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Malta Country Guide

Explore Malta in Europe

Malta with the capital city Valletta is located in Europe (Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea). It covers some 316 square kilometres (slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC) with 403,000 citizens.

Interactive map of Malta

The topography includes mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains with many coastal cliffs. The average density of population is approximately 1,275 per km². The notable climate conditions in Malta can be described as Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Possible natural disasters include NA.

To reach someone in Malta dial +356 prior to a number. There are 252,700 installed telephones. And there are 422,100 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".mt". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 240V - 50Hz.

About the flag and history of Malta

Malta Flag Icon

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.


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 Quick-Facts

SummaryContinent: Europe
Neighbours:
Capital: Valletta
Size316 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 122 square miles (mi² or sqmi)
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Population403,000
CurrencyName Lira, Currency Code:MTL
Country Top Level Domain (cTLD).mt
Telephone Country Prefix+356
Mobile Phone Connections422,100
Landline Phone Connections252,700

Country Position in World Rankings

Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).

Geography

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Area316 (sq km)208

People and Society

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Population411,277 175
Population growth rate0.34 (%)161
Birth rate10.27 (births/1,000 population)188
Death rate8.84 (deaths/1,000 population)72
Net migration rate1.99 (migrant(s)/1,000 population)41
Maternal mortality rate8.00 (deaths/100,000 live births)159
Infant mortality rate3.62 (deaths/1,000 live births)208
Life expectancy at birth79.98 (years)34
Total fertility rate1.53 (children born/woman)186
Health expenditures8.70 (% of GDP)50
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.10 (%)147
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS500 154
HIV/AIDS - deaths100 143
Obesity - adult prevalence rate28.80 (%)32
Education expenditures5.40 (% of GDP)59
Unemployment, youth ages 15-2413.90 (%)93

Economy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
GDP (purchasing power parity)11,450,000,000 150
GDP - real growth rate0.80 (%)168
GDP - per capita (PPP)27,500 58
Labor force180,200 175
Unemployment rate6.10 (%)59
Distribution of family income - Gini index27.40 124
Investment (gross fixed)15.80 (% of GDP)134
Taxes and other revenues40.60 (% of GDP)43
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)-2.90 (% of GDP)107
Public debt77.00 (% of GDP)29
Inflation rate (consumer prices)2.50 (%)57
Central bank discount rate1.75 (%)127
Commercial bank prime lending rate4.76 (%)161
Stock of narrow money5,146,000,000 99
Stock of broad money12,660,000,000 97
Stock of domestic credit13,010,000,000 92
Market value of publicly traded shares2,399,000,000 96
Current account balance-221,200,000 79
Exports3,670,000,000 126
Imports4,648,000,000 133
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold498,400,000 148
Debt - external45,770,000,000 63
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home17,250,000,000 72
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad1,213,000,000 75

Energy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Electricity - production2,168,000,000 (kWh)134
Electricity - consumption1,991,000,000 (kWh)141
Electricity - installed generating capacity573,000 (kW)132
Electricity - from fossil fuels99.70 (% of total installed capacity)51
Electricity - from other renewable sources0.30 (% of total installed capacity)83
Refined petroleum products - consumption19,520 (bbl/day)130
Refined petroleum products - imports47,050 (bbl/day)70
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy3,114,000 (Mt)140

Communications

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Telephones - main lines in use232,300 126
Telephones - mobile cellular521,700 166
Internet hosts14,754 125
Internet users240,600 137

Transportation

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Airports1 226
Roadways3,096 (km)164
Merchant marine1,650 4

Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases

List of current world heritage sites

NameSince
City of Valletta
The capital of Malta is inextricably linked to the history of the military and charitable Order of St John of Jerusalem. It was ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St ...
1980
Megalithic Temples of Malta
Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each the result of an individual development. The two temples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On the island of Malta, the tem ...
1980
Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
The Hypogeum is an enormous subterranean structure excavated c. 2500 B.C., using cyclopean rigging to lift huge blocks of coralline limestone. Perhaps originally a sanctuary, it became a necropolis in prehistoric times. ...
1980