Airports [time series]

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

Civil air [time series]

7 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

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 [time series]

Valletta, Marsaxlokk

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

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

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

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

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$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 (Industrial production) [time series]

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

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.9% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

3.7% (1989)

Climate [time series]

Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Coastline [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

limestone, salt

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

320 km2; land area: 320 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (administration directly from Valletta)

Capital [time series]

Valletta

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

fewer than 100 (est.)

Constitution [time series]

26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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 [time series]

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

21 September 1964 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral House of Representatives

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Malta

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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 [time series]

Freedom Day, 31 March

Suffrage [time series]

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

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Birth rate [time series]

15 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages (Language) [time series]

Maltese and English (official)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

74 years male, 79 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

about 40% of labor force

Population [time series]

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

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Roman Catholic 98%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.0 children born/woman (1991)