- Language:
- Maltese, English
- Currency:
-
Maltese lira (Euro as from January, the 1st, 2008)
- Area:
- 316.00
- Population:
- 0.40
- Density:
- 1,271.50
- GIP:
- 5
- GIP per cap.:
- 11,176.00
- Political regime:
- Republic
- Head of State:
- M. Edward Fenech-Adami (It is compulsory for Maltese presidents to be apolitical)
- Head of governement:
- M. Lawrence Gonz (Nationalist Party – PN)
- Eutropean Union Membership:
- 2004
- National anthem:
- L-Innu Malti (The Maltese hymn)
Administrative organization
Form of State: unitary State.
There are national legislative powers in all areas.
Interesting ministry:
- Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Environment. Ministry: M. George Pullicino. This Ministry covers 6 main sections: waste management, agriculture, veterinary, afforestation, environment and fisheries. We can note here the existence of a DG “Rural development”. However, the Ministry website rarely mentions sustainable development.
|
Administrative units
|
Name
|
Number
|
Competences
|
|
NUTS 1
|
|
|
|
|
NUTS 2
|
|
|
|
|
NUTS 3
|
Gzejjer
|
2
|
|
|
LAU 1
|
Distretti
|
6
|
|
|
LAU 2
|
Kunsilli (local councils)
|
68
|
Maintenance of public areas
Maintenance of public gardens, sport, culture or other leisure centres
Maintenance of local public roads
Maintenance of educational services
Maintenance of health and rehabilitation centres
Delegated functions by the central government
Engage the services of local wardens
Maintenance of public order ( local tribunals)
Administration of commerce licenses and permits
Streetlights, public property and bus shelters
Local and regional public libraries
|
Total public expenditure: € 2.1 billions = 47.4% GDP.
Sub-national public expenditure: € 0.03 billions = 0.7% GDP = 1.4% total public expenditure.
Rural life
Utilized agricultural area: 32.4% total area, i.e. about 102 km2.
Rural population: unavailable data.
Labour force in agriculture: 4000 Annual Work Units (AWU).
Unemployment rate by degree of urbanisation:
- Densely populated areas: 7.6%
- Intermediate areas: 5.4%
- Thinly populated areas: 5.9%
Employment rate by degree of urbanisation:
- Densely populated areas: 53.9%
- Intermediate areas: 56.8%
- Thinly populated areas: 49.1%
Youth unemployment ratio by degree of urbanisation:
- Densely populated areas: 9.5%
- Intermediate areas: 6.7%
- Thinly populated areas: 6.3%
- Total: 9.1%
Share of organic area in total utilised agricultural area: 0.1%.
Sustainability
Malta has not yet adopted a NSDS. However, a draft has been prepared and presented for public consultation in July 2004. It involves 4 main objectives, each of them including several themes:
- Managing the environment and resources: air quality, renewable resources and greenhouse gas emissions, fresh water, nature and biodiversity, wastes, marine and coastal environment, land use, promoting a sustainable transport system, natural and technological risks.
- Promoting sustainable economic development: promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns, reliance of market forces and fait trading, promoting innovation, science and technology, sustainable agriculture and fishing, sustainable manufacturing, promoting sustainable tourism, linking infrastructural needs to sustainable development.
- Fostering sustainable communities: promoting social cohesion in Malta, strengthening public health, education for sustainable development, promoting stakeholder and major group participation in decision-making, raising public awareness.
- Cross-cutting strategic issues: the need for integrated planning, promoting use of economic instruments, promoting international and regional cooperation.
Environmental protection expenditure in the public sector: 0.2 % of GDP, i.e. 18 € per capita.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of GDP: 1%.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of total government expenditure: unavailable data.
Area protected under the Habitats Directive as a percentage of total area: 12,5%.