Malta

Airports

total: 1 usable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

Highways

total: 1,291 km paved: asphalt 1,179 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 77 km; earth 35 km

Merchant marine

897 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,959,195 GRT/24,038,587 DWT, barge carrier 3, bulk 259, cargo 296, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 28, combination ore/oil 18, container 26, liquefied gas 2, multifunction large load carrier 3, oil tanker 157, passenger 6, passenger-cargo 3, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 17, roll-on/roll-off cargo 20, short-sea passenger 19, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 9 note: a flag of convenience registry; China owns 11 ships, Russia owns 42 ships, Cuba owns 10, Vietnam owns 6, Croatia owns 63, Romania owns 4

Ports

Valletta, Marsaxlokk

Telecommunications

automatic system satisfies normal requirements; 153,000 telephones; excellent service by broadcast stations - 8 AM, 4 FM, and 2 TV; submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands; international service by 1 submarine cable and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Affiliation

(British crown dependency)

Branches

Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 98,241; fit for military service 78,071

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

Budget

revenues: $1.2 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $182 million (FY94 est.)

Currency

1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $172 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $336 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $48 million

Electricity

capacity: 328,000 kW production: 1.11 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,000 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.3951 (January 1994), 0.3821 (1993), 0.3178 (1992), 0.3226 (1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989)

Exports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, clothing and footware, printed matter partners: Italy 30%, Germany 22%, UK 11%

External debt

$118 million (1990)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe

Imports

$1.93 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods partners: Italy 30%, UK 16%, Germany 13%, US 4%

Industrial production

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

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.64% (1992)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$6,600 (1992)

National product real growth rate

4.5% (1992)

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 and the state-owned Malta drydocks which employs about 4,300 people. In 1992, about 1,000,000 tourists visited the island. Per capita GDP at $6,600 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.

Unemployment rate

4% (1992)

Area

total area: 320 sq km land area: 320 sq km comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Coastline

140 km

Environment

current issues: fresh water very scarce; increasing reliance on desalination natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 38% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 59%

Location

Southern Europe, in the central Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of Sicily (Italy), 290 km north of Libya

Map references

Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

limestone, salt

Note

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

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

none (administration directly from Valletta)

Capital

Valletta

Constitution

1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December 1974

Digraph

MT

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Albert BORG OLIVIER DE PUGET chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 462-3611 or 3612

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ugo MIFSUD BONNICI (since 4 April 1994) 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) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on advice of the prime minister

FAX

(202) 387-5470 consulate(s): New York

FAX

[356] 243229

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

House of Representatives

elections last held on 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)

Independence

21 September 1964 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court, Court of Appeal

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Malta conventional short form: Malta

National holiday

Independence Day, 21 September (1964)

Political parties and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William A. MOFFITT (new ambassador nominated, but not confirmed) embassy: 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta telephone: [356] 235960

Birth rate

13.56 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

7.45 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English

Infant mortality rate

7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

127,200 by occupation: government (excluding job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1990)

Languages

Maltese (official), English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.77 years male: 74.53 years female: 79.18 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Maltese (singular and plural) adjective: Maltese

Net migration rate

1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

366,767 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.79% (1994 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 98%

Total fertility rate

1.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)