Malta

Malta 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

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

Area

Land Boundaries

0 km

Coastline

140 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Climate

Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain

Mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Dingli Cliffs 245 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

10 sq km (1989)

Environment

Note: The country comprises an archipelago, with only the 3 largest islands (Malta, Gozo, and Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors

PEOPLE

Population

375,576 (July 1996 est.)
369,609 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

22% (male 42,067; female 39,958) (July 1996 est.)
22% (male 41,581; female 39,199) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

67% (male 126,179; female 125,321) (July 1996 est.)
67% (male 124,167; female 123,665) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

11% (male 17,766; female 24,285) (July 1996 est.)
11% (female 23,597; male 17,400) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.01% (1996 est.)
0.75% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

14.79 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
13.22 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

6.83 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
7.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

2.17 children born/woman (1996 est.)
1.92 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Maltese (official), English (official)

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1985)

Labor Force

139,600 (1994)

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

MT

Type

Parliamentary democracy

Capital

Valletta

Administrative Divisions

None (administration directly from Valletta)

Independence

21 September 1964 (from U.K.)

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; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

House of Representatives

Elections last held 22 February 1992 (next to be held by February 1997); results - NP 51.8%, MLP 46.5%; seats - (usually 65 total) MLP 36, NP 29; note - additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total: 69 (MLP 33, NP 36 after adjustment)

Judicial Branch

Constitutional Court, Court of Appeal

Political Parties and Leaders

Nationalist Party (NP), Edward FENECH ADAMI; Malta Labor Party (MLP), Alfred SANT

Member of

C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarset, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, NAM, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

National Anthem

Flag

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

Significant 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. Consequently, the economy is highly dependent on foreign trade and services. Manufacturing and tourism are the largest contributors to the economy. Manufacturing accounts for about 24% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries major contributors and with the state-owned Malta drydocks employing about 4,300 people. In 1994, over 1 million tourists visited the island. Per capita GDP of $12,000 places Malta in the range of the less affluent EU countries.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.4 billion (1995 est.), $3.9 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

5% (1995 est.)
4.4% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$12,000 (1995 est.)
$10,760 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

5% (1995 est.)
5% (1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

3.4% (third quarter 1995)
4.5% (March 1994)

Budget

Exports

$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
$2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1993)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$603 million (1992)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 5.4% (1992); accounts for 27% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 3% of GDP and 2% of the work force (1992); overall, 20% self-sufficient; main products - potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs; generally adequate supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk, pork products; seasonal or periodic shortages in grain, animal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs

Illicit Drugs

Transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe

Economic Aid

Currency

1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents

Exchange Rates

Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.3570 (January 1996), 0.3529 (1995), 0.3776 (1994), 0.3821 (1993), 0.3178 (1992), 0.3226 (1991), 0.3172 (1990)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Ports

Marsaxlokk, Valletta

Merchant Marine

Note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 47 countries among which are Greece 425, Croatia 62, Russia 43, Switzerland 39, Italy 32, Norway 25, Monaco 23, Georgia 23, UK 22, and Germany 19 (1995 est.)

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

191,876 (1992 est.) telephones; automatic system satisfies normal requirements

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 99,018; males fit for military service 78,656 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $21.0 million, 1.0% of GDP (FY92/93)

History
World Atlas