Maldives: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje etymology: archipelago apparently named after the main island (and capital) of Male; the word "Maldives" means "the islands (dives) of Male"; alternatively, the name may derive from the Sanskrit word "maladvipa" meaning "garland of islands"; Dhivehi Raajje in Maldivian means "Kingdom of the Dhivehi people" |
|---|---|
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | Male
Male
geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 7 provinces and 1 municipality*; Dhekunu (South), Maale*, Mathi Dhekunu (Upper South), Mathi Uthuru (Upper North), Medhu (Central), Medhu Dhekunu (South Central), Medhu Uthuru (North Central), Uthuru (North) |
| Independence | 26 July 1965 (from the UK) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 26 July (1965) |
| Constitution | many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008; amended 2015 (2016) |
| Legal system | Islamic religious legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Maldives dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: unknown |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013); Vice President Abdulla JIHAD (since 21 June 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Vice President Ahmed ADHEEB Abdul Ghafoor (since 22 July 2015) was removed from office 5 November 2015 head of government: President Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013); Vice President Abdulla JIHAD (since 22 June 2016); note - Vice President Ahmed ADHEEB Abdul Ghafoor (since 22 July 2015) was removed from office 5 November 2015 cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the election held on 7 September 2013 was annulled by the Supreme Court; rerun of first round held on 9 November 2013 and a runoff held on 16 November (next election to be held in 2018) election results: first round - percent of vote - Mohamed NASHEED (MDP) 46.9%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 29.7%, Qasim IBRAHIM (JP) 23.3%; runoff second round - percent of vote - Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom elected president 51.4%, Mohamed NASHEED 48.6% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (85 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 22 March 2014 (next to be held in 2019) election results: percent of vote - MDP 40.8%, MDP 27.7%, JP 13.6%, MDA 4.0%, AP 2.7% other 0.3%, independent 10.9%; seats by party - PPM 33, MDP 26, JP 15, MDA 5, AP 1, independent 5 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission - a separate 10-member body of selected high government officials and the public - and upon confirmation by voting members of the People's Majlis; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: High Court; Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts; Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands) |
| Political parties and leaders | Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP (Sheikh Imran ABDULLA) Maldives Development Alliance or MDA (Ahmed Shiyam Mohamed) Maldavian Democratic Party or MDP (Ali WAHEED) Progressive Party of Maldives or PPM (Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM) Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP (Qasim IBRAHIM) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | other: various unregistered political parties |
| International organization participation | ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmed SAREER (since 11 January 2013) chancery: 801 Second Avenue, Suite 202E, New York, NY 10017 telephone: (1) (212) 599-6194 and 599-6195 FAX: (1) (212) 661-6405 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits |
| Flag description | red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent moon; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag; red recalls those who have sacrificed their lives in defense of their country, the green rectangle represents peace and prosperity, and the white crescent signifies Islam |
| National symbol(s) | coconut palm, yellowfin tuna; national colors: red, green, white |
| National anthem | name: "Gaumee Salaam" (National Salute) lyrics/music: Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA note: lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; between 1948 and 1972, the lyrics were sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne" |