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Elephants Can't Jump
Ensuring brand initiatives work in practice as well as in theory. To have marketplace impact, we believe every research assignment should consist of three elements consumer exploration or validation, within a competitive context, generating commercial outputs.
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Firefish Ltd
29 full time staff, operating in all corners of the globe, on all manner of projects. No methodology is squashed to fit. We approach each brief with fresh eyes and minds, to make sure you get the most out of your research, helping your brand move forward.
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Grass Roots
Grass Roots is one of Europe's largest performance improvement companies. Established in 1980, Grass Roots UK is the founding company of a group with offices and partners operating in 15 countries around the world.
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DIGITAL-MR
In addition to Social Media Research (Web Listening) DigitalMRs solutions also include community panels, access panels, Web usability and a distinct focus on qualitativeresearch online.
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An Introduction to The Maldives
The Republic of Maldives is an island country consisting of 26 atolls featuring 1,192 islets, of which two hundred and fifty are inhabited. From the 3rd Century BC, the inhabitants of Maldives were Buddhist, until Islam was introduced in 1153. The Maldives then came under the influence of the Portuguese (1558), and the Dutch (1654) seaborne Empires. It became a British Protectorate in 1887, gaining independence in 1965. See full country profile.Latest Research News from South Asia
GOVERNMENT: Republic
AREA: 300 sq km
POPULATION: 396,334 (July 2009 est.)
MAJOR LANGUAGE: Dhivehi
Some business and general info
The Market Research Industry
Trade and Industry in The Maldives
A little More Knowledge?
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The Republic of Maldives is an island country consisting of 26 atolls featuring 1,192 islets, of which two hundred and fifty are inhabited. From the 3rd Century BC, the inhabitants of Maldives were Buddhist, until Islam was introduced in 1153. The Maldives then came under the influence of the Portuguese (1558), and the Dutch (1654) seaborne Empires. It became a British Protectorate in 1887, gaining independence in 1965.
Tourism, Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the country's foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Fishing is the second bigest industry.It is the smallest Asian country both in terms of area and population.
GDP: $1.738 billion (PPP, 2008 est.)
Religions Sunni Muslim - The open practice of all other religions is forbidden and liable to prosecution.
Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) (1 MVR = 0.06 EUR)
Telephone Code: +960
According to the CIA World Factbook: Thailand, the UK, France, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Japan and Italy are the country's main export partners, with exports totalling $113 million in 2008, the biggest commodity being fish. Imports totalled $1.276 billion in 2008, and included petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, clothing and intermediate and capital goods. The main import partners of Maldives are Canada, Singapore, UAE, India and Malaysia.
Wikipedianotes that Real GDP growth averaged over 7.5% per year for more than a decade prior to the sunami of 2004; after which the economy contracted. A rebound in tourism, post-tsunami reconstruction, and development of new resorts helped the economy recover quickly, with GDP growth registering 5.7% in 2008.
Over the longer term Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is 1 meter or less above sea level. Government spending on social needs, subsidies, and civil servant salaries have created a large budget deficit and inflation has picked up sharply, reaching nearly 13% in October 2008 due to high oil and food prices.
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