A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated the islands' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following political demonstrations in the capital Male in August 2003, GAYOOM and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Political parties were legalized in 2005.

In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the "Special Majlis" - finalized a new constitution ratified by GAYOOM in August 2008. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the GAYOOM regime. NASHEED faced a number of challenges including strengthening democracy and combating poverty and drug abuse. In early February 2012, after several weeks of street protests in response to his ordering the arrest of a top judge, NASHEED resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. In mid-2012, a Commission of National Inquiry was established by the government to probe events leading up to NASHEED's resignation. Though the commission found no evidence of a coup, the report recommended strengthening the country's democratic institutions to avert similar events in the future, and to investigate alleged police misconduct during the crisis. NASHEED, WAHEED, and Abdulla YAMEEN ran in the 2013 elections with YAMEEN ultimately winning the presidency after three rounds of voting. Maldivian officials have played a prominent role in international climate change discussions (due to the islands' vulnerability to rising sea-level).

Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

3 15 N, 73 00 E

Asia

about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC

0 km

644 km

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

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

flat, with white sandy beaches

highest point: 8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m

fish

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

0 sq km (2012)

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

tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise

depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; coral reef bleaching

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

392,709 (July 2017 est.)

South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs

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

Sunni Muslim (official)

-0.06% (2017 est.)

16.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

-12.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 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

MALE (capital) 156,000 (2014)

23.9 years

68 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

1.73 children born/woman (2017 est.)

34.7% (2009)

13.7% of GDP (2014)

1.58 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

4.3 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 99.5% of population

rural: 97.9% of population

total: 98.6% of population

urban: 0.5% of population

rural: 2.1% of population

total: 1.4% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 98.3% of population

total: 97.9% of population

urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 1.7% of population

total: 2.1% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

8.6% (2016)

17.8% (2009)

5.7% of GDP (2015)

presidential republic

21 administrative atolls (atholhuthah, singular - atholhu); Addu, Ariatholhu Dhekunuburi, Ariatholhu Uthuruburi, Faadhippolhu, Felidhuatholhu, Fuvammulah, Hahdhunmathi, Huvadhuatholhu Dhekunuburi, Huvadhuatholhu Uthuruburi, Kolhumadulu, Maale, Maaleatholhu, Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi, Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi, Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi, Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi, Mulakatholhu, Nilandheatholhu Dhekunuburi, Nilandheatholhu Uthuruburi, Thiladhunmathee Dhekunuburi, Thiladhunmathee Uthuruburi

26 July 1965 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 26 July (1965)

Islamic religious legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Sheikh Imran ABDULLA]

Maldives Development Alliance or MDA [Ahmed Shiyam MOHAMED]

Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Hassan LATHEEF]

Progressive Party of Maldives or PPM [Abdulla YAMEEN]

Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP [Qasim IBRAHIM]

ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives

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

coconut palm, yellowfin tuna; national colors: red, green, white

Maldives has quickly become a middle-income country, driven by the rapid growth of its tourism and fisheries sectors, but the country still contends with a large and growing fiscal deficit. Economic growth slowed to 2.8% in 2015, mainly because of a decline in tourists from China and Russia. Despite lower growth, tourism-related tax receipts increased by 13% in 2015 because of higher tax rates. This increase in tax receipts led to higher usable foreign exchange reserves that helped partially fund increases in construction related imports.

In 2015, Maldives’ Parliament passed a constitutional amendment legalizing foreign ownership of land; foreign land-buyers must reclaim at least 70% of the desired land from the ocean and invest at least $1 billion in a construction project approved by Parliament.

Diversifying the economy beyond tourism and fishing, reforming public finance, increasing employment opportunities, and combating corruption, cronyism, and a growing drug problem are near-term challenges facing the government. Over the longer term, Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is 1 meter or less above sea level.

$6.483 billion (2016 est.)

$6.161 billion (2015 est.)

$5.9 billion (2014 est.)

$4.238 billion (2016 est.)

3.9% (2016 est.)

3.3% (2015 est.)

7.6% (2014 est.)

$18,300 (2016 est.)

$17,900 (2015 est.)

$17,700 (2014 est.)

0.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

12.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

16.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish

tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining

14% (2012 est.)

195,100 (2014)

11.6% (2013 est.)

11% (2012 est.)

16% (2008 est.)

38.4 (2009 est.)

37.4 (2004 est.)

43.8% of GDP (2016, est.)

-6.5% of GDP (2016, est.)

81.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

72% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

0.8% (2016 est.)

1.4% (2015 est.)

7% (31 December 2013)

6.96% (31 December 2011)

10.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

10.2% (31 December 2011 est.)

$338.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$623 million (31 December 2013 est.)

$1.337 billion (31 December 2015)

$1.298 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.559 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.601 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$555 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$-831 million (2016 est.)

$-326 million (2015 est.)

$239.7 million (2015 est.)

$300.9 million (2014 est.)

fish

Thailand 33.8%, Sri Lanka 10%, US 8.7%, France 8.6%, Germany 8.6%, Ireland 4.9%, Italy 4.8%, UK 4.1% (2016)

$1.896 billion (2015 est.)

$1.993 billion (2014 est.)

petroleum products, clothing, intermediate and capital goods

UAE 15.6%, Singapore 14.3%, China 13.4%, India 12.9%, Sri Lanka 6.3%, Malaysia 5.7%, Thailand 4.7% (2016)

$565.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$627.4 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$693.7 million (2015 est.)

$741.6 million (2014 est.)

$324 million (31 December 2015)

$256 million (31 December 2013)

rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar -

15.25 (2016)

15.25 (2015)

350 million kWh (2015 est.)

325.5 million kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

104,000 kW (2015 est.)

96.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

3.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

11,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

10,760 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2016 es)

1.2 million Mt (2013 est.)

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)

.mv

8Q (2016)

9 (2013)

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Marine Corps, Security Protection Group, Coast Guard (2010)

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)

the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), with its small size and with little serviceable equipment, is inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone (2008)

none