stline:
196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo)

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm

Climate:
Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain:
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)

Natural resources:
limestone, salt, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 28.13%
permanent crops: 3.13%
other: 68.74% (2001)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on
desalination

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest
islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being
inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Malta

Population:
398,534 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.6% (male 36,056/female 34,097)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 138,537/female 135,666)
65 years and over: 13.6% (male 23,184/female 30,994) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 38.36 years
male: 36.91 years
female: 39.84 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.42% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
10.17 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy a