Maldives Government

What is the capital of Maldives?

Country Name	Maldives
Full Country Name	Republic of Maldives
Local - Long	Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
Local - Short	Dhivehi Raajje
Etymology- history of name	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 Name	Male
Capital - geographic coordinate	4 10 N, 73 30 E
Capital Time Difference	UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Independence	26 July 1965 (from the UK)
National Holiday	Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Constitution	many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008; amended 2015

Maldives Capital City Map

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Maldives Government and Politics

Who is the president of Maldives?

Executive Branch:

chief of state: President Ibrahim "Ibu" Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018); Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018); the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (since 17 November 2018); Vice President Faisal NASEEM (since 17 November 2018)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by Parliament

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); election last held on 23 September 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

election results: Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president (in 1 round); Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%

Citizenship Criteria:

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

Legal System:

Islamic religious legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Legislative Branch:

description: unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (87 seats - includes 2 seats added by the Elections Commission in late 2018; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: last held on 6 April 2019 (next to be held in 2023)

election results: percent of vote - MDP 44.7%, JP 10.8%, PPM 8.7%, PNC 6.4%, MDA 2.8%, other 5.6%, independent 21%; seats by party - MDP 65, JP 5, PPM 5, PNC 3, MDA 2, independent 7; composition - men 83, women 4, percent of women 4.6%

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)

Regions or States:

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)

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]

International Law Organization Participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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 US:

the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits

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