Maldives

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Maldives

The Maldives, whose name is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word ‘wreath of islands’, is a nation located in the Indian Ocean. It consists of about 1,200 islands composed of coral reefs. Despite having only about 515,000 inhabitants (source: 2022 census), the Maldives, which is dispersed over 820 km from north to south across the Equator, is geopolitically important because of its location between Asia and the Middle East. The tourism sector accounts for approximately 30% of its GDP with more than 1.6 million tourists visiting the Maldives in 2022. However, the economy’s excessive reliance on tourism makes the Maldives vulnerable to external shocks, and the development of other industries has been a challenge for the country. In view of the above, JICA has pursued development cooperation with the Maldives, including the promotion of local industries such as fisheries; support for climate change measures and disaster prevention; and the dispatch of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs), mainly in the education sector.