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World > Asia > Maldives
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Maldives |
Introduction:
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The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM - currently in his sixth term in office - has dominated the islands' political scene. 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 has been slow, however, and many promised reforms have been delayed indefinitely. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.
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| Official name: |
Republic of Maldives |
| Capital: |
name: Male
geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Government type: |
republic |
| Population: |
369,031 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials |
| Official Currency: |
Maldive Rufiyaa (MVR) |
| Currency code: |
MVR |
| Area: |
total: 300 sq km
land: 300 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
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Map of Maldives
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