Official Name: Divehi Jumhuriyya (Republic of Maldives)

Area: Asia

Size: 298 km²

Coastline: 644 km

Independence: from the UK 26 July 1965

Form of Govt.: Republic

Head of Govt.: President

Capital: Malé

Largest City: Malé

Demographics (2005): 329,000.   1,105 /km² 

South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs

GNP Per Capita (2005): $7,675

Languages: Maldivian Dhivehi, English spoken by most government officials

Geography: 1.190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean. Low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise. Over the last century, sea levels have risen about 20 centimeters

Climate: The Maldives has a tropical climate characterized by hot and humid conditions with little daily variation. The islands are subject to the SW Monsoon between June and August, and the NE Monsoon from November to March. Average annual precipitation is 2,540 mm in the north and 3,810 mm in the south. The average temperature ranges are from 25 degrees to 29 degrees all year.