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. Since about the mid-1980s the island has become a 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: 35 50 N 14 35 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 316 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 316 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo)

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 NM
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: Mediterranean with mild rainy winters and hot dry summers

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)

Natural resources: limestone salt arable land

Land use
Arable land: 31.25%
Permanent crops: 3.13%
Other: 65.62% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: the country comprises an archipelago with only the three largest islands (Malta Ghawdex or Gozo and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries particularly for oil exploration


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Population: 397,499 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 0.73% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Ethnic groups: Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)

Languages: Maltese (official) English (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.7% (male 40,609; female 37,882)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 135,047; female 133,207)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 21,215; female 29,539) (2002 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.73% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 12.76 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 7.77 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.36 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on desalination
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.09 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2002 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 5.72 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.26 years
Female: 80.96 years (2002 est.)
Male: 75.78 years

Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.52% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 10 and over can read and write
Total population: 88.76%
Male: 86.91%
Female: 89.55% (1995 census)

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
Local short form: Malta
Local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta

Government type: republic

Capital: Valletta

Administrative divisions: none (administered directly from Valletta); note - Local Councils carry out administrative orders

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 21 September (1964)

Constitution: 1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December 1974 and again in 1987

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Guido DE MARCO (since 4 April 1999)
Head of government: Prime Minister Eddie FENECH ADAMI (since 6 September 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 4 April 1999)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a five-year term; election last held NA April 1999 (next to be held by April 2004); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president for a five-year term; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Election results: Guido DE MARCO elected president; percent of House of Representatives vote - 54%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 5 September 1998 (next to be held by September 2003)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.8%, MLP 46.9%, AD 1.2%; seats by party - PN 35, MLP 30

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders: Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Harry VASSALLO]; Malta Labor Party or MLP [Alfred SANT]; Nationalist Party or PN [Edward FENECH ADAMI]

International organization participation: C CCC CE EBRD ECE EU (applicant) FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IFAD IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO ITU NAM OPCW OSCE PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador George SALIBA; note - newly-appointed Ambassador John LOWELL is expected to present his credentials in early 2003
In the us consulates: New York
In the us fax: [1] (202) 387-5,470
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462-3,611, 3,612
In the us chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony H. GIOIA
From the us embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Malta VLT 01
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, Malta, CMR 01
From the us telephone: [356] 2,561-4,000
From the us fax: [356] 2,124-3,229

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: Major resources are limestone a favorable geographic location and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs has limited fresh water supplies and has no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles) and tourism. Malta is privatizing state-controlled firms and liberalizing markets in order to prepare for membership in the European Union. The island remains divided politically however over the question of joining the EU. Continued sluggishness in the global economy is holding back exports and tourism.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.2% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,000 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 26%
Services: 72% (1999)

Agriculture products: potatoes cauliflower grapes wheat barley tomatoes citrus cut flowers green peppers; pork milk poultry eggs

Industries: tourism; electronics ship building and repair construction; food and beverages textiles footwear clothing tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 160,000 (2002 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 5%
By occupation industry: 24%
By occupation services: 71% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7% (2002 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.5 billion
Expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.4% (2002 est.)

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: $2 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactures
Partners: US 20.2% Germany 14.1% France 10.2% UK 8.8% Italy 3.4% (2001)

Imports: $2.8 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured and semi-manufactured goods; food drink and tobacco
Partners: Italy 19.9% France 15.0% US 11.6% UK 10.0% Germany 8.7% (2001)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $130 million (1997) (1997)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.4542 (January 2002) 0.4499 (2001) 0.4376 (2000) 0.3994 (1999) 0.3885 (1998) 0.3857 (1997)


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Electricity
Production: 1.75 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 1.628 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 187,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 17,691 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
Domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
International: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .mt
Service providers isps: 6 (2002)
Users: 59,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $60 million (2000 est.)
Percent of gdp: 1.7% (2000)

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 (2001)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 1,323 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,208,819 GRT/44,617,877 DWT
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 4, Austria 6, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 3, Bulgaria 19, Canada 2, China 16, Croatia 14, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7, Denmark 3, Estonia 5, Finland 1, Germany 54, Greece 627, Hong Kong 12, Iceland 3, India 10, Iran 2, Israel 26, Italy 36, Japan 2, Latvia 24, Lebanon 6, Monaco 29, Netherlands 10, Nigeria 2, Norway 43, Poland 29, Portugal 2, Romania 15, Russia 85, Saudi Arabia 1, Slovenia 2, South Korea 5, Spain 1, Switzerland 54, Syria 4, Turkey 84, Ukraine 25, United Arab Emirates 3, United Kingdom 4, United States 10 (2002 est.)
Ships by type: bulk 440, cargo 334, chemical tanker 54, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 12, container 75, liquefied gas 4, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 270, refrigerated cargo 39, roll on/roll off 45, short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 17

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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