The Maldives

Official name: Republic of Maldives (Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa)

Area: 298 sq km. The country consists of 1,200 coral islands – out of of which 201 are inhabited – grouped in a double chain of twenty-seven atolls. Most atolls are ringshaped coral reefs supporting five to ten inhabited islands and twenty to sixty uninhabited islands. Average size of islands one to two kilometers and height of 1.5 meters above sea level. Highest spot is 3 meters above sea level.

Population: 339 330 (est. July 2004)

Population growth rate: 2.86 p.c (est. 2004)

Life expectancy at birth: 63.68 years (est. 2004)

Ethnic Groups: Homogeneous mixture of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, Australasian, and African groups; also small group of Indian traders

Languages: Maldivian Dhivehi (an Indo-Aryan language related to Elu, Old Sinhalese, but with script derived from Arabic). English, Arabic and Hindi/Urdu also spoken

Religion: Sunni Muslim Islam (Shafii school of law) state religion. Some Shia Muslim Indian traders. 724 mosques and 266 special mosques for women in 1991

Administrative division: 19 atholhu (atolls) – Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu – and one other first-order administrative division – Maale

Capital: Male (70 000 inhabitants; 62 973 according to the Census of 1995)

Date of Independence: July 26, 1965 (from Britain)

System of government: Republic

National anthem: Gavmii Mi Ekuverikan Matii Tibegen Kuriime Salaam (Lyrics: Wannakuwattawaduge Don Amaradeva. Music: Mohamed Jameel Didi


Constitution: On Thursday 7 August 2008, the New Constitution of the Republic of Maldives was ratified. Read the functional translation of the Constitution, on http://www.maldivesinfo.gov.mv/home/upload/downloads/Compilation.pdf.

President: Mohamed Nasheed (photo), Maldivian Democratic Party, since the presidential election held on 28 October 2008.

Chief of state & Head of Government 1978-2008: Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom held the office during six five-year terms.

Parliament: The Parliament (Majlis) has 77 members. Election to the Majlis was held on 9 May 2009. In a heavily fought battle, more than 400 candidates contested.
The results show the dominance of the two major political parties; Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which came to power in last year’s presidential election and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) which is controlled by the former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Election results: Party/Votes/Seats
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party: 40,886 (24.62%) – 28 seats
Maldivian Democratic Party: 51,184 (30.81%) – 26 seats
People's Alliance: 8,283 (4.99%) – 7 seats
Dhivehi Qaumee Party: 5,854 (3.52%) – 2 seats
Republican Party: 7,001 (4.22%) – 1 seat
Independents: 49,835 (30.00%) – 13 seats

Legal system: Islamic Shari’a applies to civil and criminal cases. Judges are appointed by president; the courts under minister of justice. Since 1996 there exists a Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. Besides a Supreme Court, four other courts in Male and 200 island courts.

Currency: 1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laari

GDP – purchasing power parity: 1.25 billion dollars (est 2002)

Economy: Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 20 p.c of GDP and more than 60 p.c of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90 p.c of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Almost 400,000 tourists visited the islands in 1998. Fishing is a second leading sector. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry accounts for about 18 p.c of GDP: Fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining

History: Maldivians consider the introduction of Islam in A.D. 1153 as the cornerstone of their country's history. Except for a brief period of Portuguese occupation from 1558-73, Maldives remained an independent Sultanate, but during the later centuries the country fell under Brittish domination. Full independence was granted in 1965. The British continued, though, to maintain an air base on the island of Gan in the southernmost atoll until 1976. The hereditary sultanate was abolished in 1968, when the Maldives turned into republic.

President Gayoom, in power since 1978, has survived at least three coup bids. The biggest threat to him came on November 3, 1988 when Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries led by a disgruntled Maldivian businessman, Abdullah Lutufi, tried to storm the capital island and seize power. The attack was resisted and the mercenaries fled amid news that neighbouring India had despatched troops in aid of Gayoom and after Sri Lankan police placed an elite unit of commandos ready for deployment. The Maldives now celebrates November 3 as National Victory Day. Later, a palace coup that involved a brother-in-law also fizzled. Gayoom afterwards introduced limited political reforms though a new constitution in 1998. Until then it had been a criminal offence to even publicly declare one's intention to seek the presidency.

On 3 June 2005 the Maldives took a critical step in its path towards constitutional reform, when the Majlis decided to open up the political system for the registration of the parties, pointing to a change in the ground rules for political engagement. After the June 3 decision, pre-registration of parties has commenced with three seeking registration.

The Home Ministry, on June 5, approved the ”pre-registration” of three political parties, the Dhivehi Raiyithunge Party (DRP) led by President Gayoom; the Dhivehi Raiyithunge Democratic Party led by Mohammed Nasheed, a historian; and the Islamic Democratic Party led by Omar Naseer, a businessman.

In March 2006, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom announced the government's Roadmap for the Reform Agenda Ushering In a Modern Democracy. It promised a new constitution by June 2007 and the first multi-party elections in October 2008. In September 2006, the Maldives acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Resistance from conservative elements within the government and disruptive moves from the opposition threatened to derail political and judicial reforms.

 

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Maldives

BBC News Country Profile Maldives

Friends of Maldives. Based in Surrey, UK, set up in December 2003 as a Human Rights NGO aimed at increasing awareness of the appalling Human Rights abuses in the Maldives.

New Maldives Country Assistance Strategy, published on January 28, 2008, by the World Bank Group Country Assistance Strategy (CAS).

The Human Development Report 2009 data on Maldives

Official web site of the government of the Maldives

The President’s Office has its own web site, giving information on the nation.

The Library of Congress, USA, offers through its Country Studies Web site detailed Information on all Aspects of Countries round the Globe. Look for Maldives. Information contained in the Country Studies On-Line is not copyrighted and thus is available for free and unrestricted use by researchers. As a courtesy, however, appropriate credit should be given to the series. Unfortunately, though, the information on the Maldives is not updated since August 1994.

World Bank Group/Maldives: Data reports, statistics, projects etc, for the Maldives

CIA – The World Factbook: Maldives

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice on safety aspects on travelling to Maldives

The Swedish Government’s Division for Democratic Issues, based at the Ministry of Justice, regularly publishes reports about the human rights situation in countries all over the World. Read the 2007 Report on the Human Rights Situation in Maldives (in Swedish only).