Malta
Republic of Malta
Capital: Valletta
History
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
Metric Units
| Total Area | 316 sq km |
| Land Boundaries | 0 km |
| Border Countries | No data |
| Coastline | 196.8 km |
| Terrain | mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs |
| Minimum Elevation | 0 m |
| Maximum Elevation | 253 m |
| Climate | Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers |
| Natural Resources | limestone, salt, arable land |
| Arable Land | 28.12% |
| Permanent Crops | 4.06% |
Economy
| Gross Domestic Product | $11.14 billion |
| GDP (per capita) | $26,100 |
| GDP Growth | 1.2% |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.1% |
| Population in Poverty | 15.4% |
| GINI Index | 27.4 |
Budget & Debt
| Expenditures | $3.77 billion |
| Revenue | $3.53 billion |
| Current Account Balance | $-221.2 million |
| External Debt | $48.79 billion |
Trade
| Exports | $3.67 billion |
| Export Items | machinery and mechanical appliances |
| Export Partners | Germany 14%, France 10.5%, Greece 7.7%, Italy 7.4%, UK 6.4% (2011) |
| Imports | $4.65 billion |
| Import Items | mineral fuels, oils and products |
| Import Partners | Italy 32%, France 8.4%, UK 8%, Germany 6.9% (2011) |
People
| Population | 411,277 |
| Population Growth | 0.34% |
| Ethnic Groups | Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic (official) 98% |
| Life Expectancy | 79.98 years |
| Infant Mortality | 0.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality | 0.5 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
| Electricity Production | 2.17 billion kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 1.99 billion kWh |
| From Fossil Fuels | 99.7% |
| From Nuclear | 0% |
| From Hydroelectric | 0% |
| From Renewable Sources | 0.3% |
