text: Maldives\nI  INTRODUCTION \n\nMaldives (Diveti Rajje ge Jumhuriyya), island republic in southern Asia, located in the northern Indian Ocean, south-west of the southern tip of India. The Maldives is made up of a chain of nearly 2,000 small coral islands that are grouped into clusters of atolls. It has a total land area of 298 sq km (115 sq mi). The capital and largest city of the Maldives is Malé.\n\nII  LAND AND RESOURCES \n\nThe islands are low-lying and have only small tracts of arable land. Vegetation is dominated by coconut palms and breadfruit trees. The principal natural resource is the marine life of the surrounding seas. \n\nA  Climate \n\nThe climate is tropical and humid. The average annual temperature is 26.7° C (80° F), with little seasonal variation. The average annual precipitation is 1,524 mm (60 in), most of which falls between May and November.\n\nB  Environmental Concerns \n\nWith 80 per cent of the nation less than 1 metre (40 in) above sea level, the problem of global warming and resultant rising sea levels is a growing concern in the Maldives. The devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that hit the islands on December 26, 2004, flooded large areas of the islands. Significant population growth has led to overfishing around the islands, and the natural supply of fresh water is nearly exhausted.\n\nIII  POPULATION \n\nThe Maldives has a population of 339,330 (2004 estimate), yielding an average population density of 1,131 people per sq km (2,930 per sq mi). The most populous atolls are Malé, the capital and principal commercial centre, with a population of 84,000 (2001 estimate); Suvadiva; and Tiladummati. There are 20 political divisions based on the atolls: Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Malé, Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, and Vaavu. The people are ethnically heterogeneous, incorporating Indian, Sinhalese, Arabian, and African elements. Life expectancy in 2004 was 62 years for men and 65 years for women.\n\nA  Religion \n\nIslam is the state religion; nearly all the people are Sunni Muslims.\n\nB  Language \n\nThe language is Divehi (Maldivian), an Indo-European tongue related to Sinhalese.\n\nC  Culture \n\nDivehi culture predominates and the best-known music-and-dance form is the bodu beru (Divehi; “big drum”). Participants include a lead singer and drummers as well as other percussionists and the tempo of the music and dance rise to a frenzied crescendo. Another form of dance, performed by women, is the bandiyaa jehun. The rhythm is tapped out on water pots. There is a National Museum of local exhibits at Malé.\n\nIV  ECONOMY \n\nThe Maldivian economy is dominated by fishing and fish products, which accounted for almost 85 per cent of all export trade in 1993, and tourism. The fish catch is primarily tuna; corals and shells are also harvested. Coconuts are the principal agricultural product; most food must be imported. Industrial activity is largely limited to fish-processing and garment-manufacturing.\n\nA  Tourism \n\nThe rapid growth of the tourist industry has necessitated improvements in the infrastructure of the country, such as the installation of telephones and other forms of communication. Tourism is the principal foreign currency earner for the Maldives, with approximately 485,000 tourist arrivals recorded in 2002. Earnings from tourism totalled US$38 million in 1997. Malé International Airport is the major point of arrival for tourists.\n\nB  Currency and Banking \n\nThe monetary unit of the Maldives is the rufiyaa, made up of 100 laari (12.69 rufiyaa equalled US$1; early 2004). Currency is issued by the Maldives Monetary Authority.\n\nV  GOVERNMENT \n\nThe Maldives is a republic governed under a constitution promulgated in 1968 and revised in 1997, with effect from 1998. The president is both chief of state and head of government and is elected every five years by the parliamentary assembly and