Malta Climate: Mediterranean. Hot and dry in There are no significant ethnic minorities. July–September, with cooling sea-breezes. Language: Official languages are Maltese Winters are mild and wet, with warm and English. Italian is widely spoken. westerly winds. Religion: Virtually all Christians (Roman Environment: There are very limited natural Catholics). freshwater resources, and increasing reliance on desalination. Health: Public spending on health was six per cent of GDP in 2012. Infant mortality was Vegetation: The islands have been short of five per 1,000 live births in 2013 (37 in water and the soil is not deep. Mediterranean 1960). Summer dust and sand carried on the scrub is the natural vegetation. Approximately wind from North Africa sometimes cause res- 12,000 hectares (less than five per cent of piratory problems. which is irrigated) are under cultivation. Education: Public spending on education Wildlife: There are small mammals, such as was seven per cent of GDP in 2010. There KEY FACTS hedgehogs, least weasels and shrews; are 11 years of compulsory education starting resident birds include Sardinian warblers, Joined Commonwealth: 1964 at the age of five. Primary school comprises Manx and Cory’s shearwaters and blue rock six years and secondary seven, with cycles of Population: 429,000 (2013) thrushes. five and two years. The numerous church GDP p.c. growth: 2.4% p.a. 1990–2013 Main towns: Valletta (capital, pop. 5,748 in schools are subsidised by the government. UN HDI 2014: World ranking 39 2011, greater Valletta includes Birkirkara, Some 80 per cent of pupils complete primary school (2008). The school year starts in Qormi, Zabbar, San Gwann, Sliema, Marsascala, Official languages: Maltese, English September. Fgura, Zejtun and Hamrun), Birkirkara (21,749), Time: GMT plus 1–2 hrs Mosta (19,750), San Pawl il-Bahar (16,935), Courses at the University of Malta (founded Currency: Euro ( €) Qormi (16,934), Zabbar (14,916), Sliema 1592 as the Jesuits’ College) include (13,621), Naxxar (12,875), San Gwann architecture, arts, diplomatic studies, Geography (12,152), Zebbug (11,580), Fgura (11,449), education, engineering, law, medicine, Zejtun (11,334), Rabat (11,212), Marsascala sciences and theology. G. F. Abela Junior Area: 316 sq km (11,059), Hamrun (9,043) and Victoria (on College (University of Malta) was established Coastline: 253 km Gozo, also known as Rabat, 6,252). at Msida (greater Valletta) in 1995 to provide two-year pre-university courses. Malta Capital: Valletta Transport: There are 3,100 km of roads, 88 College of Arts, Science and Technology per cent paved. There is no railway. The Republic of Malta comprises an offers a very wide range of vocational and archipelago of six islands and islets in the Valletta Grand Harbour is the most important professional education, with its main campus middle of the Mediterranean Sea, 93 km of several harbours. A busy free port has at Paola (greater Valletta). The International south of Sicily and 290 km from the coast of been established at Mar-saxlokk in the south- Maritime Law Institute is based in Malta. The North Africa. Malta, Gozo and Comino are east. female–male ratio for gross enrolment in inhabited; the other islands are Cominotto, tertiary education is 1.40:1 (2010). Literacy The international airport, Gudja Malta Filfla and St Paul’s Island. among people aged 15–24 is 98 per cent International, is 6 km south of Valletta. (2005). Time: GMT plus 1 hr. The clock is advanced Helicopter services fly between Malta Island by one hour from the last Sunday in March to and Gozo. Media: There are daily and weekly the last Sunday in October. newspapers in English, including The Malta Independent , The Malta Independent on Area: 316 sq km including Comino (3 sq km) Society Sunday , The Times , The Sunday Times , The and Gozo (67 sq km). KEY FACTS 2013 Malta Business Weekly and Malta Today , and Topography: Low hills and terraced fields Population per sq km: 1,358 daily and weekly papers in Maltese. The occur on the three main islands. There are principal newspapers in Maltese have political Life expectancy: 80 years no rivers, streams or lakes on Malta Island, affiliations, for example In-Nazzjon (daily) and which has an indented coast on the eastern Net primary enrolment: 95% (2012) Il-Mument (weekly) with the Nationalist Party, side with several good natural harbours. Population: 429,000 (2013); some 30,000 and L-Orizzont (daily) and It-Torca (weekly) Gozo has cliffs and flat-topped hills. Water is people on Gozo and Comino; population with the General Workers’ Union. obtained from natural ground water density among the world’s highest; 95 per Television Malta is a public channel, which resources and desalination. The latter now cent of people live in urban areas; growth 0.6 began broadcasting in 1962, and Radio Malta accounts for 65 per cent of water per cent p.a. 1990–2013; birth rate nine per has provided public radio since the mid- production and has relieved the shortage of 1,000 people (17 in 1970); life expectancy 80 1930s. Other TV channels and radio stations fresh water. years (70 in 1970). are owned by the political parties, the Roman The CoMMonwealTh Yearbook 2015 Malta Catholic Church or commercial broadcasters. Real growth in GDP GDP by sector (2013) Net TV is owned by the Nationalist Party and % Super One TV by the Partit Laburista (Labour % 5 Party). Cable TV was introduced in 1992 and 4 Agriculture 1.6% many households have satellite receivers. 3 Virtually all households have at least one TV Industry 2 set. Digital radio broadcasting was launched 17.0% 1 g in 2008. It is also possible to receive the Services broadcasts of Italian radio and TV in Malta. 0 81.5% Some 99 per cent of households have TV sets -1 (2009). There are 689 personal computers -2 per 1,000 people (2012). History -3 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Malta ( Melita , or ‘Honey Island’, in Latin) was Communications: Country code 356; colonised from Carthage during the sixth internet domain ‘.mt’. Mobile phone coverage is good. Public telephone booths Inflation century BCE. Through its long history, it has been subject to complex influences, as are widely available. Internet connection is % 3.0 fast and reliable. Internet cafes can be found shown by its language: the Maltese language in the main towns. There are post offices in 2.5 de-scends from Punic, with an Arabic element. every community. 2.0 For every 1,000 people there are 539 According to tradition, Hannibal was born in 1.5 landlines, 1,298 mobile phone subscriptions Malta (247 BCE). From 216 BCE the country was under Roman (Byzantine from 395 CE) and 689 internet users (2013). 1.0 administration until captured by the Arabs in Public holidays: New Year’s Day, St Paul’s 0.5 870 CE. In 1070 it became a Sicilian Shipwreck (10 February), St Joseph’s Day (19 possession. By 1530 it belonged to the Holy March), Freedom Day (31 March), Workers’ 0.0 Roman Emperor, who gave it to the Knights Day (1 May), Commemoration of 1919 Sette 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 of St John of Jerusalem, with a mandate to Guigno Riot (7 June), St Peter and St Paul defend Tripoli against Turkish invasion. (Harvest Festival, 29 June), Assumption (15 hard, a nd t here we re numerous factory Building began on Valletta and its August), Our Lady of Victories (8 September), closures. fortifications in 1565 after an unsuccessful Independence Day (21 September), During the 1990s, the public sector was Turkish siege. Sixteenth-century Malta was Immaculate Conception (8 December), reduced and state enterprises privatised. prosperous as a trading centre but by the Republic Day (13 December) and Christmas Expansion of tourism and liberalisation of early 18th century the island’s fortunes had Day. investment, international trade, fiscal policy declined. Religious and other festivals whose dates vary and the financial services sector led to steady The French army under Bonaparte captured it from year to year include Good Friday. growth, averaging nearly five per cent p.a. in June 1798, and used it as a base to invade Carnival (not an official holiday) is held over the decade. Egypt, but the garrison was expelled by the Saturday–Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The long period of good, steady growth British navy in 1800 and the island came came to an end in 2001, as export demand under British administration. A move to Economy fell and the economy stalled during 2001–04. return it to the Knights of St John (1802) provoked a petition from the inhabitants for KEY FACTS 2013 After four years of stagnation, growth resumed, rising to 4.3 per cent in 2007 and British protection, and Malta became British GNI: US$8.9bn 4.4 per cent in 2008. But the rapidly under the Treaty of Paris (1814). Malta prospered as a free port, used by British GNI p.c.: US$20,980 worsening international economic conditions shipping to the Adriatic and the Near East. In GDP growth: 1.4% p.a. 2009–13 and global fall in demand caused growth to 1827 it became the base of the British collapse in 2009 (–2.8 per cent), recovering in Inflation: 2.0% p.a. 2009–13 Mediterranean Fleet. A packet service was 2010 (4.3 per cent), and remaining steady at Malta has a small domestic market, produces established in 1832. After the Suez Canal one to three per cent p.a. 2011–15. only about 20 per cent of the food it needs, was opened (1869) the volume of shipping and has no raw materials, a limited supply of Malta joined the European Union in May increased.