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 of 2004.

Geographic coordinates: 35 50 N 14 35 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 316 km²
Land: 316 km²
Water: 0 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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm

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: 28.13%
Permanent crops: 3.13%
Other: 68.74% (2001)

Irrigated land: 20 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 398,534 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 0.42% (2005 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.6% (male 36,056/female 34,097)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 138,537/female 135,666)
65 years and over: 13.6% (male 23,184/female 30,994) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 38.36 years
Male: 36.91 years
Female: 39.84 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.42% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 10.17 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.06 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.89 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.38 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.37 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.86 years
Male: 76.7 years
Female: 81.15 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 500 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 10 and over can read and write
Total population: 92.8%
Male: 92%
Female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malta
Conventional short form: Malta
Local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta
Local short form: Malta

Government type: republic

Capital: Valletta

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

Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 21 September (1964)

Constitution: 1964 constitution; amended many times

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Eddie FENECH ADAMI (since 4 April 2004)
Head of government: Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March 2004)
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 29 March 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); 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: Eddie FENECH ADAMI elected president; percent of House of Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held by April 2008)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.7%, MLP 47.6%, AD 0.7%; seats by party - PN 34, MLP 31

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 [Lawrence GONZI]

International organization participation: Australia Group C CE EBRD EIB EU (new member) FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IFAD IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA NAM NSG OPCW OSCE PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WEU (observer affiliate) WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador John LOWELL
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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William GRANT
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, CMR01
From the us telephone: [356] 2,561 4,000
From the us fax: [356] 21 243,229

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

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. Continued sluggishness in the European economy is holding back exports tourism and overall growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $7.223 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,200 (2004 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 23%
Services: 74% (2003 est.)

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% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $2.27 billion
Expenditures: $2.549 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $-241 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $2.625 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactures
Partners: US 15.7% France 15.5% Singapore 14.5% UK 11.2% Germany 10.8% (2004)

Imports: $3.407 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured and semi-manufactured goods; food drink and tobacco
Partners: Italy 25.4% France 13.1% UK 12% Germany 8.9% US 5.2% Singapore 4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.865 billion (2004 est.)

Debt external: $130 million (1997)

Exchange rates: Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.3444 (2004) 0.3773 (2003) 0.4337 (2002) 0.4501 (2001) 0.4382 (2000)

Electricity
Production: 2.15 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 2 billion kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 208,300 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 290,000 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
Domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
International: country code - 356; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .mt
Hosts: 7,156 (2004)
Users: 120,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $31.1 million (2004)
Percent of gdp: 0.7% (2004)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Airports: 1 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Merchant marine
Total: 1,140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 25,102,401 GRT/41,176,791 DWT
By type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 438, cargo 303, chemical tanker 70, combination ore/oil 2, container 54, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum tanker 162, refrigerated cargo 43, roll on/roll off 26, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 13
Foreign owned: 1,080 (Austria 3, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 3, Belgium 12, British 1, Bulgaria 18, Canada 9, China 15, Croatia 10, Cyprus 2, Czech Republic 2, Estonia 2, Finland 1, France 5, Germany 51, Greece 527, Hong Kong 1, Iceland 7, Iran 4, Israel 26, Italy 17, Japan 2, Latvia 30, Lebanon 6, Madagascar 1, Monaco 3, Netherlands 3, Norway 42, Pakistan 2, Poland 24, Portugal 4, Romania 5, Russia 64, Slovenia 3, South Korea 4, Sweden 3, Switzerland 32, Syria 6, Taiwan 1, Turkey 87, Ukraine 25, UAE 5, United Kingdom 8, United States 3)
Registered in other countries: 3 (2005)

Disputes international: none

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