|
Country
|
Maldives | 
Gabon |
|
Leader
|
President: Mohamed Nasheed
|
President: Ali Ben Bongo
|
|
Population
|
394,451
| 1,608,321
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
74.690 years
| 52.290 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Male
| Libreville
|
|
Largest city
|
| Male (population: 84,972) | Libreville (population: 578,156) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.749
| 0.729
|
| GDP per capita |
$8,800 US
| $16,400 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
96.3%
| 63.2%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.8
| 3.1
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
12%
| 16.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
14.500%
| 21.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic
| republic; multiparty presidential regime
|
|
Independence date
|
26 July 1965 (from UK)
| 17 August 1960 (from France)
|
| Religions |
Sunni Muslim
| Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
|
| Languages |
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
| French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
|
| Exports |
fish
| crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
|
| External Debt |
$943,000,000 $
| $2,726,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
| Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 441.72 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.500%
| 0.900%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
| Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
|
| Area |
298 km sq
| 267,667 km sq
|
| Coastline |
644 km
| 885 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
| tropical; always hot, humid
|
|
|
|
