MALDIVES (Continued)
President, chief executive; appointed Chief Justice responsible for administration of Islamic law
Government leader: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
Suffrage: universal over age 21
Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries
Communists: negligible number
Member of: Colombo Plan, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMCO, IMF, ITU, NAM, UN, UPU, WHO, WMO
ECONOMY
GNP: $23 million (1978), $160 per capita
Agriculture: crops—coconut and millet; shortages—rice, sugar, flour
Fishing: catch 27,700 metric tons (1979)
Major industries: fishing; some coconut processing; tourism
Electric power: 4,500 k W capacity (1981); 9 million kWh produced (1981), 57 k Wh per capita
Exports: $10.7 million (1980 prov.); fish
Imports: $26.9 million (1980 prov.); rice, sugar
Major trade partners: Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore
Budget: (1980 est.) revenue $5.6 million; expenditure $7.1 million
Monetary conversion rate: 3.93 Maldivian rupees=US$1, official rate; 7.55 rupees=US$1, market rate (average 1980)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: none
Highways: none
Ports: 2 minor (Male, Gan)
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft, leased in
Airfields: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: minimal domestic and international telecommunication facilities; 550 telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 2 AM stations, 1 TV station; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT station
MALI
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| (See reference map VII) |
LAND
1,204,350 km2; only about a fourth of area arable, forests negligible, rest sparse pasture or desert
Land boundaries: 7,459 km
PEOPLE
Population: 7,015,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.7%
Nationality: noun—Malian(s); adjective—Malian
Ethnic divisions: 99% native African including tribes of both Berber and Negro descent
Religion: 90% Muslim, 9% animist, 1% Christian
Language: French official; several African languages, of which Mande group most widespread
Literacy: under 5%
Labor force: 2.8 million
Organized labor: National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization over 13 national unions
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Mali
Type: republic; military regime in power since November 1968; fulfilled its plans in June 1979 for a phased return to civilian rule
Capital: Bamako
Political subdivisions: 7 administrative regions; 42 administrative districts (cercles), arrondissements, villages; all subordinate to central government
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; constitution adopted 1974, came into full effect in 1979; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Section of Court of State; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 September
Branches: executive authority exercised by Military Committee of National Liberation (MCNL) composed of 11 army
