MALTA
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LAND
313 km2; 45% agricultural, negligible amount forested, remainder urban, waste, or other (1965)
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm (fishing 25 nm)
Coastline: 140 km
PEOPLE
Population: 376,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.6%
Nationality: noun—Maltese (sing, and pl.); adjective—Maltese
Ethnic divisions: mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, British
Religion: 98% Roman Catholic
Language: English and Maltese
Literacy: about 83%; compulsory education introduced in 1946
Labor force: 125,000 (November 1977); 32% services (except government), 18% government (except job corps), 5% job corps, 26% manufacturing, 6% agriculture, 3% construction, 5% utilities and drydocks; 3.3% registered unemployed
Organized labor: approximately 40% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Malta
Type: parliamentary democracy, independent republic within the Commonwealth since December 1974
Capital: Valletta
Political subdivisions: 2 main populated islands, Malta and Gozo, divided into 13 electoral districts (divisions)
Legal system: based on English common law; constitution adopted 1961, came into force 1964; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Branches: executive, consisting of Prime Minister and Cabinet; legislative, comprising 65-member House of Representatives; independent judiciary
National holiday: Republic Day, 13 December
Government leaders: President Agatha BARBARA, Prime Minister Dominic MINTOFF
Suffrage: universal over age 18; registration required
Elections: at the discretion of the Prime Minister, but must be held before the expiration of a five-year electoral mandate; last election December 1981
Political parties and leaders: Nationalist Party, Edward Fenech Adami; Malta Labor Party, Dominic Mintoff
Voting strength (1981 election): Labor, 34 seats (48%); Nationalist, 31 seats (51%)
Communists: less than 100 (est.)
Member of: Commonwealth, Council of Europe, FAO, G-77, GATT, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, IWC (International Wheat Council), NAM, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
ECONOMY
GNP: $945 million (1979), $2,720 per capita; 62% private consumption, 23% gross investment; 16% government consumption,—1% net foreign sector; in 1978 real GDP growth was 11% (1979); 12.5% (1971-76 average)
Agriculture: overall, 20% self-sufficient; generally adequate supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk and pork products; seasonal or periodic shortages in grain, animal fodder, fruits, and other basic foodstuffs; main products—potatoes, cauliflowers, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs; 2,680 calories per day per capita
Major industries: ship repair yard, clothing, building industry, food manufacturing, textiles, tourism
Shortages: most consumer and industrial needs (fuels and raw materials) must be imported
Electric power: 135,000 kW capacity (1981); 1.55 billion kWh produced (1981), 1,550 kWh per capita
Exports: $483 million (f.o.b., 1980); clothing, textiles, ships, printed matter
Imports: $938 million (c.i.f., 1980)
Major trade partners: 70% EC-nine (21% UK, 21% West Germany, 16% Italy); 5% US (1979)
Budget: (1982) projects $551 million in expenditures, $547 million in revenues
Monetary conversion rate: 1 Maltese pound=US$2.8963 (average 1980)
Fiscal year: 1 January-31 December
