Malta

§1. Malta Introduction

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.

§2. Malta Geography

Location:
  Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)

Geographic coordinates:
  35 50 N, 14 35 E

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 316 km²
  land: 316 km²
  water: 0 km²

Area - 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; mild, rainy winters; 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: 31.25%
  permanent crops: 3.13%
  other: 65.62% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  20 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  NA

Environment - current issues:
  very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on
  desalination

Environment - 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
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

§3. Malta People

Population:
  400,214 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.1% (male 35,264/female 33,368)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 139,890/female 136,767)
  65 years and over: 13.7% (male 23,554/female 31,371) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.7 years
  male: 37.2 years
  female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.42% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  10.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  2.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.01 years
  male: 76.83 years
  female: 81.31 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 100 (2003 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 98%

Languages:
  Maltese (official), English (official)

Literacy:
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.8%
  male: 92%
  female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

§4. Malta Government

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 Edward 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; House of
    Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes

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 12 April 2003 (next to be held by August 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador John LOWELL
  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 Molly BORDONARO
  embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Malta
    VLT 01
  mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, Malta, CMR01
  telephone: [356] 2561 4000
  FAX: [356] 21 243229

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

§5. Malta Economy

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 few 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $7.568 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $4.909 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  1.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $19,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 3%
  industry: 23%
  services: 74% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
  160,000 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 3%, industry 22%, services 75% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  7.8% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.8% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  26.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.503 billion
  expenditures: $2.703 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    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%

Electricity - production:
  2.082 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  1.936 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  18,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NEGL (2001)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-593 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $2.744 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, manufactures

Exports - partners:
  US 15.7%, France 15.5%, Singapore 14.5%, UK 11.2%, Germany 10.8% (2004)

Imports:
  $3.859 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and semi-manufactured
  goods; food, drink, tobacco

Imports - 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:
  $3.42 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $188.8 million (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA

Currency (code):
  Maltese lira (MTL)

Exchange rates:
  Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.34578 (2005), 0.34466 (2004), 0.37723
  (2003), 0.43362 (2002), 0.45004 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Malta Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  206,500 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  306,100 (2004)

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)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
  6 (2000)

Internet country code:
  .mt

Internet hosts:
  10,739 (2005)

Internet users:
  301,000 (2005)

§7. Malta Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  over 3,047 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 2,254 km
  paved: 1,973 km
  unpaved: 281 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,148 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,791,072 GRT/36,951,514 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 420, cargo 311, chemical tanker 93,
    combination ore/oil 3, container 57, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier
    1, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum tanker 144, refrigerated
    cargo 40, roll on/roll off 32, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 14
  foreign-owned: 1,105 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 2, Bangladesh 3, Belgium 11,
    Bulgaria 14, Canada 10, China 15, Croatia 11, Cyprus 5, Czech Republic 1,
    Denmark 3, Estonia 4, France 8, Germany 59, Greece 515, Hong Kong 2,
    Iceland 4, India 1, Indonesia 1, Iran 9, Israel 27, Italy 25, Japan 1,
    South Korea 5, Latvia 36, Lebanon 8, Monaco 4, Netherlands 5, Norway 43,
    Pakistan 1, Poland 27, Portugal 4, Romania 3, Russia 60, Slovenia 3,
    Spain 1, Sweden 3, Switzerland 21, Syria 6, Taiwan 1, Turkey 101, Ukraine
    26, UAE 5, UK 6, US 4)
  registered in other countries: 9 (Panama 2, Portugal 1, Russia 5, unknown
    1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Marsaxlokk, Valletta

§8. Malta Military

Military branches:
  Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes air and maritime elements) (2005)

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

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 90,651 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 74,525 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $38.168 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1% (2005 est.)

§9. Malta Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none

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


<Factbook 2006>
