un--Maltese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Maltese

_#_Ethnic divisions: mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish,
Italian, English

_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%

_#_Language: Maltese and English (official)

_#_Literacy: 84% (male 86%, female 82%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1985)

_#_Labor force: 126,135; government (excluding job corps) 37%,
services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%,
agriculture 2% (1989)

_#_Organized labor: about 40% of labor force

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Malta

_#_Type: parliamentary democracy

_#_Capital: Valletta

_#_Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from
Valletta)

_#_Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)

_#_Constitution: 26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974

_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Roman civil law; has
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

_#_National holiday: Freedom Day, 31 March

_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives

_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April
1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH
ADAMI (since 12 May 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO
(since 14 May 1987)

_#_Political parties and leaders:
Nationalist Party, Edward FENECH ADAMI;
Malta Labor Party, Karmenu MIFSUD BONNICI

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18

_#_Elections:

House of Representatives--last held on 9 May 1987 (next to be
held by May 1992);
results--NP 51.1%, MLP 48.9%;
seats--(usually 65 total, but additional seats are given to the party
with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current
total 69) MLP 34, NP 31 before popular vote adjustment; MLP 34, NP 35
after adjustment

_#_Communists: fewer than 100 (est.)

_#_Member of: C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Salvatore J. STELLINI;
Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 462-3611 or 3612; there is a Maltese Consulate General in New York;

US--Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy