Compare Malta (2006) - British Virgin Islands (2007)

Compare Malta (2006) z British Virgin Islands (2007)

	Malta (2006)	British Virgin Islands (2007)

Administrative divisions	none (administered directly from Valletta); note - local councils carry out administrative orders	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure	0-14 years: 17.1% (male 35,264/female 33,368) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 139,890/female 136,767) 65 years and over: 13.7% (male 23,554/female 31,371) (2006 est.)	0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337) 15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs	fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports	1 (2006)	3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: 316 sq km land: 316 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Area - comparative	slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC	about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
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 2004.	First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate	10.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $2.503 billion expenditures: $2.703 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)	revenues: $204.7 million expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
Capital	name: Valletta geographic coordinates: 35 54 N, 14 31 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October	name: Road Town geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers	subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline	196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo)	80 km
Constitution	1964 constitution; amended many times	13 June 2007
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: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
Death rate	8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$188.8 million (2005)	$36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Molly BORDONARO embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, VLT 01 mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, CMR01 telephone: [356] 2561 4000 FAX: [356] 21 243229	none (overseas territory of the UK)
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	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	none	none
Economic aid - recipient	$NA	$NA
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 few 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 economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption	1.936 billion kWh (2003)	41.85 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	2.082 billion kWh (2003)	45 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues	very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on desalination	limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
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	-
Ethnic groups	Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians, with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)	black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed)
Exchange rates	Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.34578 (2005), 0.34466 (2004), 0.37723 (2003), 0.43362 (2002), 0.45004 (2001)	the US dollar is used
Executive branch	chief of state: President Edward 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 (eligible for a second 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; House of Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006) head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures	rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners	France 15.4%, US 14.4%, Singapore 12.3%, UK 11.3%, Germany 11.2%, Italy 5.1%, Libya 4.2% (2005)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
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	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 23% services: 74% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	1% (2005 est.)	1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	35 50 N, 14 35 E	18 30 N, 64 30 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	strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
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 South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports	NEGL (2001)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, tobacco	building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners	Italy 32.3%, UK 11.5%, France 9.6%, Germany 8%, US 5.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Independence	21 September 1964 (from UK)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco	tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate	total: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2005 est.)	2% (2005)
International organization participation	Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land	20 sq km (2003)	NA
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force	160,000 (2005 est.)	12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 3% industry: 22% services: 75% (2005 est.)	agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4% (2005)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 31.25% permanent crops: 3.13% other: 65.62% (2005)	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005)
Languages	Maltese (official), English (official)	English (official)
Legal system	based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations	English law
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 August 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 House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 79.01 years male: 76.83 years female: 81.31 years (2006 est.)	total population: 76.86 years male: 75.71 years female: 78.07 years (2007 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 can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)	Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references	Europe	Central America and the Caribbean
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: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 1,220 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,917,414 GRT/38,685,924 DWT by type: bulk carrier 434, cargo 344, chemical tanker 105, combination ore/oil 1, container 59, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 15, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 146, refrigerated cargo 43, roll on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 16 foreign-owned: 1,162 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 2, Bangladesh 3, Belgium 10, Bulgaria 13, Canada 18, China 14, Croatia 10, Cyprus 15, Denmark 6, Estonia 4, France 6, Germany 64, Greece 495, Hong Kong 2, Iceland 4, India 1, Iran 14, Israel 23, Italy 29, Japan 1, South Korea 6, Latvia 40, Lebanon 10, Monaco 1, Netherlands 6, Norway 49, Pakistan 1, Poland 27, Portugal 3, Romania 9, Russia 70, Slovenia 3, Spain 6, Sweden 3, Switzerland 21, Syria 7, Taiwan 2, Turkey 123, UAE 5, UK 8, Ukraine 24, US 3) registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, Portugal 1, Russia 4) (2006)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes air and maritime elements) (2005)	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$38.168 million (2005 est.)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1% (2005 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 21 September (1964)	Territory Day, 1 July (1956)
Nationality	noun: Maltese (singular and plural) adjective: Maltese	noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards	NA	hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources	limestone, salt, arable land	NEGL
Net migration rate	2.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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]	Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	400,214 (July 2006 est.)	23,552 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	0.42% (2006 est.)	1.923% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions	Roman Catholic 98%	Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991)
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 (2006 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 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: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use	202,100 (2005)	11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	324,000 (2005)	8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	6 (2000)	1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)
Terrain	mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs	coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate	1.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)	1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	7.8% (2005 est.)	3.6% (1997)

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