1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
298 km2; 2,000 islands grouped into 12 atolls; about 220 islands inhabited WATER
Coastline
644 km (approx.)
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
the land and sea between latitudes 7°9′N and 0°45′S and between longitudes 72°30′E and 73°48′E; these coordinates form a rectangle of approximately 37,000 nm2; territorial sea ranges from 2.75 to 55 nm; fishing, approximately 100 nm; economic, approximately 200 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
admixtures of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, and Negro
Labor force
fishing industry employs 80% of the labor force
Language
Divehi (dialect of Sinhala)
Literacy
largely illiterate
Nationality
noun—Maldivian(s); adjective—Maldivian
Population
163,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 3.0%
Religion
Sunni Islam
Government
Branches
popularly elected unicameral national legislature (Majlis) (members elected for five-year terms); elected President, chief executive; appointed Chief Justice responsible for administration of Islamic law
Capital
Male
Communists
negligible number
Government leader
President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
Legal system
based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
Colombo Plan, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMCO, IMF, ITU, NAM, UN, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
26 July, Independence Day
Official name
Republic of Maldives
Political subdivisions
19 administrative districts corresponding to atolls
Suffrage
universal over age 21 Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
crops—coconut and millet; shortages—rice, sugar, flour
Budget
(1980 est.) revenue $5.6 million; expenditure $7.1 million
Electric power
4,500 k W capacity (1981); 9 million kWh produced (1981), 57 k Wh per capita
Exports
$10.7 million (1980 prov.); fish
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 27,700 metric tons (1979)
GNP
$23 million (1978), $160 per capita
Imports
$26.9 million (1980 prov.); rice, sugar
Major industries
fishing; some coconut processing; tourism
Major trade partners
Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore
Monetary conversion rate
3.93 Maldivian rupees=US$1, official rate; 7.55 rupees=US$1, market rate (average 1980)
Communications
Airfields
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
1 major transport aircraft, leased in
Highways
none
Ports
2 minor (Male, Gan)
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
minimal domestic and international telecommunication facilities; 550 telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 2 AM stations, 1 TV station; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT station