The Maldives is by far the wealthiest -- and most orderly -- country in South Asia, with tourism accounting for a third of the economy and fishing making up a big chunk of the rest.
But half the population is under 18, reasonably well-educated and with few prospects for good jobs. Some young people have turned to drug use. Others have embraced a conservative strain of Islam. In a reform aimed at empowering the youth, Gayoom lowered the voting age for the referendum to 18 from 21.
The Maldives, whose highest point is only 2.4m above sea level, is also facing the threat that ocean levels, rising because of global warming, will eventually swallow it up.
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