhibits growth, particularly in industry. Traditional manufactures like copra, wooden boats, and handicrafts are matched by more modern production such as in fish canneries, ready-to-wear clothing, fiberglass boats and PVC pipe. The government began a privatization drive in 1989 and has continued to encourage foreign private investment. Labor and land shortages combined with limited infrastructure have thwarted most foreign investment schemes, however. The nation has had remarkable GDP growth since 2000. Starting the new millennium at 4.8-percent growth, the years 2001 and 2002 checked in at 3.5 percent and 4.3 percent respectively. Percentages similar to 2001 levels are predicted through 2005. Inflation has been kept below 2.5 percent since 2000 and looks set to remain there for the foreseeable future.

Unemployment

Negligible

Inflation Rate

3%
(2000 est.)

Industries

Fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining.

Exports

US$88 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports

US$372 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Total Trade

US$460 million
(2000 est.)

Top Export Partners

US, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan.

Top Import Partners

Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada.

Top Exports

Fish, clothing.

Top Imports

Consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods, petroleum products.

Industries

Fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining.

Debt - external

US$237 million
(2000 est.)

Economic aid

Current information not available.

Fiscal Year:

Calendar year.

Business Workweek

	Sunday - Thursday	Friday, Saturday
Offices	7:30a.m. to 2:30p.m., but 9a.m. to 1p.m. during Ramadan	Closed
Retail	9:30a.m. to 11p.m.	Friday 2p.m. through 11p.m., Saturday 9:30a.m. to 11p.m.
Banks	7:30a.m. to 2:30p.m., but 9a.m. to 1p.m. during Ramadan	Closed Fridays
Government	7:30a.m. to 2:30p.m.	Closed

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
New Year's Day	January 1	January 1	January 1
Festival of Sacrifice (Eid Al Adha)¹	February 12	February 2	January 21
Islamic New Year²	March 5	February 22	February 10
Birthday of Prophet Mohammad (Mawlid an Nabi)	May 14	May 2	April 21
Independence Day	July 26	July 26	July 26
Independence Day Celebrations	July 27	July 27	July 27
Victory Day	November 3	November 3	November 3
Start of Ramadan³	October 27	October 15	October 4
Republic Day	November 11	November 11	November 11
Republic Day Celebrations	November 12	November 12	November 12
End of Ramadan (Eid Al Fitr)*¹	November 26	November 14	November 3

¹	Culmination of the Haj or Holy Pilgrimage.
²	The lunar Islamic Hijara calendar is made up of 12 months, each month alternating between 29 and 30 days per month, culminating in a total of 354 days per year. The Hijra calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and annually moves 11 days backward through the seasons.
³	Ramadan (the month of fasting) begins with the first appearance of the new moon in the ninth month of the lunar Islamic Hijra calendar, and lasts 30 days. Dates for the start of Ramadan will vary from country to country, depending on the first appearance of the moon.
*¹	Feasting that officially marks the end of Ramadan, and commonly lasts for three days.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press