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| Destination Maldives |
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Scattered across the equator in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the gem like islands of the Maldives depict the rare vision of a tropical paradise. Palm fringed islands with sparkling white beaches, turquoise lagoons, clear warm waters and coral reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine flora and fauna, continue to fascinate visitors, as it has fascinated others in the past, for thousands of years. Marco polo referred to the Maldives as the '..... Flower of the Indies', and Ibn Batuta called her in his chronicles 'one of the wonders of the world’
Republic of Maldives
National name:
Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
President
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (1978)
Current government officials
Total area
116 sq mi (300 sq km)
Population (2007 est.)
369,031 (growth rate: 2.7%); birth rate: 34.2/1000; infant mortality rate: 53.3/1000; life expectancy: 64.8; density per sq mi: 3,186
Capital and largest city (2003 est.)
Malé, 81,600
Monetary unit
Rufiya
Languages
Maldivian Dhivehi (official); English spoken by most government officials
Ethnicity/race:
South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs
Religion
Islam (Sunni)
Literacy rate
97% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007est.): $1.588 billion; per capita $4,600.
Real growth rate: 6.6%.
Inflation: 5%.
Unemployment: negl. (2003 est.).
Arable land: 13%.
Agriculture: coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish.
Labor force: 88,000 (2000); agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995).
Industries: fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining.
Natural resource: fish.
Exports: $123 million f.o.b. (2004 est.); fish, clothing.
Imports: $567 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, intermediate and capital goods.
Major trading partners: U.S., Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, UK, Germany, Singapore, UAE, India, Malaysia, Bahrain (2004).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 21,000 (1999); mobile cellular: 1,290 (1997).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998).
Radios: 35,000 (1999).
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997).
Televisions: 10,000 (1999).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000).
Internet users: 6,000 (2001).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: n.a.; paved: n.a.; unpaved: n.a.
Ports and harbors: Gan, Malé.
Airports: 5 (2002). |
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