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MALTA

@Malta:Geography

Location: Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of
Sicily (Italy)

Geographic coordinates: 35 50 N, 14 35 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total : 320 sq km
land: 320 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Washington,
DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 140 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone : 25 nm
territorial sea: 12 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: Dingli Cliffs 245 m

Natural resources: limestone, salt

Land use:
arable land: 38%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland : NA%
other: 59% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified : Biodiversity, Desertification

Geography - note: the country comprises an archipelago, with only the
three largest islands (Malta, Gozo, and Comino) being inhabited;
numerous bays provide good harbors

@Malta:People

Population: 377,177 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years : 21% (male 41,207; female 39,041)
15-64 years: 67% (male 127,553; female 126,355)
65 years and over: 12% (male 18,202; female 24,819) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.68% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 12.47 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.44 years
male: 75.16 years
female: 79.87 years (1997 est.)

Total fertilit