| 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. |
| Location: |
Southern Europe,
islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy) |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
35 50 N, 14 35 E |
| Area: |
total:
316 sq km
land: 316 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly less
than twice the size of Washington, DC |
| Coastline: |
196.8 km (does
not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo) |
| 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
extremes: |
lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli) |
| Natural
resources: |
limestone, salt,
arable land |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
32%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 61% (2000 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
11.45 sq km (2000
est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
very limited
natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on
desalination |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
| 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: |
394,583 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
19.98% (male 40,791; female 38,062)
15-64 years: 67.49% (male 133,914; female
132,402)
65 years and over: 12.53% (male 20,643; female
28,771) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.74% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
12.75
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.74 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
2.37 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5.83 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 78.1 years
male: 75.64 years
female: 80.79 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.92 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.52% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100
(1999 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) |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
91% |
| Languages: |
Maltese
(official), English (official) |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 88.76%
male: 86.91%
female: 89.55% (1995 census) |
| 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 |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none
(administered directly from Valletta) |
| 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; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations |
| 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 GONZE (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 NA 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: |
unicameral House
of Representatives (usually 65 seats; note - additional
seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote
to ensure a legislative majority; members are elected by
popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to
serve five-year terms)
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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
C, CCC, CE, EBRD,
ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
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
chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611, 3612
FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470
consulate(s): New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador George SALIBA
embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint
Anne Street, Floriana, Malta VLT 01
mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta,
Malta, CMR 01
telephone: [356] 235960 through 235965
FAX: [356] 243229 |
| Flag
description: |
two equal
vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper
hoist-side corner is a representation of the Saint 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 freshwater 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. However, the island is divided
politically over the question of joining the EU. The sizable
budget deficit remains a key concern. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $5.6 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3.4% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $14,300 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
2.8%
industry: 25.5%
services: 71.7% (1999) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.5% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
145,901 (1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
industry 24%,
services 71%, agriculture 5% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
4.5% (3rd Quarter
2000) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.73 billion, including capital
expenditures of $265.4 million (1999) |
| Industries: |
tourism;
electronics, ship building and repair, construction; food
and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
1.65 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
1.534 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
potatoes,
cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut
flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs |
| Exports: |
$2 billion
(f.o.b., 1999) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, manufactures |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 21.4%, France
15.2%, Germany 12.6%, UK 9.3%, Italy 4.9% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$2.6 billion
(f.o.b., 1999) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, manufactured and semi-manufactured
goods; food, drink, and tobacco |
| Imports
- partners: |
France 19.1%,
Italy 16.7%, UK 10.9%, Germany 10.0%, US 8.5% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$130 million
(1997) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
Maltese lira (MTL) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Maltese liri per
US dollar - 0.4370 (January 2001), 0.4376 (2000), 0.3994
(1999), 0.3885 (1998), 0.3857 (1997), 0.3604 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31
March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
187,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- 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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 18,
shortwave 6 (1999) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
6 (2000) |
| Televisions: |
280,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.mt |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
40,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
1,742 km
paved: 1,677 km
unpaved: 65 km (1997) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Marsaxlokk,
Valletta |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
1,414 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,191,090 GRT/46,773,603
DWT
ships by type: bulk 443, cargo 394, chemical
tanker 48, combination bulk 12, combination ore/oil 14,
container 69, liquefied gas 2, livestock carrier 3,
multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 7,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 296, refrigerated cargo
37, roll on/roll off 50, short-sea passenger 15, specialized
tanker 3, vehicle carrier 18
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 1,
Bermuda 1, Belgium 1, Bangladesh 2, Bulgaria 11, China 7,
Costa Rica 1, Cuba 2, Cyprus 15, Denmark 1, Estonia 2,
Finland 1, Germany 23, Greece 258, Hong Kong 3, Croatia 9,
Hungary 1, India 2, Israel 2, Italy 17, South Korea 1,
Lebanon 2, Latvia 2, Lithuania 1, Monaco 14, Nigeria 1,
Netherlands 10, Norway 31, Poland 8, Romania 3, Russia 39,
Singapore 6, Spain 3, Sweden 3, Syria 1, Switzerland 25, UAE
2, Turkey 24, UK 8, Ukraine 9, US 9, Venezuela 1, Vietnam 1
(2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Armed Forces
(including land forces, an air squadron, a maritime
squadron, and the Revenue Security Corps), Maltese Police
Force |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 98,953 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 78,783 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$201 million
(FY98) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
5.5% (FY98) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
minor
transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western
Europe |
|
