Geography-note: 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls; archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
@Maldives:People
Population: 290,211 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47% (male 70,244; female 66,758) 15-64 years: 50% (male 73,784; female 70,539) 65 years and over: 3% (male 4,735; female 4,151) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.42% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 40.12 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.96 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 41.12 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)