Malta
Republic of MaltaRepubblika ta' Malta
republicIndependence 21 September 1964 (from the UK)
Malta as the 2015 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 159 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 it declared itself a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination while its key industries moved toward more service-oriented activities. 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 use
- agricultural land:
- 32.3%;
- arable land 28.4%;
- permanent crops 3.9%;
- permanent pasture 0%
- forest:
- 0.9%
- other:
- 66.8% (2011 est.)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.05 cu km/yr (64%/1%/35%)
- per capita:
- 134.1 cu m/yr (2009)
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
31 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2015 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2015 est.)
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
- 0-14 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.98 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.81 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
Government
Republic; President Marie-Louise Coleiro PRECA (since 4 April 2014); Prime Minister Joseph MUSCAT (since 11 March 2013)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 69 seats, elected 9 March 2013one 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
Constitution
- many previous;
- latest adopted 21 September 1964;
- amended many times, last in 2014 (2014)
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 Marie-Louise Coleiro PRECA (since 4 April 2014)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Joseph MUSCAT (since 11 March 2013)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
- elections/appointments:
- president indirectly elected by the House of Representatives for a 5-year term (1-term limit);
- election last held on 4 April 2014 (next to be held by April 2019);
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president for a 5-year term;
- deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
- election results:
- Marie-Louise Coleiro PRECA (PL) elected president;
- House of Representatives vote - unanimous;
- Joseph MUSCAT (PL) appointed prime minister
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati, a component of the Parliament of Malta (normally 65 seats; members directly elected in 5 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms);
- note - the parliament elected in 2013 has 69 seats
- elections:
- last held on 9 March 2013 (next to be held by mid-summer 2018)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - PL 54.8%, PN 43.3%, other 1.9%; seats by party - PL 39, PN 30
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges);
- Constitutional Court (consists of 3 judges);
- Court of Criminal Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, usually upon the advice of the prime minister;
- judges of both courts serve until age 65
- subordinate courts:
- Civil Court (divided into the General Jurisdiction Section, Family Section, and Voluntary Section);
- Criminal Court;
- Court of Magistrates;
- Gozo Courts (for the islands of Gozo and Comino}
Political parties and leaders
- Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD (Green Party) [Arnold CASSOLA]
- Labor Party or PL [Joseph MUSCAT]
- Nationalist Party or PN [Simon BUSUTTIL]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Alliance of Liberal Democrats Malta (Alleanza Liberali-Demokratika Malta) or ALDM (for divorce, abortion, gay marriage, women's rights); Alliance for Change (Alleanza Bidla) (Euros-septic); 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), ICCt, 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 Marisa Maria Louise MICALLEF (since 22 August 2013)
- chancery:
- 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 462-3611 through 3612
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 387-5470
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Gina ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY (since 18 April 2012)
- embassy:
- Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000
- mailing address:
- 5800 Valletta Place, Dulles, VA 20189
- 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; 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.
41 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2014 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
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 irregular migration, 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.
Malta has weathered the Eurozone crisis better than most EU member states due to a low debt-to-GDP ratio and financially sound banking sector. It has low unemployment relative to other European countries, and growth has recovered since the 2009 recession. In 2014, Malta led the Eurozone in growth, expanding by nearly 3.5%. Also in 2014, the government began promoting public-private partnerships in the healthcare sector to establish Malta as a Mediterranean health hub for medical tourism, reduced residential and commercial energy tariffs by 25%, and implemented a citizenship purchase program to increase government revenue and attract foreign investors.
The government has implemented new programs, including free child care, to encourage increased labor participation. The high cost of borrowing and small labor market present potential constraints to future economic growth.
Gross national saving
21.3% of GDP (2014 est.) · 22% of GDP (2013 est.) · 21.2% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Agriculture - products
potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs
Industries
tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services
Distribution of family income - Gini index
27.9 (2013) · 27.1 (2012) country comparison to the world: 126
Public debt
75.3% of GDP (2014 est.) · 69.2% of GDP (2013 est.) 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 country comparison to the world: 34
Central bank discount rate
0.05% (31 December 2014) · 0.25% (31 December 2013) note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area country comparison to the world: 130
Commercial bank prime lending rate
0.3% (31 December 2014 est.) · 0.75% (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Stock of narrow money
$12.63 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $9.928 billion (31 December 2013 est.) note: see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders country comparison to the world: 95
Stock of broad money
$19.12 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $16.72 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Stock of domestic credit
$20.94 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $20.38 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Current account balance
$286 million (2014 est.) · $311.7 million (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Exports - commodities
- machinery and mechanical appliances;
- mineral fuels, oils and petroleum products;
- pharmaceutical products;
- books and newspapers;
- aircraft/spacecraft and parts;
- toys, games, and sports equipment
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
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$617.4 million (31 December 2014 est.) · $596.9 million (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Debt - external
$122.8 billion (30 December 2014 est.) · $112.7 billion (31 December 2013) country comparison to the world: 64
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$47.34 billion (31 June 2014) · $46.35 billion (31 December 2013) country comparison to the world: 83
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$177.6 billion (31 June 2014 est.) · $181.7 billion (31 December 2013) country comparison to the world: 77
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7489 (2014 est.) · 0.7634 (2013 est.) · 0.78 (2012 est.) · 0.7185 (2011 est.) · 0.755 (2010 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 653,200 kW(2014 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
1.697 million Mt (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Communications
8 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2014 est.)
Telephone 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) (2011)
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
Ports and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Marsaxlokk (Malta Freeport), Valletta
- container port(s) (TEUs):
- Marsaxlokk (2,360,000)
Military
Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes land, maritime, and air elements) (2013)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2014)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Malta.” The World Factbook 2015. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/malta/2015.