Country Facts - Malta

The People

Nationality Maltese
Ethnic Composition
The entire ethnic composition of Malta is Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians, with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock). Religious Composition

Roman Catholic	91%
Other	9%

Languages Spoken

Both Maltese and English are official languages. Italian is also widely spoken.

Education and Literacy

Compulsory, free primary education lasts between ages 6 and 16. At the junior high school level a student may choose to follow a Junior Lyceum course for further studies, or an Area Secondaries course for technical studies. Adult literacy is 88 percent. There is no difference in literacy percentages along gender lines.

Labor Force

Total: 143,700

By occupation:

Industry	24%
Services	71%
Agriculture	5%

Geography

Land Mass Total

122 sq mi (316 sq km)

Land

122 sq mi (316 sq km)

Coastline

122 mi (196.8 km)
Does not include 34.8 mi (56.01 km) for the island of Gozo

Maritime claim

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 656 ft (200 m) depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate/Weather

Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.

Terrain

Mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs.

Elevation extremes

Lowest: Mediterranean Sea 0 ft (0 m)
Highest: Ta'Dmejrek 830 ft (253 m), near Dingli

Natural Resources

Limestone, salt, arable land.

Land use

Arable land	31%
Permanent crops	3%
Other	66%

(1998)

Environment - current issues

Malta has very limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination.

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

Demographics

Population

391,670 (July 2000)

Age structure

0-14 years:	20%	Male: 41,046	Female: 38,273
15-64 years:	67%	Male: 132,692	Female: 131,532
65 years and over:	13%	Male: 20,091	Female: 28,036

(2001)

Growth Rate

0.74% (2000)

Life Expectancy

77.94 years

Male: 75.49 years
Female: 80.62 years

GDP Per Capita

US$14,300 (2000 est.)

Infant Mortality

5.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2000)

Sex ratio

At birth:	1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15 years:	1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years:	1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:	0.72 male(s)/female
Total population:	0.98 male(s)/female

Net migration rate

2.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000)

Economy & Trade

Malta's major resources are a productive labor force, limestone, and a favorable geographic location. Malta is externally dependent upon other nations for food production; about 80 percent of its food needs are met by foreign suppliers. Malta also has limited freshwater supplies and no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism. In 1999, over one million tourists visited the island. Malta was politically divided for some time over the question of whether or not to become a part of the European Union. Malta's sizable budget deficit remains a key concern for the country's future ability to maintain a competitive place in a global economy. However, in June 2001, the government opted to join up and, after confirmation by referendum in 2003, the tiny nation is scheduled for accession in 2004. Malta's sizable budget deficit remains a key concern for the country's future ability to maintain a competitive place in a global economy. After an unfortunate dip in growth (-0.8%) in 2001, Malta bounced back to normal GDP growth patterns in 2002 with 2.7 percent and similar percentages are predicted for the following three-year period.

Unemployment

5.5% (September 1999)

Inflation Rate

1.8% (1999)

Industries

Tourism; electronics, shipbuilding and repair, construction; food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco.

Exports

US$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports

US$2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Total Trade

US$4.5 billion (1998)

Top Export Partners

France, United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy.

Top Import Partners

Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany, United States.

Top Exports

Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods.

Top Imports

Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco.

Debt - external

US$130 million (1997)

Fiscal Year:

1st of April through 31st of March

Business Workweek

	Monday - Friday	Saturday - Sunday
Offices	Summer: 8a.m. to 1p.m. Winter: 9a.m. to 1p.m. and 2:30p.m. to 6p.m.	Closed
Retail	9a.m. to 7p.m., with a three-hour lunch break; until 10p.m. in touristed areas.	Slightly shorter hours on Saturdays. An open-air market in Valletta takes place on Sunday mornings.
Banks	Summer: 8:30a.m. to 12:30p.m., extended hours on Fridays between 2:30p.m. and 4p.m. Winter: 8:30a.m. to noon, plus extended hours between 2:30p.m. and 4p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.	Summer: Saturday 8a.m. to 11:30a.m. Winter: Saturday 8:30a.m. to noon.
Government	Summer: 7:30a.m. to 1:30p.m. Winter: 7:45a.m. to 12:30p.m., and 1:15p.m. to 5:15p.m.	Closed

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
New Year's Day	January 1	January 1	January 1
Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck	February 10	February 10	February 10
Carnival¹	March 3	February 23	February 5
Feast of St. Joseph	March 19	March 19	March 19
Easter²	April 20	April 11	March 27
Easter Monday	April 21	April 12	March 28
Freedom Day	March 31	March 31	March 31
May Day	May 1	May1	May 1
Sette Giugno-Memorial of 1919 Riot	June 7	June 7	June 7
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul	June 29	June 29	June 29
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary	August 15	August 15	August 15
Feast of Our Lady of Victory	September 8	September 8	September 8
Independence Day	September 21	September 21	September 21
Immaculate Conception	December 8	December 8	December 8
Republic Day	December 13	December 13	December 13
Christmas Day³	December 25	December 25	December 25

¹	Carnival takes place one week before the beginning of Lent. Mainly a Catholic observance.
²	Easter, a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the first Sunday after the full moon and the vernal equinox (fixed in the Gregorian calendar at March 21), and often observed with Good Friday and Easter Monday. In the West, Easter is predicted using the Gregorian calendar, while Eastern Orthodox Christians use the much older Julian calendar, and celebrate 13 days later.
³	Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. In A.D.320, Pope Julius I fixed the date at December 25 based on the Gregorian calendar. The Orthodox church calculates Christmas using the Julian calendar and celebrates 13 days later on January 7.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press