Population: 310,764 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials

Background: The Maldives were long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. They became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.

Currency: rufiyaa (MVR, No information)

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.