- 31 March

:Malta Communications

Highways:
1,291 km total; 1,179 km paved (asphalt), 77 km crushed stone or gravel, 35
km improved and unimproved earth
Ports:
Valletta, Marsaxlokk
Merchant marine:
658 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,003,001 GRT/15,332,287 DWT;
includes 3 passenger, 13 short-sea passenger, 241 cargo, 14 container, 2
passenger-cargo, 16 roll-on/roll-off, 2 vehicle carrier, 1 barge carrier, 15
refrigerated cargo, 11 chemical tanker, 12 combination ore/oil, 2
specialized tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 124 petroleum tanker, 176 bulk, 23
combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; China owns 2 ships,
former republics of the USSR own 52 ships, Cuba owns 10, Vietnam owns 6,
Yugoslavia owns 9, Romania owns 4
Civil air:
7 major transport aircraft
Airports:
1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications:
automatic system satisfies normal requirements; 153,000 telephones;
excellent service by broadcast stations - 8 AM, 4 FM, and 2 TV; submarine
cable and radio relay between islands; international service by 1 submarine
cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Malta Defense Forces

Branches:
Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 95,661; 76,267 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Man, Isle of Geography

Total area:
588 km2
Land area:
588 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
113 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
cool summers and mild winters; humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain:
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Natural resources:
lead, iron ore
Land use:
arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
woodland NA%; other NA%; extensive arable land and forests
Environment:
strong westerly winds prevail
Note:
located in Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland, and Ireland

:Man, Isle of People

Population:
64,068 (July 1992), growth rate 0.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
11 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
4 migrants/1,000 po