Malta Government - 2024

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Malta

conventional short form: Malta

local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta

local short form: Malta

etymology: the ancient Greeks called the island "Melite" meaning "honey-sweet" from the Greek word "meli" meaning "honey" and referring to the island's honey production

Government type

parliamentary republic

Capital

name: Valletta

geographic coordinates: 35 53 N, 14 30 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

etymology: named in honor of Jean de VALETTE, the Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (crusader knights), who successfully led a defense of the island from an Ottoman invasion in 1565

Administrative divisions

68 localities (Il-lokalita); Attard, Balzan, Birgu, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Dingli, Fgura, Floriana, Fontana, Ghajnsielem, Gharb, Gharghur, Ghasri, Ghaxaq, Gudja, Gzira, Hamrun, Iklin, Imdina, Imgarr, Imqabba, Imsida, Imtarfa, Isla, Kalkara, Kercem, Kirkop, Lija, Luqa, Marsa, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mellieha, Mosta, Munxar, Nadur, Naxxar, Paola, Pembroke, Pieta, Qala, Qormi, Qrendi, Rabat, Rabat (Ghawdex), Safi, San Giljan/Saint Julian, San Gwann/Saint John, San Lawrenz/Saint Lawrence, Sannat, San Pawl il-Bahar/Saint Paul's Bay, Santa Lucija/Saint Lucia, Santa Venera/Saint Venera, Siggiewi, Sliema, Swieqi, Tarxien, Ta' Xbiex, Valletta, Xaghra, Xewkija, Xghajra, Zabbar, Zebbug, Zebbug (Ghawdex), Zejtun, Zurrieq

Independence

21 September 1964 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974)

Constitution

history: many previous; latest adopted 21 September 1964

amendments: proposals (Acts of Parliament) require at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Representatives; passage of Acts requires majority vote by referendum, followed by final majority vote by the House and assent of the president of the republic; amended many times, last in 2020

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and civil law based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes; subject to European Union law

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malta

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age (16 in local council elections); universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President George VELLA (since 4 April 2019)

head of government: Prime Minister Robert ABELA (13 January 2020)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the House of Representatives for a single 5-year term; election last held on 2 April 2019 (next to be held by April 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president for a 5-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

election results:
2020: Robert ABELA (PL) appointed prime minister

2019: George VELLA (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous

2014: Maria Louise Coleiro PRECO elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous

Legislative branch

description: unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati, a component of the Parliament of Malta (65 seats statutory, 79 for 2022-2027 term; members directly elected in 5 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: last held on 26 March 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

election results: percent of vote by party - PL 55.1%, PN 41.7%, other 3.2%; seats by party - PL 38, PN 29; composition - men 57, women 22, percent of women 27.8%; note - due to underrepresentation by women in the combined general on 26 March and two casual elections on 7 and 12 April (10 seats or 14.9%), an additional 12 seats were awarded because their percentage did not meet the 40% threshold required by the Malta Constitution or the General Elections Amendment Act 2021

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 judges); Court of Criminal Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, usually upon the advice of the prime minister; judges of both courts serve until age 65

subordinate courts: Civil Court (divided into the General Jurisdiction Section, Family Section, and Voluntary Section); Criminal Court; Court of Magistrates; Gozo Courts (for the islands of Gozo and Comino)

Political parties and leaders

AD+PD or ADPD [Carmel CACOPARDO] (formed from the merger of Democratic Alternative or AD and Democratic Party (Partit Demokratiku) or PD)
Labor Party (Partit Laburista) or PL [Robert ABELA]
Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista) or PN [Bernard GRECH]

International organization participation

Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO (partner), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Godfrey C. XUEREB (since 19 April 2023)

chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice to the following address due to ongoing refurbishment:

C/O WeWork Flr 2
1333 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington DC, 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice due to ongoing refurbishment and can be reached at the following number:  [1] (202) 286-4610

FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice due to ongoing refurbishment and can be reached by FAX at the following number:  [1] (202) 530-9753​

email address and website:
maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt

https://foreignandeu.gov.mt/en/Embassies/ME_United_States/Pages/ME_United_States.aspx

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Constance J. MILSTEIN (since October 27, 2022)

embassy: Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000

mailing address: 5800 Valletta Place, Washington DC  20521-5800

telephone: [356] 2561-4000

email address and website:
ACSMalta@state.gov

https://mt.usembassy.gov/

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; according to legend, the colors are taken from the red and white checkered banner of Count Roger of Sicily who removed a bi-colored corner and granted it to Malta in 1091; an uncontested explanation is that the colors are those of the Knights of Saint John who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798; in 1942, King George VI of the UK awarded the George Cross to the islanders for their exceptional bravery and gallantry in World War II; since independence in 1964, the George Cross bordered in red has appeared directly on the white field

National symbol(s)

Maltese eight-pointed cross; national colors: red, white

National anthem

name: "L-Innu Malti" (The Maltese Anthem)

lyrics/music: Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT

note: adopted 1945; written in the form of a prayer

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 3 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:; Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum; Megalithic Temples of Malta