Malta




                                 Geography


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
Area:
total area:
     320 sq km
land area:
     320 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     140 km
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
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain:
     mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
Natural resources:
     limestone, salt
Land use:
arable land:
     38%
permanent crops:
     3%
meadows and pastures:
     0%
forest and woodland:
     0%
other:
     59%
Irrigated land:
     10 sq km (1989)
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
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:
     366,767 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.79% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     13.56 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     7.45 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     76.77 years
male:
     74.53 years
female:
     79.18 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Maltese (singular and plural)
adjective:
     Maltese
Ethnic divisions:
     Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 98%
Languages:
     Maltese (official), English (official)
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
total population:
     84%
male:
     86%
female:
     82%
Labor force:
     127,200




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


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Malta
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     MT
Type:
     parliamentary democracy
Capital:
     Valletta
Administrative divisions:
     none (administration directly from Valletta)
Independence:
     21 September 1964 (from UK)
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:
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
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
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)
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, 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
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
FAX:
     (202) 387-5470
consulate(s):
     New York
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
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


                                  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 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.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     4.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
     $6,600 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     1.64% (1992)




Unemployment rate:
     4% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
     $1.2 billion
expenditures:
     $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $182 million (FY94
     est.)
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%
Imports:
     $1.93 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods
partners:
     Italy 30%, UK 16%, Germany 13%, US 4%
External debt:
     $118 million (1990)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 5.4% (1992); accounts for 27% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     328,000 kW
production:
     1.11 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     3,000 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     tourism, electronics, ship repair yard, construction, food
     manufacturing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco
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:
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
Currency:
     1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
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)




Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March


                              Communications


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


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 98,241; fit for military service 78,071
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)