MALDIVES. Maldives Republic
A state in South Asia, located on the eponymous archipelago in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, 640 km southwest of Sri Lanka. It consists of 26 atolls (island groups) and over 1190 small coral islands, of which more than 200 are inhabited. The area is 298 km². The capital is Male (over 73 thousand). Administrative division - 20 atolls (island groups - administrative units). The population is about 300 thousand (2004) - Maldivians. The official language is Maldivian (Dhivehi, literally, island), which belongs to the Indo-Aryan group of Indo-European languages. The current alphabet "Thaana" was introduced in the 16th century, and the vocabulary of Dhivehi shows a strong influence from the Arabic language. The state religion is Sunni Islam. The currency is the rufiyaa = 100 laari.
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR in 1966).
The national holiday is July 26 - Independence Day (1965).
The Maldives is a republic with a presidential form of government. The constitution of 1998 is in effect. The President (since 1978 - M. A. Gayoom) is the head of state (elected by the population for a term of 5 years) and the leader of the highest executive body - the cabinet of ministers, whose members are appointed by the president from among the members of the Majlis (parliament) or from the ranks of the state bureaucracy at his discretion. President M. A. Gayoom was elected in October 2003 for a 6th 5-year term. The highest legislative body - the Majlis (unicameral parliament) consists of 50 deputies, 8 of whom are appointed by the president, and 42 are elected for a term of 5 years in direct elections - 2 deputies from each atoll and from Male. The last elections were held in January 2005. With the primacy of secular laws, Sharia laws continue to play a significant role in the country. In June 2004, the president proposed a constitutional reform in the country, according to which, in particular, from June 2005, the creation and activity of political parties was allowed.
Archaeological excavations conducted in the second half of the 20th century show that some islands were inhabited by people about 3500 years ago, which historians perceive as a side effect of the once powerful civilization of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, which arose on the territory of the Indian subcontinent long before our era. The Maldivian ethnocultural community formed about 2500 years ago as a result of Aryan migration from India and Sri Lanka, as well as under the influence of South Indian Dravidians, and migrants from Southeast Asia and Africa during the early Middle Ages. The current inhabitants of the island state consider themselves representatives of a compact mixed race, classified as a single Maldivian ethnic group, while their phenotype is quite broad - ranging from Caucasoids to people with distinctly Negroid features.
Throughout its existence, except for a short period of 15 years in the 16th century when the country was governed from Goa (India) as a Portuguese colony, the Maldives has never completely lost its independence. The Maldivian Sultanate of the Middle Ages, as a feudal state union, operated quite independently for more than 800 years, although at certain periods it was dependent on various colonial powers and Indian rulers. From 1887 to 1965, the Maldives was a protectorate of Great Britain; however, there was no permanent administrative presence of the British on the islands. The Sultanate lived according to its internal laws, and the British "took responsibility" only for defense and foreign policy.
In 1932, the first constitution of the country was adopted, providing for the election of the sultan from among the local nobility. In 1965, the Maldives proclaimed full independence, and in November 1968, a new constitution was introduced, according to which a republican, presidential form of government was proclaimed in the country. In the 1970s and 80s, there were several attempts at a coup in Male. The landing of Tamil mercenaries (Sri Lanka) in November 1988 was suppressed with the help of Indian troops at the request of President M. A. Gayoom.
The Maldives has been a member of the UN since 1965, the Non-Aligned Movement since 1976, the Commonwealth led by Great Britain since 1985, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985, the Colombo Plan since 1963, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation since 1976.
The Maldives Republic pursues a course of maintaining friendly relations with all countries of the world, aligning its positions on current international political issues with the moderate wing of the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement, and seeks to avoid even minimal political involvement in conflict situations, especially if such conditions arise in areas close to the Maldivian archipelago.
The country's leadership places a high priority on creating a system of international security guarantees for small states and ecological protection for island states.
The socio-economic situation in the country remains generally stable. The Maldivian president has virtually unlimited powers, controlling all branches of government, law enforcement agencies, and finances; he promotes the strengthening and diversification of market relations in the Maldives and encourages the activities of foreign investors in the country.
In 2004, the GDP was estimated at approximately $750 million. The annual income per capita is about $2400.
Foreign exchange reserves are $200 million. The leading sectors in GDP are three areas - tourism and related industries (30%), fishing (35%), shipping and trade (20%). In 2004, the Maldives was visited by 600,000 tourists.
The trade turnover in 2004 amounted to $740 million, including $580 million in imports, mainly from Singapore, Australia, India, and Sri Lanka (petroleum products, transport equipment, food and consumer goods, vegetables, fruits), and exports of $160 million (mainly fishery products and textiles). The volume of foreign aid amounted to about $100 million, received through international financial organizations and major donors - Japan, Australia, and Kuwait. The total external debt of the Maldives Republic is $300 million.
The Maldives has achieved significant success in education, with a literacy rate of 98.5%. Primary education is free. The system of secondary educational institutions allows for both private (paid) and state schools. There are no higher educational institutions.
In the capital, there are 2 large hospitals, and several atolls have hospitals. Improvements in healthcare have led to an increase in life expectancy (to 71 years), and the Maldivian authorities are taking measures to limit birth rates to reduce the high population growth (3.5% per year).
Several official newspapers and magazines are published in Dhivehi and English in the Maldives. The government controls an information agency (HANS), radio, and television.
The Maldives is connected to the global computer system Internet.