Background: With a civilization that dates back thousands of years, Malta boasts some of the oldest megalithic sites in the world. Situated in the center of the Mediterranean, Malta’s islands have long served as a strategic military asset, with the islands at various times having come under control of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans,

Geographic coordinates: 35 50 N, 14 35 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 316 km²
Land: 316 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 209
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

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

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 25
Note: nm

Climate: Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers

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

Elevation: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea

Natural resources: limestone, salt, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 32.3% (2011 est.)
Forest: 0.9% (2011 est.)
Other: 66.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 35 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: occasional droughts

Geography
Note: the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing oil exploration on the continental shelf between their countries, although no commercially viable reserves have been found as of 2017

Population
Distribution: most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands: 449,043 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 175
Growth rate: 0.99% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 110
Below poverty line: 16.3% (2015 est.)

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) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.29% (male 33,156 /female 31,012)
15-24 years: 11.03% (male 25,713 /female 23,815)
25-54 years: 40.92% (male 95,162 /female 88,602)
55-64 years: 13.25% (male 29,787 /female 29,703)
65 years and over: 20.51% (male 41,900 /female 50,193) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 48.8 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 21.4 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 27.3 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.7 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.8 years
Male: 40.6 years
Female: 43.1 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 37

Population growth rate: 0.99% (2018 est.)
Rank: 110

Birth rate: 10 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 192

Death rate: 7.9 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 93

Net migration rate: 2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 47

Population distribution: most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands

Urbanization
Urban population: 94.6% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination; deforestation; wildlife preservation
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(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 4.6 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 4.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 178

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.7 years (2018 est.)
Male: 80.6 years (2018 est.)
Female: 84.8 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 11

Total fertility rate: 1.48 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 200

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 3.91 physicians/1000 population (2015)

Hospital bed density: 4.7 beds/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2016 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 113
People living with hivaids note: <500 (2016 est.)
Deaths note: <100 (2016 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 28.9% (2016)
Rank: 28

Education expenditures: 7.2% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 18

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 94.4% (2015 est.)
Male: 93.1% (2015 est.)
Female: 95.8% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years (2015)
Male: 15 years (2015)
Female: 15 years (2015)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malta
Conventional short form: Malta
Local long form: Repubblika ta Malta
Local short form: Malta
Etymology: the ancient Greeks called the island Melite meaning honey-sweet from the Greek word meli meaning honey and referring to the islands honey production

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Valletta
Geographic coordinates: 35 53 N, 14 30 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

Independence: 21 September 1964 (from the UK)

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

Constitution
History: many previous; latest adopted 21 September 1964 (2017)
Amendments: proposals (Acts of Parliament) require at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Representatives; passage of Acts requires majority vote by referendum, followed by final majority vote by the House and assent by the president of the republic; amended many times, last in 2016 (2017)

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malta
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age (16 in local council elections); universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Marie-Louise Coleiro PRECA (since 4 April 2014)
Head of government: Prime Minister Joseph MUSCAT (since 11 March 2013)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by the House of Representatives for a single 5-year term; election last held on 4 April 2014 (next to be held by April 2019); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president for a 5-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Election results: Marie-Louise Coleiro PRECA (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous; Joseph MUSCAT (PL) reappointed prime minister

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati, a component of the Parliament of Malta (normally 65 seats but can include at-large members; members directly elected in 5 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the parliament elected in 2013 had 69 seats; an additional two seats were added in 2016 by the Constitutional Court to correct for mistakes made in the 2013 vote-counting process
Elections: last held on 3 June 2017 (next to be held in 2022); note - Prime Minister MUSCAT called for early elections amid corruption allegations
Election results: percent of vote by party - PL 55%, PN 43.7%, other 1.3%; seats by party - PL 37 PN 30; note - PN was awarded two additional seats for a total of 30 in accordance with the proportionality provisions specified in the constitution; PD candidates ran under the PN list; composition - men 57, women 10, percent of women 14.9%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 judges); Court of Criminal Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, usually upon the advice of the prime minister; judges of both courts serve until age 65
Subordinate courts: Civil Court (divided into the General Jurisdiction Section, Family Section, and Voluntary Section); Criminal Court; Court of Magistrates; Gozo Courts (for the islands of Gozo and Comino)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or PD [Anthony BUTTIGIEG]Labor Party or PL [Joseph MUSCAT]Nationalist Party or PN [Adrian DELIA]

International organization participation: Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, 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
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Keith AZZOPARDI (since 17 September 2018)
In the us chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462-3,611 through 3,612
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 387-5,470
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador G. Kathleen HILL (since 25 February 2016)
From the us embassy: Ta Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4,000
From the us mailing address: 5,800 Valletta Place, Dulles, VA 20,189
From the us telephone: [356] 2,561-4,000
From the us FAX: [356] 2,561-4,183

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 UK 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 eight-pointed cross; national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: L-Innu Malti (The Maltese Anthem)
Lyricsmusic: Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT: note: adopted 1945; written in the form of a prayer

Economy overview: Malta’s free market economy - the smallest economy in the euro-zone - relies heavily on trade in both goods and services, principally with Europe. Malta produces less than a quarter of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few domestic energy sources. Malta's economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing, and tourism. Malta joined the EU in 2004 and adopted the euro on 1 January 2008.Malta has weathered the euro-zone crisis better than most EU member states due to a low debt-to-GDP ratio and financially sound banking sector. It maintains one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, and growth has fully recovered since the 2009 recession. In 2014 through 2016, Malta led the euro zone in growth, expanding more than 4.5% per year.Malta’s services sector continues to grow, with sustained growth in the financial services and online gaming sectors. Advantageous tax schemes remained attractive to foreign investors, though EU discussions of anti-tax avoidance measures have raised concerns among Malta’s financial services and insurance providers, as the measures could have a significant impact on those sectors. The tourism sector also continued to grow, with 2016 showing record-breaking numbers of both air and cruise passenger arrivals.Malta’s GDP growth remains strong and is supported by a strong labor market. The government has implemented new programs, including free childcare, to encourage increased labor participation. The high cost of borrowing and small labor market remain potential constraints to future economic growth. Increasingly, other EU and European migrants are relocating to Malta for employment, though wages have remained low compared to other European countries. Inflation remains low.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 152

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 28

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 43

Gross national saving:
Rank: 22

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 45.2% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 15.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 136.1% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -117.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 10.2% (2017 est.)
Services: 88.7% (2017 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, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services

Industrial production growth rate: -3.3% (2016 est.)
Rank: 189

Labor force: 206,300 (2017 est.)
Rank: 169
By occupation agriculture: 1.6%
By occupation industry: 20.7%
By occupation services: 77.7% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 67

Population below poverty line: 16.3% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 141

Budget
Revenues: 5.076 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 4.583 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 3.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 9

Taxes and other revenues: 40.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 38

Public debt:
Rank: 99

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 69

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 162

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 167

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 71

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 72

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 101

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 84

Current account balance:
Rank: 44

Exports:
Rank: 126
Partners: Germany 17.3%, France 10.2%, Italy 9.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Hong Kong 5.8%, US 5.7%, Japan 4.9%, Libya 4.5% (2017)
Commodities: machinery and mechanical appliances; mineral fuels, oils and petroleum products; pharmaceutical products; books and newspapers; aircraft/spacecraft and parts; toys, games, and sports equipment

Imports:
Rank: 129
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
Partners: Italy 23%, Germany 7.9%, UK 7.7%, Spain 5%, Canada 4.5%, US 4.3%, France 4.2% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 139

Debt external:
Rank: 53

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 134

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 112

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 813 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 156
Consumption: 2.122 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 142
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 167
Imports: 1.525 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 61
Installed generating capacity: 575,100 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 142
Generation sources fossil fuels: 81% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 80
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 139
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 186
Generation sources other renewable sources: 19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 43

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 170
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 162
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 162
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 166

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 174
Products consumption: 45,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 110
Products exports: 10,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 81
Products imports: 52,290 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 79

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 167
Consumption: 283.2 million m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 102
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 148
Imports: 311.5 million m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 69
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 168

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 8.141 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 116

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 240,280 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 58 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 123
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 560,010 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 169

Telephone system
General assessment: automatic system featuring submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands (2016)
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 185 per 100 persons (2016)
International: country code - 356; submarine cable connects to Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

Broadcast media: 2 publicly owned TV stations, Television Malta broadcasting nationally plus an educational channel; several privately owned national television stations, 2 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 3 stations; roughly 20 commercial radio stations (2017)

Internet
Country code: .mt
Users total: 320,902 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 77.3% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 157

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 181,318 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2017 est.)
Rank: 110

Military expenditures:
Rank: 145

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2017)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 9 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 28 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,583,046 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3.352 million
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9H (2016)

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 228
With paved runways total: 1 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)

Heliports: 2 (2013)

Roadways
Total: 3,096 km (2008)
Paved: 2,704 km (2008)
Unpaved: 392 km (2008)
Rank: 164

Merchant marine
Total: 2,170 (2017)
By type: bulk carrier 660, container ship 285, general cargo 317, oil tanker 330, other 578 (2017)
Rank: 11

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Marsaxlokk (Malta Freeport), Valletta
Container port: Marsaxlokk (3,084,309) (2016)

Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 11 (2017)

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