Malta
Republic of MaltaRepubblika ta' Malta
republicIndependence 21 September 1964 (from the UK)
Malta as the 2012 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 155 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.
Geography
Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
20 fieldsLand useshare of 316 sq km
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.02 cu km/yr (74%/1%/25%)
- per capita:
- 50 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment - current issues
limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
- the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited;
- numerous bays provide good harbors;
- Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
People and Society
30 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2012 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.79 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
fewer than 500 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Government
Republic; President George ABELA (since 4 April 2009); Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March 2004) note - Prime Minister GONZI lost a key budget vote on 10 December 2012, paving the way for a general election on 9 March 2013
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 69 seats, elected 8 March 2008one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Malta
- conventional short form:
- Malta
- local long form:
- Repubblika ta' Malta
- local short form:
- Malta
Capital
- name:
- Valletta
- geographic coordinates:
- 35 53 N, 14 30 E
- time difference:
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
- daylight saving time:
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions
68 localities (Il-lokalita); Attard, Balzan, Birgu, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Dingli, Fgura, Floriana, Fontana, Ghajnsielem, Gharb, Gharghur, Ghasri Ghaxaq, Gudja, Gzira, Hamrun, Iklin, Imdina, Imgarr, Imqabba, Imsida, Imtarfa, Isla, Kalkara, Kercem, Kirkop, Lija, Luqa, Marsa, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mellieha, Mosta, Munxar, Nadur, Naxxar, Paola, Pembroke, Pieta, Qala, Qormi, Qrendi, Rabat, Rabat (Ghawdex), Safi, San Giljan/Saint Julian, San Gwann/Saint John, San Lawrenz/Saint Lawrence, Sannat, San Pawl il-Bahar/Saint Paul's Bay, Santa Lucija/Saint Lucia, Santa Venera/Saint Venera, Siggiewi, Sliema, Swieqi, Tarxien, Ta' Xbiex, Valletta, Xaghra, Xewkija, Xghajra, Zabbar, Zebbug, Zebbug (Ghawdex), Zejtun, Zurrieq
Legal system
mixed legal system of English common law and civil law (based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes)
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President George ABELA (since 4 April 2009)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March 2004) note - Prime Minister GONZI lost a key budget vote on 10 December 2012, paving the way for a general election on 9 March 2013;
- the GONZI government will continue in a caretaker capacity until the election
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by a resolution of the House of Representatives for a five-year term;
- election last held on 12 January 2009 (next to be held by April 2014);
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president for a five-year term;
- the deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
- election results:
- George ABELA elected president by the House of Representatives
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Representatives (normally 65 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation by the Single Transferrable Vote (STV) to serve five-year terms; note - the parliament elected in 2008 is composed of 69 seats; when the political party winning an absolute majority of first-count votes (or a plurality of first-count votes in an election where only two parties are represented in parliament) does not win an absolute majority of seats, the constitution provides for the winning party to be awarded additional number of seats in parliament to guarantee it an absolute majority; in the event that more than two parties are represented in parliament, with none acquiring the absolute majority of votes, the party winning the majority of seats prevails
- elections:
- last held on 8 March 2008 (next to be held by March 2013)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - PN 49.3%, PL 48.8%, other 1.9%; seats by party - PN 35, PL 34
Judicial branch
- Constitutional Court;
- Court of First Instance;
- Court of Appeal
note: magistrates and judges for the courts are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Political parties and leaders
- Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Michael BRIGUGLIO];
- Labor Party or PL [Joseph MUSCAT];
- Nationalist Party or PN [Lawrence GONZI];
- The Malta Communist Party [Victor DEGIOVANNI]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Alliance of Liberal Democrats Malta (Alleanza Liberali-Demokratika Malta) or ALDM (for divorce, abortion, gay marriage, women's rights);
- Democratic Alternative (Alternattiva Demokratika) (pro-environment);
- Together for a Better Environment (Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Ahjar) or FAA (pro-environment)
- other:
- environmentalists
International organization participation
Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Joseph COLE
- chancery:
- 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 462-3611 through 3612
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 387-5470
- consulate(s):
- New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Gina ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY
- embassy:
- New Embassy
- mailing address:
- Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000
- telephone:
- [356] 2561 4000
- FAX:
- [356] 2124 3229
Flag description
- 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;
- according to legend, the colors are taken from the red and white checkered banner of Count Roger of Sicily who removed a bi-colored corner and granted it to Malta in 1091;
- an uncontested explanation is that the colors are those of the Knights of Saint John who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798;
- in 1942, King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to the islanders for their exceptional bravery and gallantry in World War II;
- since independence in 1964, the George Cross bordered in red has appeared directly on the white field
National anthem
- name:
- "L-Innu Malti" (The Maltese Anthem)
- lyrics/music:
- Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT
note: adopted 1945; the anthem is written in the form of a prayer
Economy
Malta - the smallest economy in the euro zone - produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few domestic energy sources.
39 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2010 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Economy - overview
Malta - the smallest economy in the euro zone - produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few domestic energy sources. Malta's geographic position between Europe and North Africa makes it a target for illegal immigration, which has strained Malta's political and economic resources.
Malta's fertility rate is below the EU average, and population growth in recent years has largely been from immigration, putting increasing pressure on the pension system. Malta adopted the euro on 1 January 2008. Malta's economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing, and tourism, and was hurt by the global economic downturn.
Malta has low unemployment relative to other European countries, and growth has recovered since the 2009 recession. Malta's financial services industry has grown in recent years and it has avoided contagion from the European financial crisis, largely because its debt is mostly held domestically and its banks have low exposure to the sovereign debt of peripheral European countries.
Malta reduced its deficit below 3 percent of GDP, leading the EU to dismiss its official excessive deficit procedure against Malta in 2012.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
27.4 (2011) · 26 (2007) country comparison to the world: 124
Public debt
77% of GDP (2012 est.) · 71.9% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 note: Malta reports public debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year, according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty for general government gross debt; the data include the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); general government comprises the central government, state government, local government and social security funds
Central bank discount rate
1.75% (31 December 2011) · 1.75% (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 128 note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate
4.6% (31 December 2012 est.) · 4.76% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Stock of narrow money
$5.146 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $5.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the EMU; individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Stock of broad money
$12.66 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $12.53 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Stock of domestic credit
$13.01 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $12.95 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Agriculture - products
potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs
Current account balance
-$221.2 million (2012 est.) · -$268.8 million (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Exports - commodities
- machinery and mechanical appliances;
- mineral fuels, oils and products;
- pharmaceutical products;
- printed books and newspapers;
- aircraft/spacecraft and parts thereof;
- toys, games, and sports requisites
Imports - commodities
- mineral fuels, oils and products;
- electrical machinery;
- aircraft/spacecraft and parts thereof;
- machinery and mechanical appliances;
- plastic and other semi-manufactured goods;
- vehicles and parts thereof
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$498.4 million (31 December 2012 est.) · $515.5 million (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Debt - external
$48.79 billion (30 June 2011) · $5.978 billion (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 59
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$17.25 billion (31 December 2010) · $9.019 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 73
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$1.213 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7838 (2012 est.) · 0.7185 (2011 est.) · 755 (2010 est.) · 0.7198 (2009 est.) · 0.6827 (2008 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 573,000 kW(2010 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
3.114 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- automatic system featuring submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
- domestic:
- combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 180 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 356;
- submarine cable connects to Italy;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media
- 2 publicly-owned TV stations, Television Malta (TVM) broadcasting nationally plus an educational channel;
- several privately-owned national television stations, two of which are owned by political parties;
- Italian and British broadcast programs are available;
- multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available;
- publicly-owned radio broadcaster operates 1 station;
- roughly 20 commercial radio stations (2011)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 1,650 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Military
Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes air and maritime elements) (2010)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2011)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Malta.” The World Factbook 2012. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/malta/2012.