MALTA : LUPITA MONGE

Country Name: Republic of Malta
Year Founded: Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814.
Population: 405,165 (July 2009 est.)
Primary Language: Maltese (official) 90.2%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.8% (2005 census)
Ethnic Make-up: Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
Political System: Republic
Year Entered the European Union: Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began to use the euro as currency in 2008.
Representative of the European Union (include party): Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Arnold CASSOLA]; Azzjoni Nazzjonaili or AN [Josi MUSCAT]; Malta Labor Party or MLP [Dr. Joseph MUSCAT]; Nationalist Party or PN [Lawrence GONZI]
Type of Economy: Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few domestic energy sources. Malta's geographic position beween the EU and Africa makes it a recipient of illegal immigration, which has strained Malta's political and economic resources. The financial services industry has grown in recent years, but is not fully modernized. Malta's economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing - especially electronics and pharmaceuticals - and tourism all of which have been negatively affected by global economic downturn.
Currency: Euro (€)
Current Exchange rate for American Currency: 1 Euro = 1.3653 U.S. dollars
GDP:
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.801 billion (2008 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.584 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$24,200 (2008 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4% industry: 18% services: 80.6% (2007 est.)
Percentage of Trade within the European Union:
Unemployment Rate: 6.4% (2007)
Chief Exports: machinery and transport equipment, manufactures
Key Imports: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, tobacco
Major Religions : Roman Catholic 98%
Surrounding Countries: islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
Literacy Rate: definition: age 10 and over can read and write total population: 92.8%
male: 92% ; female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
One Interesting Fact: Mnarja, or l-Imnarja (pronounced lim-nar-ya) is one of the most important dates on the Maltese cultural calendar. Officially, it is a national festival dedicated to the feast of Saints Peter and St. Paul. In fact its roots can be traced back to the pagan Roman feast of Luminaria (literally, "the illumination"), when the early summer night of June 29 was illuminated by torches and bonfires. A national feast since the rule of the Knights, Mnarja is a traditional Maltese festival of food, religion and music. The festivities still commence today with the reading of the "bandu", an official governmental announcement, which has been read on this day in Malta since the 16th century.