Malta (2005) | Guyana (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (administered directly from Valletta); note - Local Councils carry out administrative orders | 10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo |
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.) |
0-14 years: 26.4% (male 103,054/female 99,279)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 263,953/female 260,000) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 16,801/female 22,196) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs | sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp |
Airports | 1 (2004 est.) | 49 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 316 sq km
land: 316 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km water: 18,120 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Idaho |
Background | 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 transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May of 2004. | Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early 1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president, in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. Upon his death five years later, he was succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001. |
Birth rate | 10.17 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 18.45 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $2.27 billion
expenditures: $2.549 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues: $287.6 million
expenditures: $371.6 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2004 est.) |
Capital | Valletta | Georgetown |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers | tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January) |
Coastline | 196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo) | 459 km |
Constitution | 1964 constitution; amended many times | 6 October 1980 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Malta
conventional short form: Malta local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta local short form: Malta |
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana |
Death rate | 8 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $130 million (1997) | $1.2 billion (2002) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William GRANT
embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Malta VLT 01 mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, Malta, CMR01 telephone: [356] 2561 4000 FAX: [356] 21 243229 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Roland BULLEN
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | none | all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UNCLOS arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | 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. Continued sluggishness in the European economy is holding back exports, tourism, and overall growth. | The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Growth then slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial privatization. |
Electricity - consumption | 2 billion kWh (2002) | 751.4 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 2.15 billion kWh (2002) | 808 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli) |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m |
Environment - current issues | very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on desalination | water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation |
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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
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) | East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7% |
Exchange rates | Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.3444 (2004), 0.3773 (2003), 0.4337 (2002), 0.4501 (2001), 0.4382 (2000) | Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 198.33 (2004), 193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001), 182.43 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Eddie FENECH ADAMI (since 4 April 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March 2004) 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 29 March 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); 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: Eddie FENECH ADAMI elected president; percent of House of Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes |
chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since December 1997) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
Exports | NA | NA |
Exports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactures | sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber |
Exports - partners | US 15.7%, France 15.5%, Singapore 14.5%, UK 11.2%, Germany 10.8% (2004) | Canada 23.2%, US 19.2%, UK 10.9%, Portugal 9%, Belgium 6.4%, Jamaica 5.2% (2004) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | 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 | green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 23% services: 74% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 38.3%
industry: 19.9% services: 41.8% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $18,200 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2004 est.) | 1.9% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 35 50 N, 14 35 E | 5 00 N, 59 00 W |
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 | the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively |
Highways | total: 2,222 km
paved: 2,000 km unpaved: 222 km (2002) |
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km unpaved: 7,380 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe | transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis |
Imports | NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, and tobacco | manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food |
Imports - partners | Italy 25.4%, France 13.1%, UK 12%, Germany 8.9%, US 5.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2004) | Trinidad and Tobago 24.8%, US 24.5%, Cuba 6.8%, UK 5.4% (2004) |
Independence | 21 September 1964 (from UK) | 26 May 1966 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 7.1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | tourism; electronics, ship building and repair, construction; food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco | bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining |
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.) |
total: 33.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 36.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 29.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.9% (2004 est.) | 4.5% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (1998 est.) | 1,500 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 | Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court |
Labor force | 160,000 (2002 est.) | 418,000 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 5%, industry 24%, services 71% (1999 est.) | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km |
Land use | arable land: 28.13%
permanent crops: 3.13% other: 68.74% (2001) |
arable land: 2.44%
permanent crops: 0.15% other: 97.41% (2001) |
Languages | Maltese (official), English (official) | English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu |
Legal system | based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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 |
unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.86 years
male: 76.7 years female: 81.15 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 65.5 years
male: 62.86 years female: 68.28 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 92.8% male: 92% female: 93.6% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.8% male: 99.1% female: 98.5% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy) | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela |
Map references | Europe | South America |
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 |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin |
Merchant marine | total: 1,140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 25,102,401 GRT/41,176,791 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 438, cargo 303, chemical tanker 70, combination ore/oil 2, container 54, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum tanker 162, refrigerated cargo 43, roll on/roll off 26, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 13 foreign-owned: 1,080 (Austria 3, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 3, Belgium 12, British 1, Bulgaria 18, Canada 9, China 15, Croatia 10, Cyprus 2, Czech Republic 2, Estonia 2, Finland 1, France 5, Germany 51, Greece 527, Hong Kong 1, Iceland 7, Iran 4, Israel 26, Italy 17, Japan 2, Latvia 30, Lebanon 6, Madagascar 1, Monaco 3, Netherlands 3, Norway 42, Pakistan 2, Poland 24, Portugal 4, Romania 5, Russia 64, Slovenia 3, South Korea 4, Sweden 3, Switzerland 32, Syria 6, Taiwan 1, Turkey 87, Ukraine 25, UAE 5, United Kingdom 8, United States 3) registered in other countries: 3 (2005) |
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,475 GRT/8,758 DWT
by type: cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1 registered in other countries: 3 (2005) |
Military branches | Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes air and maritime elements) (2005) | Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps, Guyana People's Militia |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $31.1 million (2004) | $6.5 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.7% (2004) | 0.9% (2004) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1964) | Republic Day, 23 February (1970) |
Nationality | noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
adjective: Maltese |
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese |
Natural hazards | NA | flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons |
Natural resources | limestone, salt, arable land | bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish |
Net migration rate | 2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -7.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 [Lawrence GONZI] | Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC
note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized |
Population | 398,534 (July 2005 est.) | 765,283
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 0.42% (2005 est.) | 0.26% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Marsaxlokk, Valletta | Georgetown |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999) | AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 187 km
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 98% | Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5% |
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.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands international: country code - 356; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 208,300 (2003) | 80,400 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 290,000 (2003) | 87,300 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (2000) | 3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs | mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south |
Total fertility rate | 1.5 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 2.05 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 7% (2003 est.) | 9.1% (understated) (2000) |
Waterways | - | 1,077 km
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2004) |