Malta

Malta

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Repubblika ta'Malta/Republic of Malta Area 320 sq km/124 sq mi Capital Valletta (and chief port) Language Maltese, English (both official) Religion Roman Catholic 98% Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1 January, 31 March, 1 May, 15 August, 13, 25 December; variable: Good Friday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Rabat, Birkirkara, Qormi, Sliema, Zejtun, Zabor Major ports Marsaxlokk, Valletta Physical features includes islands of Gozo 67 sq km/26 sq mi and Comino 3 sq km/1 sq mi Airports one international airport; total passengers carried: 1.36 million (2001 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 2,254 km/1,401 mi, of which 87.5% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 633.5 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Edward Fenech Adami from 2004 Head of government Lawrence Gonzi from 2004 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions 68 local councils (Malta and Gozo) Political parties Malta Labour Party (MLP), moderate, left of centre; Nationalist Party (PN), Christian, centrist, pro-European Death penalty abolished in 2000 Armed forces 2,200 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 0.7 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.6 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 7.4 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Maltese lira GDP (US$) 5.6 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 1.6 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 5.5 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 18,960 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 2.9% (2006 est) Unemployment 7.8% (2005 est) Labour force 2.1% agriculture, 29.4% industry, 68.5% services (2004) Foreign debt (US$) 8.3 billion (2001 est) Major trading partners France, Italy, USA, Germany, UK, Singapore Resources stone, sand; offshore petroleum reserves were under exploration 1988–95 Industries transport equipment and machinery, food and beverages, textiles and clothing, chemicals, ship repair and shipbuilding, tourism Exports machinery and transport equipment, manufactured articles (including clothing), beverages, chemicals, tobacco. Principal market: France 15.1% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, basic manufactures (including textile yarn and fabrics), food and live animals, mineral fuels, tobacco. Principal source: Italy 32.3% (2005) Arable land 31.3% (2006 est) Agricultural products potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, melons, strawberries, wheat, barley; livestock rearing (cattle, pigs, and poultry) and livestock products (chicken eggs, pork, and dairy products)


POPULATION

Population 403,400 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.7% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 1,260 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 92 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 18%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 19% (2005 est) Ethnic groups essentially European, supposedly originated from ancient North African kingdom of Carthage Life expectancy 77 (men); 81 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 6 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 11 Literacy rate 92% (men); 93% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 29.3 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 4.8 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <100 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 50.4 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 80.8 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 669 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 554 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 16.6 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 81.7 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

7th century BC Invaded and subjugated by Carthaginians from North Africa. 218 BC Came under Roman control. AD 60 Converted to Christianity by the apostle Paul. 395 On division of Roman Empire, became part of Eastern (Byzantine) portion, dominated by Constantinople. 870 Came under Arab rule. 1091 Arabs defeated by Norman Count Roger I of Sicily; Roman Catholic Church re-established. 1530 Handed over by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to religious military order, the Hospitallers (Knights of St John of Jerusalem). 1798–1802 Occupied by French. 1814 Annexed to Britain by Treaty of Paris on condition that Roman Catholic Church was maintained and Maltese Declaration of Rights honoured. later 19th century– early 20th century Became vital British naval base, with famous dockyard that developed as the island's economic mainstay. 1942 Awarded the George Cross for valour in resisting severe Italian aerial attacks during World War II. 1947 Achieved self-government. 1956 Referendum approved proposal for integration with UK. Plebiscite opposed and boycotted by right-of-centre Nationalist Party (NP). 1958 Malta Labour party (MLP) rejected final British integration proposal. 1964 Independence achieved from Britain, within Commonwealth; ten-year defence and economic-aid treaty with UK signed. 1971 Prime Minister Mintoff of MLP adopted policy of nonalignment and declared 1964 treaty invalid; negotiations began for leasing NATO base in Malta. 1972 Seven-year NATO agreement signed. 1974 Became a republic. 1979 British military base closed; closer links established with communist and Arab states, including Libya. 1987 Edward Fenech Adami (NP) narrowly elected prime minister; adopted more pro-European and pro-American policy stance than predecessor. 1990 Formal application made for European Community membership. 1998 Having lost power in 1996, NP returned after snap elections under Fenech Adami. 2003 Referendum narrowly favoured accession to European Union (EU); NP retained power in elections. 2004 Fenech Adami replaced as prime minister by Lawrence Gonzi and elected president; Malta joined EU.


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