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 transformed itself into a freight transshipment point a financial center and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.


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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

Area
Rank: 208
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 196.8 km (excludes 56 km for the island of Gozo)

Maritime claims

Climate: Mediterranean; mild rainy winters; hot dry summers

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

Elevation

Natural resources: limestone salt arable land

Land use

Irrigated land: 32 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.07 km³ (2005)

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: 409,836 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 174
Growth rate: 0.359% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 160
Below poverty line: (2011)

Nationality

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

Languages: Maltese (official) 90.2% English (official) 6% multilingual 3% other 0.8% (2005 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic (official) 98%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.359% (2012 est.)
Rank: 160

Birth rate: 10.31 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 188

Death rate: 8.72 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 75

Net migration rate: 2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 39

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 207

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 35

Total fertility rate: 1.53 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 186

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 3.073 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 4.88 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 140
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 154
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 122

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.7% (2007)
Rank: 21

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.4% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 22

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital

Administrative divisions: 68 localities (Il-lokalita); Attard Balzan Birgu Birkirkara Birzebbuga Bormla Dingli Fgura Floriana Fontana Ghajnsielem Gharb Gharghur Ghasri Ghaxaq Gudja Gzira Hamrun Iklin Imdina Imgarr Imqabba Imsida Imtarfa Isla Kalkara Kercem Kirkop Lija Luqa Marsa Marsaskala Marsaxlokk Mellieha Mosta Munxar Nadur Naxxar Paola Pembroke Pieta Qala Qormi Qrendi Rabat Rabat (Ghawdex) Safi San Giljan/Saint Julian San Gwann/Saint John San Lawrenz/Saint Lawrence Sannat San Pawl il-Bahar/Saint Paul's Bay Santa Lucija/Saint Lucia Santa Venera/Saint Venera Siggiewi Sliema Swieqi Tarxien Ta' Xbiex Valletta Xaghra Xewkija Xghajra Zabbar Zebbug Zebbug (Ghawdex) Zejtun Zurrieq

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 September 1964 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 21 September (1964); Republic Day 13 December (1974)

Constitution: 1964; amended many times

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and civil law (based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes)

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (normally 65 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation by the Single Transferrable Vote (STV) to serve five-year terms; note - the parliament elected in 2008 is composed of 69 seats; when the political party winning an absolute majority of first-count votes (or a plurality of first-count votes in an election where only two parties are represented in parliament) does not win an absolute majority of seats the constitution provides for the winning party to be awarded additional number of seats in parliament to guarantee it an absolute majority; in the event that more than two parties are represented in parliament with none acquiring the absolute majority of votes the party winning the majority of seats prevails

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Court of First Instance; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Michael BRIGUGLIO]; Labor Party or PL [Joseph MUSCAT]; Nationalist Party or PN [Lawrence GONZI]; The Malta Communist Party [Victor DEGIOVANNI]

International organization participation: Australia Group C CD CE EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU EU FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NSG OAS (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA PFP Schengen Convention UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina (observer) UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

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; according to legend the colors are taken from the red and white checkered banner of Count Roger of Sicily who removed a bi-colored corner and granted it to Malta in 1091; an uncontested explanation is that the colors are those of the Knights of Saint John who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798; in 1942 King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to the islanders for their exceptional bravery and gallantry in World War II; since independence in 1964 the George Cross bordered in red has appeared directly on the white field

National symbols: Maltese cross

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Malta - the smallest economy in the euro zone - produces only about 20% of its food needs has limited fresh water supplies and has few domestic energy sources. Malta's geographic position between Europe and North Africa makes it a target for illegal immigration which has strained Malta's political and economic resources. Malta's fertility rate is below the EU average and population growth in recent years has largely been from immigration putting increasing pressure on the pension system. Malta adopted the euro on 1 January 2008. Malta's economy is dependent on foreign trade manufacturing and tourism and was hurt by the global economic downturn. Malta has low unemployment relative to other European countries and growth has recovered since the 2009 recession. Malta's financial services industry has grown in recent years and it has avoided contagion from the European financial crisis largely because its debt is mostly held domestically and its banks have low exposure to the sovereign debt of peripheral European countries. Malta reduced its deficit below 3 percent of GDP leading the EU to dismiss its official excessive deficit procedure against Malta in 2012.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 150

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 157

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 53

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 180,200 (2011 est.)
Rank: 175

Unemployment rate: 6.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 60

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: (2011)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 26 (2007)
Rank: 124

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -3.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 127

Taxes and other revenues: 41.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 44

Public debt: 71.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 31

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Central bank discount rate: 1.75% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 128

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 4.76% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 160

Stock of narrow money: $5.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 98

Stock of broad money: $12.53 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 97

Stock of domestic credit: $12.95 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 92

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 95

Current account balance: -$268.8 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 80

Exports: $3.635 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 124
Commodities: machinery and mechanical appliances; mineral fuels oils and products; pharmaceutical products; printed books and newspapers; aircraft/spacecraft and parts thereof; toys games and sports requisites
Partners: Germany 14% France 10.5% Greece 7.7% Italy 7.4% UK 6.4% (2011)

Imports: $4.856 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 133
Commodities: mineral fuels oils and products; electrical machinery; aircraft/spacecraft and parts thereof; machinery and mechanical appliances; plastic and other semi-manufactured goods; vehicles and parts thereof
Partners: Italy 32% France 8.4% UK 8% Germany 6.9% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $515.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 147

Debt external: $5.978 billion (31 December 2010)
Rank: 59

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $9.019 billion (31 December 2009)
Rank: 73

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.213 billion (2010 est.)
Rank: 74

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 2.168 billion kWh (2011)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 1.991 billion kWh (2010)
Consumption rank: 140
Exports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 104
Imports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 109
Installed generating capacity: 573,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 132
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 55
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 142
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 184
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 82

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 168
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 156
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 98
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 167

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 178
Products consumption: 19,520 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 130
Products exports: (2010 est.)
Products imports: 47,050 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 71

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 169
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 175
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 120
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 101
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 172

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.114 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 140

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 232,300 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 126
Mobile cellular: 521,700 (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 166

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 2 publicly-owned TV stations Television Malta (TVM) broadcasting nationally plus an educational channel; several privately-owned national television stations two of which are owned by political parties; Italian and British broadcast programs are available; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; publicly-owned radio broadcaster operates 1 station; roughly 20 commercial radio stations (2011)

Internet
Country code: .mt
Hosts: 14,754 (2012)
Hosts rank: 125
Users: 240,600 (2009)
Users rank: 137

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.7% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 151

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2011)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2012)
Rank: 212

Heliports: 2 (2012)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 164

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 4

Ports and terminals: Marsaxlokk (Malta Freeport) Valletta


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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