Maldives People - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population: 184,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 3.1%

Nationality: noun—Maldivian(s); adjective—Maldivian

Ethnic divisions: admixtures of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, and black

Religion: Sunni Muslim

Language: Divehi (dialect of Sinhala; script derived from Arabic); English spoken by most government officials

Infant mortality rate: 88/1,000(1984)

Life expectancy: 46.5

Literacy: 36%

Labor force: total employment is approximately 66,000; fishing industry employs 80% of the labor force

NOTE: The information regarding Maldives on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Maldives 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Maldives 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.