industry: 45.3%
services: 44.8% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
10.94 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 36%
services: 51% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
5.1% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 39.2% (2003 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
46.1 (2002)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $40.69 billion
expenditures: $46.7 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
41.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2%
note: approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.41% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$49.41 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$187.6 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$220 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah -
subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber,
pepper, timber
Industries:
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and
manufacturing, light manufacturing, electronics, tin mining and
smelting, logging, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum
production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production
and refining, logging
Industrial production growth rate:
3.3% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
102.9 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
95.98 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
2.524 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 89.5%
hydro: 10.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
753,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption:
501,100 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
546,300 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
308,500 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
4 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
64.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
32.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
31.6 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.35 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$28.93 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$176.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and
wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals
Exports - partners:
US 15.6%, Singapore 14.6%, Japan 9.1%, China 8.8%, Thailand 5%, Hong
Kong 4.6% (2007)
Imports:
$139.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron
and steel products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Japan 13%, China 12.9%, Singapore 11.5%, US 10.8%, Taiwan 5.7%,
Thailand 5.3%, South Korea 4.9%, Germany 4.6%, Indonesia 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$31.6 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$101.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$53.09 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$86.16 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$42.55 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$235.4 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
ringgit (MYR)
Currency code:
MYR
Exchange rates:
ringgits (MYR) per US dollar - 3.46 (2007), 3.6683 (2006), 3.8
(2005), 3.8 (2004), 3.8 (2003)
Communications
Malaysia
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.35 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
23.347 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system; international service excellent
domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia
mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio
relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic
satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined fixed-line and
mobile cellular teledensity exceeds 110 per 100 persons
international: country code - 60; landing point for several major
international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to
Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)
Radios:
10.9 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
88 (mainland Malaysia 51, Sabah 16, and Sarawak 21) (2006)
Televisions:
10.8 million (1999)
Internet country code:
.my
Internet hosts:
377,716 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
7 (2000)
Internet users:
15.868 million (2007)
Transportation
Malaysia
Airports:
116 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 6 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 72 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 282 km; gas 5,273 km; oil 1,750 km; oil/gas/water 19 km;
refined products 114 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 1,890 km
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 98,721 km
paved: 80,280 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways)
unpaved: 18,441 km (2004)
Waterways:
7,200 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km
(2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 306
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 97, carrier 1, chemical tanker 34,
container 46, liquefied gas 33, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker
71, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: 40 (Germany 1, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, Russia 2,
Singapore 16, Sweden 3)
registered in other countries: 68 (Bahamas 13, Marshall Islands 3,
Norway 1, Panama 12, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1,
Singapore 27, Thailand 3, Tuvalu 1, US 2, unknown 4) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Labuan, George Town (Penang), Port
Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and
offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as high
risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial
vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while
underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to
ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift
Military
Malaysia
Military branches:
Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian
Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut
Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara
Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,440,338
females age 16-49: 6,280,826 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,374,006
females age 16-49: 5,316,865 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 260,725
female: 247,309 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.03% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Malaysia
Disputes - international:
Malaysia has asserted sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together
with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; while
the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China
Sea" has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, it is not the
legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Malaysia
was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil
companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting
marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; disputes continue
over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land
reclamation, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the
Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007, the ICJ will hold
public hearings in response to the Memorials and Countermemorials
filed by the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra
Branca Island/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; ICJ
awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands, also claimed by Indonesia and
Philippines, to Malaysia but left maritime boundary and sovereignty
of Unarang rock in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute;
separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern
provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with Malaysia
to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a dormant claim to
Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; Brunei and Malaysia
agreed in September 2008 to resolve their offshore and deepwater
seabed dispute, resume hydrocarbon exploration and renounce any
territorial claims on land; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca
Strait
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 15,174 (Indonesia); 21,544 (Burma)
(2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Malaysia is a destination and, to a lesser
extent, a source and transit country for women and children
trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, and
men, women, and children for forced labor; Malaysia is mainly a
destination country for men, women, and children who migrate
willingly from South and Southeast Asia to work, some of whom are
subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by Malaysian
employers in the domestic, agricultural, construction, plantation,
and industrial sectors; to a lesser extent, some Malaysian women,
primarily of Chinese ethnicity, are trafficked abroad for commercial
sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Malaysia improved from Tier 3 to
the Tier 2 Watch List for 2008 when it enacted comprehensive
anti-trafficking legislation in July 2007; however, it did not take
action against exploitative employers or labor traffickers in 2007;
the government has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
Illicit drugs:
drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties;
heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug demand
remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for
domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional drug market
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Maldives
Introduction
Maldives
Background:
The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under
British protection. 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 riots in the capital Male in
August 2004, the president and his government pledged to embark upon
democratic reforms including a more representative political system
and expanded political freedoms. Progress was sluggish, however, and
many promised reforms were slow to be realized. Nonetheless,
political parties were legalized in 2005. In June 2008, a
constituent assembly - termed the "Special Majlis" - finalized a new
constitution, which was ratified by the president in August. 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 former regime. Challenges facing
the new president include strengthening democracy and combating
poverty and drug abuse.
Geography
Maldives
Location:
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest
of India
Geographic coordinates:
3 15 N, 73 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
644 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March);
rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Terrain:
flat, with white sandy beaches
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu
Atoll 2.4 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 30%
other: 56.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
0.03 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.003 cu km/yr (98%/2%/0%)
per capita: 9 cu m/yr (1987)
Natural hazards:
low level of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise
Environment - current issues:
depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global
warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands,
plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic
location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
People
Maldives
Population:
385,925 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.5% (male 46,174/female 44,396)
15-64 years: 72.7% (male 172,279/female 108,152)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 7,510/female 7,414) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.1 years
male: 26 years
female: 23.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
5.566% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
14.84 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
3.66 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.59 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.41 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.72 years
male: 71.55 years
female: 76.01 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.97 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 100 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian
Ethnic groups:
South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs
Religions:
Sunni Muslim
Languages:
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic),
English spoken by most government officials
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.3%
male: 96.2%
female: 96.4% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
8% of GDP (2006)
Government
Maldives
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives
local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Male
geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and the capital city*;
Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa
Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale* (Male), Meemu,
Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu
Independence:
26 July 1965 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Constitution:
new constitution ratified 7 August 2008
Legal system:
based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily
in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mohamed NASHEED (since 11 November 2008);
Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Mohamed NASHEED (since 11 November
2008); Vice President (vacant)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: under the new constitution, the president is elected by
direct vote; president elected for a five-year term (eligible for a
second term); election last held 8 and 28 October 2008 (next to be
held in 2013)
election results: Mohamed NASHEED elected president; percent of vote
- NASHEED 54.25%, Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM 45.75%; note - NASHEED is
expected to assume office on 11 November 2008
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 members elected
by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 22 January 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Supreme Court judges are appointed by the President
with approval of voting members of the People's Council; High Court;
Trial Courts; all lower court judges are appointed by the Judicial
Service Commission
Political parties and leaders:
Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Abdul Majeed Abdul BARI]; Dhivehi
Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) or DRP [Maumoon Abdul
GAYOOM]; Islamic Democratic Party or IDP [Omar NASEER]; Maldivian
Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed NASHEED]; note - political parties
were allowed to register in June 2005
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: various unregistered political parties
International organization participation:
ADB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Hussain MANIKU
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6194
FAX: [1] (212) 599-6195
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to
Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits
Flag description:
red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical
white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side
of the flag
Economy
Maldives
Economy - overview:
Tourism, Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 28% of GDP and
more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90%
of government tax revenue comes from import duties and
tourism-related taxes. Fishing is the second leading sector.
Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a lesser role in the
economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land
and the shortage of domestic labor. Most staple foods must be
imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment production,
boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 7% of GDP. The
Maldivian Government began an economic reform program in 1989
initially by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the
private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to
allow more foreign investment. Real GDP growth averaged over 7.5%
per year for more than a decade. In late December 2004, a major
tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000 displaced, and property
damage exceeding $300 million. As a result of the tsunami, the GDP
contracted by about 3.6% in 2005. A rebound in tourism, post-tsunami
reconstruction, and development of new resorts helped the economy
recover quickly. The trade deficit has expanded sharply as a result
of high oil prices and imports of construction material.
Diversifying beyond tourism and fishing and increasing employment
are the major 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.588 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.049 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,600 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 7%
services: 77% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
101,300 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 22%
industry: 18%
services: 60% (1995)
Unemployment rate:
NEGL% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line:
21% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $508 million (including foreign grants)
expenditures: $671 million (2006 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$344.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$434.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.08 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish
Industries:
tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut
processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand
mining
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.9% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:
230 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
203.7 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
5,490 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
1,499 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
5,362 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$472 million (2007)
Exports:
$167 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
fish
Exports - partners:
Thailand 28.3%, UK 17.6%, France 8.8%, Sri Lanka 8.6%, Algeria 8.2%,
Japan 6.4%, Italy 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
$930 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing, intermediate and
capital goods
Imports - partners:
Canada 35.2%, Singapore 15%, UAE 10.2%, India 7.4%, Malaysia 7.1%
(2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$66.83 million (2005)
Debt - external:
$482 million (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
rufiyaa (MVR)
Currency code:
MVR
Exchange rates:
rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005),
12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
Communications
Maldives
Telephones - main lines in use:
33,200 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
317,800 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone services have improved; each island
now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular
networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership approaching 90 per
100 persons
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all
inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax
service
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth
station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
35,000 (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2006)
Televisions:
10,000 (1999)
Internet country code:
.mv
Internet hosts:
1,600 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)