Map of Malta | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total area total: 320 km²
Land: 320 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 140 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the 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%

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: the country comprises an archipelago, with only the 3 largest islands (Malta, Gozo, and Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors


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Population: 369,609 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 0.75% (1995 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
0-14 years: 22% (female 39,199; male 41,581)
15-64 years: 67% (female 123,665; male 124,167)
65 years and over: 11% (female 23,597; male 17,400) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.75% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 13.22 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 7.43 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on desalination
Current issues natural hazards: NA
Current issues international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7.7 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.02 years
Male: 74.75 years
Female: 79.48 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (1995 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%
Female: 82%

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 (1964)

Constitution: 1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December 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
Chief of state: President Ugo MIFSUD BONNICI (since 4 April 1994)
Head of government: Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Representatives: elections last held 22 February 1992 (next to be held by February 1997); results - NP 51.8%, MLP 46.5%; seats - (usually 65 total) MLP 36, NP 29; note - additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total:69 (MLP 33, NP 36 after adjustment)

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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: [1] (202) 462-3,611, 3,612
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 387-5,470
In the us consulates: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph R. PAOLINO, Jr.
From the us embassy: 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Malta
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta
From the us telephone: [356] 235,960
From the us FAX: [356] 243,229

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 24% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries major contributors and with the state-owned Malta drydocks employing about 4,300 people. In 1994, over 1,000,000 tourists visited the island. Per capita GDP of $10,760 places Malta in the range of the less affluent EU countries.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.4% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 3% of GDP and 2% 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 repairyard, construction, food manufacturing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: 5.4% (1992; 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: 4.5% (March 1994)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.4 billion
Expenditures: $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $215 million (FY94/95 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

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: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment, clothing and footware, printed matter
Partners: Italy 32%, Germany 16%, UK 8%

Imports: $2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodoties: food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods
Partners: Italy 27%, Germany 14%, UK 13%, US 9%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $603 million (1992)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.3656 (January 1995), 0.3776 (1994), 0.3821 (1993), 0.3178 (1992), 0.3226 (1991), 0.3172 (1990)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 1.1 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 2,749 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 153,000 telephones; automatic system satisfies normal requirements
Local: NA
Intercity: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
International: 1 submarine cable and 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $21.4 million, about 0.9% of GDP (FY92/93)

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 paved runways over 3047 m: 1

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 1

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 964 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,518,359 GRT/26,604,739 DWT
Ships by type: barge carrier 3, bulk 272, cargo 300, chemical tanker 30, combination bulk 26, combination ore/oil 16, container 33, liquefied gas tanker 3, multifunction large-load carrier 3, oil tanker 191, passenger 7, passenger-cargo 3, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 14, roll-on/roll-off cargo 26, short-sea passenger 20, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 11
Note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 49 countries; the 10 major fleet flags are:Greece 351 ships, Russia 66, Croatia 63, Switzerland 31, Montenegro 29, Italy 27, Germany 23, Monaco 20, UK 20, and Georgia 10

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe