About Maldives
Dhivehi (Maldivian) - the sole official language, a dialect related to Sinhala, written in a script derived from Arabic.
English - spoken by most government officials and widely used in tourism.
Dhivehi is the sole official language of the Maldives.
| Geography |
Location: Southern Asia, a chain of nearly 1,200 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 298 sq km; the lowest-lying nation on Earth, with an average elevation of about 1.5 m above sea level
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy southwest monsoon (June to August)
Natural resources: fish
| People |
Population: 388,858-540,542 (varies by source; 2024-2025 est.)
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Maldivian(s)
Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, Australasian, and African, resulting from historical changes in regional hegemony over marine trade routes
Religions: Sunni Muslim (official)
Languages: Dhivehi (official, dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials)
| Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
conventional short form: Maldives
Data code: MV
Government type: presidential republic
National capital: Male
Independence: 26 July 1965 (from the UK)
Background: a sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives archipelago became a British protectorate in 1887; three years after independence in 1965, the islands established themselves as a republic; in 2012, after weeks of street protests following a top judge's arrest, President Nasheed resigned and handed over power
| Economy |
Economy - overview: upper-middle-income Indian Ocean island economy; heavily dependent on luxury tourism, fishing, and shipping; high public debt and systemic corruption; economy severely affected by COVID-19; a front-line nation for climate change and rising sea levels
GDP (purchasing power parity): $13.4 billion (2023 est.)
GDP - per capita: $17,287 (nominal, 2024 est.); $34,000 PPP (2021 est.)
Inflation rate: 2.3% (2022 est.)
Population below poverty line: 8.2% (2016)
Industries: fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts
Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR)
| Military |
Military branches: Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Corps, Fire and Rescue Service; Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology: Maldives Police Service (2025)
| Transnational Issues |
Trafficking in persons - tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List (2025)