| Country (long form) |
Republic of Maldives |
| Capital |
Male |
| Total Area |
115.83 sq mi
300.00 sq km
(about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC) |
| Population |
301,475 (July 2000 est.) |
| Estimated Population in 2050 |
815,031 |
| Languages |
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived
from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials |
| Literacy |
93.2% total, 93.3% male, 93% female (1995 est.) |
| Religions |
Sunni Muslim |
| Life Expectancy |
61.05 male, 63.4 female (2000 est.) |
| Government Type |
republic |
| Currency |
1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laari |
| GDP (per capita) |
$1,800 (1999 est.) |
| Labor Force (by occupation) |
agriculture 22%, industry 18%, services 60% (1995) |
| Industry |
fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building,
coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand
mining |
| Agriculture |
coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish |
| Arable Land |
10% |
| Exports |
fish, clothing |
| Imports |
consumer goods, intermediate and capital goods,
petroleum products |
| Natural Resources |
fish |
| Current Environmental Issues |
depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water
supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching |
| Telephones (main lines in use) |
21,000 (1999) |
| Telephones (mobile cellular) |
300 (1999) |
|