Map of Malta | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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: in the central Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of Sicily (Italy), 290 km north of Libya

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 320 km²
Land: 320 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 140 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

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
Permanent crops: 3%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 59%

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 363,791 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.84% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Maltese

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

Languages: Maltese (official), English (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.84% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 13.9 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 7.52 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.98 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce; increasing reliance on desalination
Current issues note: the country comprises an archipelago, with only the 3 largest islands (Malta, Gozo, and Comino) being inhabited

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.2 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.52 years
Male: 74.32 years
Female: 78.9 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
Total population: 84%
Male: 86%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malta
Conventional short form: Malta

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Valletta

Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from Valletta)

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September

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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Albert BORG OLIVIER DE PUGET
In the us chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 462-3,611 or 3,612
In the us fax: (202) 387-5,470
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: (vacant)
From the us embassy:
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta
From the us telephone: 356 240,424, 240,425, 243,216, 243,217, 243,653, 223,654
From the us fax: same as telephone numbers

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

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 and the state-owned Malta drydocks employing about 4,300 people. In 1991, about 900,000 tourists visited the island. Per capita GDP at $7,600 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.9% (1991)

Real gdp per capita: $7,600 (1991 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 3% of GDP and 2.5% of the work force (1992; 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: growth rate 19.0% (1990; accounts for 27% of GDP

Labor force: 127,200
By occupation government(excludingjobcorps): 37%
By occupation services: 26%
By occupation manufacturing: 22%
By occupation trainingprograms: 9%
By occupation construction: 4%
By occupation agriculture: 2% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 3.6% (1992)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $161 million (1992 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: $l.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: clothing, textiles, footwear, ships
Partners: Italy 30%, Germany 22%, UK 11%

Imports
Commodoties: food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods
Partners: Italy 30%, UK 16%, Germany 13%, US 4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.3687 (January 1993), 0.3178 (1992), 0.3226 (1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988)


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Electricity
Production: 328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 3,000 kWh per capita (1992)

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:

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
Usable: 1
With permanentsurface runways: 1
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 0

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs