Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Malta (2003)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Malta (2003)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2006)	Malta (2003)

Administrative divisions	-	none (administered directly from Valletta); note - Local Councils carry out administrative orders
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 19.5% (male 40,448; female 37,623) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 136,221; female 134,142) 65 years and over: 13% (male 21,730; female 30,256) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs
Airports	1 (2006)	1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Area	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands	total: 316 sq km land: 316 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has become a freight transshipment point, financial center, and tourist destination. It is an official candidate for EU membership.
Birth rate	-	12.75 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $1.5 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)
Capital	-	Valletta
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers
Coastline	698 km	196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo)
Constitution	-	1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December 1974 and again in 1987
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	conventional long form: Republic of Malta conventional short form: Malta local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta local short form: Malta
Currency	-	Maltese lira (MTL)
Death rate	-	7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	-	$130 million (1997)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony H. GIOIA embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Malta VLT 01 mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, Malta telephone: [356] 21-235-960 FAX: [356] 2124-3229
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador John LOWELL chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611, 3612 FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470 consulate(s): New York
Disputes - international	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain;	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.	Major resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism. Malta is privatizing state-controlled firms and liberalizing markets in order to prepare for membership in the European Union. The island remains divided politically, however, over the question of joining the EU. Continued sluggishness in the global economy is holding back exports, tourism, and overall growth.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	1.644 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	1.768 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)
Environment - current issues	NA	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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	-	Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians, with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
Exchange rates	-	Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.43 (2002), 0.45 (2001), 0.44 (2000), 0.4 (1999), 0.39 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President Guido DE MARCO (since 4 April 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Eddie FENECH ADAMI (since 6 September 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 4 April 1999) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a five-year term; election last held NA April 1999 (next to be held by April 2004); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president for a five-year term; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister election results: Guido DE MARCO elected president; percent of House of Representatives vote - 54%
Exports	-	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	-	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures
Exports - partners	-	Singapore 17.3%, US 11.4%, UK 9.4%, Germany 9%, France 7.2%, China 6.5%, Italy 6% (2002)
Fiscal year	-	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag	two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $6.818 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 2.8% industry: 25.5% services: 71.7% (1999)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	1.2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E	35 50 N, 14 35 E
Geography - note	archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	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
Highways	-	total: 2,254 km paved: 1,972 km unpaved: 282 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe
Imports	-	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	-	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco
Imports - partners	-	Italy 18.3%, France 12.1%, South Korea 11.3%, UK 7.5%, Singapore 5.3%, Germany 5.2%, Japan 5%, US 4.6%, Spain 4.2% (2002)
Independence	-	21 September 1964 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA%
Industries	-	tourism; electronics, ship building and repair, construction; food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	2.4% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	-	C, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	6 (2002)
Irrigated land	0 sq km	20 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	-	Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Labor force	-	160,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	industry 24%, services 71%, agriculture 5% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 31.25% permanent crops: 3.13% other: 65.62% (1998 est.)
Languages	-	Maltese (official), English (official)
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch	-	unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65 seats; note - additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held by April 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.7%, MLP 47.6%, AD 0.7%; seats by party - PN 34, MLP 31
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 78.43 years male: 75.94 years female: 81.14 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 10 and over can read and write total population: 92.8% male: 92% female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
Map references	Political Map of the World	Europe
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 25 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 1,234 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 25,885,128 GRT/42,467,864 DWT ships by type: bulk 459, cargo 280, chemical tanker 45, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 10, container 80, liquefied gas 3, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 236, refrigerated cargo 37, roll on/roll off 41, short-sea passenger 7, vehicle carrier 15 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 4, Austria 6, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 3, Bulgaria 19, Canada 2, China 16, Croatia 14, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7, Denmark 3, Estonia 5, Finland 1, Germany 54, Greece 627, Hong Kong 12, Iceland 3, India 10, Iran 2, Israel 26, Italy 36, Japan 2, Latvia 24, Lebanon 6, Monaco 29, Netherlands 10, Nigeria 2, Norway 43, Poland 29, Portugal 2, Romania 15, Russia 85, Saudi Arabia 1, Slovenia 2, South Korea 5, Spain 1, Switzerland 54, Syria 4, Turkey 84, Ukraine 25, UAE 3, UK 4, US 10 (2002 est.)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	-
Military branches	-	Armed Forces (including land forces [with subordinate air squadron and maritime squadron] and the Revenue Security Corps), Maltese Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$60 million (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	1.7% (2000)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 99,312 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 79,080 (2003 est.)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 21 September (1964)
Nationality	-	noun: Maltese (singular and plural) adjective: Maltese
Natural hazards	NA	NA
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	limestone, salt, arable land
Net migration rate	-	2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Harry VASSALLO]; Malta Labor Party or MLP [Alfred SANT]; Nationalist Party or PN [Edward FENECH ADAMI]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	NA
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.)	400,420 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	0.73% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Marsaxlokk, Valletta
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999)
Railways	-	0 km
Religions	-	Roman Catholic 98%
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	general assessment: 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)
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	187,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	17,691 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	6 (2000)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)	mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
Total fertility rate	-	1.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	7% (2002 est.)
Waterways	-	none

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