|
Country
|
Maldives | 
Oman |
|
Leader
|
President: Mohamed Nasheed
|
Sultan, prime minister, foreign minister: Qaboos Bin Said Al Said
|
|
Population
|
394,451
| 3,090,150
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
74.690 years
| 74.470 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Male
| Muscat
|
|
Largest city
|
| Male (population: 84,972) | Muscat (population: 797,000) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.749
| 0.839
|
| GDP per capita |
$8,800 US
| $26,900 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
96.3%
| 81.4%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.8
| 5.5
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
12%
| 9.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
14.500%
| 15.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic
| monarchy
|
|
Independence date
|
26 July 1965 (from UK)
| 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
|
| Religions |
Sunni Muslim
| Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu) 25%
|
| Languages |
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
| Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
|
| Exports |
fish
| petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
|
| External Debt |
$943,000,000 $
| $9,054,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
| Omani rials (OMR) per US dollar - 0.3845 (2008 est.), 0.3845 (2007), 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.500%
| 11.400%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
| Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
|
| Area |
298 km sq
| 309,500 km sq
|
| Coastline |
644 km
| 2,092 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
| dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
|
|
|
|
