Malta

Airports

1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m

Civil air

7 major transport aircraft

Highways

1,291 km total; 1,179 km paved (asphalt), 77 km crushed stone or gravel, 35 km improved and unimproved earth

Merchant marine

415 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,005,791 GRT/8,644,369 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 8 short-sea passenger, 160 cargo, 5 container, 2 passenger-cargo, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 vehicle carrier, 1 barge carrier, 6 refrigerated cargo, 9 chemical tanker, 8 combination ore/oil, 2 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 79 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 bulk, 11 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; China owns 1 ship, USSR owns 7, Cuba owns 7, and Vietnam owns 1

Ports

Valletta, Marsaxlokk

Telecommunications

modern automatic system centered in Valletta; 163,800 telephones; stations--9 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1 submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Branches

Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force

Defense expenditures

$21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 94,081; 75,222 fit for military service

Agriculture

accounts for 3% of GDP; 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

Budget

revenues $1,020 million; expenditures $1,230 million, including capital expenditures of $380 million (1990 est.)

Currency

Maltese lira (plural--liri); 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $172 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $333 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $48 million

Electricity

328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Maltese liri (LM) per US$1--0.3004 (January 1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987), 0.3924 (1986), 0.4676 (1985)

Exports

$866 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--clothing, textiles, footwear, ships; partners--Italy 30%, FRG 22%, UK 11%

External debt

$90 million, medium and long-term (December 1987)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

GDP

$1.9 billion, per capita $5,500 (1988); real growth rate 6.4% (1989)

Imports

$1,328 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods; partners--Italy 30%, UK 16%, FRG 13%, US 4%

Industrial production

growth rate 19.2% (1989); accounts for 27% of GDP

Industries

tourism, electronics, ship repair yard, construction, food manufacturing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (1989)

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 27% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries major contributors. In 1989 inflation was held to a low 0.9%. Per capita GDP at $5,500 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.

Unemployment rate

3.7% (1989)

Climate

Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Coastline

140 km Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Environment

numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce--increasing reliance on desalination

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 38%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 59%; includes irrigated 3%

Natural resources

limestone, salt

Note

strategic location in central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km north of Libya

Terrain

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

Total area

320 km2; land area: 320 km2

Administrative divisions

none (administration directly from Valletta)

Capital

Valletta

Communists

fewer than 100 (est.)

Constitution

26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Salvatore J. STELLINI; Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3611 or 3612; there is a Maltese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy at 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O. Box 535, Valletta); telephone [356] 240424, 240425, 243216, 243217, 243653, 223654

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

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

Independence

21 September 1964 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal Chief of State--President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987) Nationalist Party, Edward FENECH ADAMI; Malta Labor Party, Karmenu MIFSUD BONNICI

Legal system

based on English common law and Roman civil law; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Representatives

Long-form name

Republic of Malta

Member of

C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

Freedom Day, 31 March

Suffrage

universal at age 18 House of Representatives--last held on 9 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992); results--NP 51.1%, MLP 48.9%; seats--(usually 65 total, but additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total 69) MLP 34, NP 31 before popular vote adjustment; MLP 34, NP 35 after adjustment

Type

parliamentary democracy

Birth rate

15 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic divisions

mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English

Infant mortality rate

7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force

126,135; government (excluding job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1989)

Language

Maltese and English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 79 years female (1991)

Literacy

84% (male 86%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)

Nationality

noun--Maltese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Maltese

Net migration rate

1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor

about 40% of labor force

Population

356,427 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)

Religion

Roman Catholic 98%

Total fertility rate

2.0 children born/woman (1991)