icking, particularly its failure to provide protection
for victims of trafficking
Illicit drugs:
regional transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking
prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@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. 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.
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
Natural hazards:
low level of islands makes them very 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protectio
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