Map of Malta | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Over the last 15 years the island has become a major freight transshipment point financial center and tourist destination. It is an official candidate for EU membership.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 140 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Elevation

Natural resources: limestone, salt

Land use: arable land: 38%; permanent crops: 3%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 59%; includes irrigated 3%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km north of Libya


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Population: 356,427 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Maltese (sing. and pl.; adjective--Maltese

Ethnic groups: mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English

Languages: Maltese and English (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 15 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce--increasing reliance on desalination

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 84% (male 86%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Malta

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Valletta

Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from Valletta)

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: Freedom Day, 31 March

Constitution: 26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974

Legal system: based on English common law and Roman civil law; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989; Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987; Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987)

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Salvatore J. STELLINI; Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 462-3,611 or 3,612; there is a Maltese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy at 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O. Box 535, Valletta; telephone [356] 240,424, 240,425, 243,216, 243,217, 243,653, 223,654

Flag description: two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red Malta MaltaMalta

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Significant resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. Consequently, the economy is highly dependent on foreign trade and services. Manufacturing and tourism are the largest contributors to the economy. Manufacturing accounts for about 27% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries major contributors. In 1989 inflation was held to a low 0.9%. Per capita GDP at $5,500 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 3% of GDP; overall, 20% self-sufficient; main products--potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs; generally adequate supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk, pork products; seasonal or periodic shortages in grain, animal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs

Industries: tourism, electronics, ship repair yard, construction, food manufacturing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: 19.2% (1989; accounts for 27% of GDP

Labor force: 126,135; government (excluding job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 3.7% (1989)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1,020 million; expenditures $1,230 million, including capital expenditures of $380 million (1990 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $866 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: clothing, textiles, footwear, ships
Partners: Italy 30%, FRG 22%, UK 11%

Imports: $1,328 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods
Partners: Italy 30%, UK 16%, FRG 13%, US 4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $90 million, medium and long-term (December 1987)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1--0.3004 (January 1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987), 0.3924 (1986), 0.4676 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 415 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,005,791 GRT/8,644,369 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 8 short-sea passenger, 160 cargo, 5 container, 2 passenger-cargo, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 vehicle carrier, 1 barge carrier, 6 refrigerated cargo, 9 chemical tanker, 8 combination ore/oil, 2 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 79 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 bulk, 11 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; China owns 1 ship, USSR owns 7, Cuba owns 7, and Vietnam owns 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs