1993 Edition

Area

total area: 320 km2 land area: 320 km2 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

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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

10 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

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

Terrain

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

Birth rate

13.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

7.52 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English

Infant mortality rate

8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 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: 76.52 years male: 74.32 years female: 78.9 years (1993 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

1.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

363,791 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

0.84% (1993 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 98%

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (administration directly from Valletta)

Capital

Valletta

Chief of State

President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989)

Constitution

26 April 1974, effective 2 June 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

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

FAX

(202) 387-5470

same as telephone numbers

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

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)

House of Representatives

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 House of Representatives

Member of

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

Names

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 21 September

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) embassy: 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta telephone: [356] 240424, 240425, 243216, 243217, 243653, 223654

Agriculture

accounts for 3% of GDP and 2.5% 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 $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $161 million (1992 est.)

Currency

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 (1970-89), $336 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $48 million

Electricity

328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 3,000 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates

Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.3687 (January 1993), 0.3178 (1992), 0.3226 (1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988)

Exports

$l.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: clothing, textiles, footwear, ships partners: Italy 30%, Germany 22%, UK 11%

External debt

$127 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Imports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods partners: Italy 30%, UK 16%, Germany 13%, US 4%

Industrial production

growth rate 19.0% (1990); accounts for 27% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.9% (1991)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.7 billion (1991 est.)

National product per capita

$7,600 (1991 est.)

National product real growth rate

5.9% (1991)

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 employing about 4,300 people. In 1991, about 900,000 tourists visited the island. Per capita GDP at $7,600 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.

Unemployment rate

3.6% (1992)

Airports

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

Highways

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

Merchant marine

789 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,059,874 GRT/18,758,969 DWT; includes 6 passenger, 17 short-sea passenger, 272 cargo, 26 container, 2 passenger-cargo, 20 roll-on/roll-off, 2 vehicle carrier, 3 barge carrier, 17 refrigerated cargo, 19 chemical tanker, 15 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 131 oil tanker, 223 bulk, 26 combination bulk, 3 multifunction large load carrier, 1 railcar carrier; note - a flag of convenience registry; China owns 2 ships, Russia owns 52 ships, Cuba owns 10, Vietnam owns 6, Croatia owns 37, Romania owns 3

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

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 97,446; fit for military service 77,481 (1993 est.)