taly 19.3%, France 17.8%, UK 12.4%, Germany
10.5%, US 8.9% (1998)

Debt - external: $130 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient: $NA

Currency: 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.4086 (January 2000),
0.3994 (1999), 0.3885 (1998), 0.3857 (1997), 0.3604 (1996), 0.3529
(1995)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Malta:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 171,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 15,650 (1999)

Telephone system: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios: 255,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 6 (1999)

Televisions: 280,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (1999)

@Malta:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 1,742 km
paved: 1,677 km
unpaved: 65 km (1997 est.)

Ports and harbors: Marsaxlokk, Valletta

Merchant marine:
total: 1,484 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,083,952
GRT/46,772,146 DWT
ships by type: bulk 431, cargo 424, chemical tanker 54, combination
bulk 16, combination ore/oil 14, container 64, liquified gas 2,
livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large load carrier 4, passenger
7, petroleum tanker 331, refrigerated cargo 44, roll-on/roll-off 48,
short-sea passenger 21, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 16 (1999
est.)
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 49 countries
among which includes Greece 445, Russia 51, Switzerland 45, Italy 44,
Norway 40, Croatia 26, Turkey 35, Germany 32, Georgia 23, and Monaco
24 (1998 est.)

Airports: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)

@Malta:Military

Military branches: Armed Forces (including land forces, an air
squadron, a maritime squadron, and the Revenue Security Corps),
Maltese Police Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 98,850 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 78,677 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $201 million (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.5% (FY98/99)

@Malta:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Malta and Tunisia are discussing the
commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their
countries, par