er aquifers threatens water
supplies
natural hazards: low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea
level rise
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified -
Law of the Sea

Note: 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls; archipelago of
strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

@Maldives:People

Population: 261,310 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (female 60,038; male 63,042)
15-64 years: 50% (female 63,526; male 67,020)
65 years and over: 3% (female 3,537; male 4,147) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.58% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 42.8 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 50 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.49 years
male: 63.99 years
female: 67.07 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.17 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian

Ethnic divisions: Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, African

Religions: Sunni Muslim

Languages: Divehi (dialect of Sinhala; script derived from Arabic),
English spoken by most government officials

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
total population: 91%
male: 91%
female: 92%

Labor force: 66,000 (est.)
by occupation: fishing industry 25%

@Maldives:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives

Digraph: MV

Type: republic

Capital: Male

Administrative divisions: 19 districts (atolls); Aliff, Baa, Daalu,
Faafu, Gaafu Aliff, Gaafu Daalu, Haa Aliff, Haa Daalu, Kaafu, Laamu,
Laviyani, Meemu, Naviyani, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Waavu

Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965)

Constitution: 4 June 1968

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 and head of government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
(since 11 November 1978); election last held 1 October 1993 (next to
be held 1998); results - President Maumoon Abdul