Capital

Malta

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

Republik Moldau

name: Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)

geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 51 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: origin unclear but may derive from the archaic Romanian word chisla ("spring" or "water source") and noua ("new") because the original settlement was built at the site of a small spring

note: pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov)

Citizenship

Malta

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

Republik Moldau

citizenship by birth: no

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

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Legal system

Malta

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

Republik Moldau

civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

Suffrage

Malta

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

Republik Moldau

18 years of age; universal

Area

Malta

total: 316 sq km

land: 316 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Republik Moldau

total: 33,851 sq km

land: 32,891 sq km

water: 960 sq km

Land use

Malta

agricultural land: 32.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 28.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.9% (2018 est.)

other: 66.8% (2018 est.)

Republik Moldau

agricultural land: 74.9% (2018 est.)

arable land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 11.9% (2018 est.)

other: 13.2% (2018 est.)

Location

Malta

Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)

Republik Moldau

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Age structure

Malta

0-14 years: 14.53% (male 34,870/female 32,989)

15-64 years: 62.83% (male 151,927/female 141,561)

65 years and over: 22.65% (2023 est.) (male 48,830/female 56,961)

Republik Moldau

0-14 years: 18.01% (male 301,432/female 284,034)

15-64 years: 66.37% (male 1,087,397/female 1,069,902)

65 years and over: 15.62% (2023 est.) (male 203,889/female 303,878)

Birth rate

Malta

9.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Republik Moldau

8.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Malta

8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Republik Moldau

14.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Malta

Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)

Republik Moldau

Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% identify their mother tongue as Moldovan, which is virtually the same as Romanian; 23.5% identify Romanian as their mother tongue), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, Bulgarian 1.5%, Romani 0.3%, other 0.2% (2014 est.); note - data represent mother tongue; as of March 2023, Romanian replaced Moldovan as the name of Moldova's official language

major-language sample(s):
Cartea informativa a lumii, sursa indispensabila pentru informatii de baza. (Moldovan/Romanian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Malta

total population: 83.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 81.3 years

female: 85.6 years

Republik Moldau

total population: 69.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 65.8 years

female: 73.9 years

Major urban areas - population

Malta

213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)

Republik Moldau

488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)

Median age

Malta

total: 43.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 42.1 years

female: 44.4 years

Republik Moldau

total: 39.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 38.1 years

female: 40.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Malta

29.3 years (2020 est.)

note: data refers to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births

Republik Moldau

25.2 years (2019 est.)

Net migration rate

Malta

5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Republik Moldau

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Malta

most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands

Republik Moldau

pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti

Population growth rate

Malta

0.59% (2023 est.)

Republik Moldau

-0.58% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Malta

1.51 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Republik Moldau

1.25 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Malta

urban population: 94.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Republik Moldau

urban population: 43.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Malta

5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Republik Moldau

6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Malta

total: 17 years

male: 17 years

female: 18 years (2020)

Republik Moldau

total: 14 years

male: 14 years

female: 15 years (2021)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Malta

3.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Republik Moldau

-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Malta

-3.3% (2016 est.)

Republik Moldau

-0.67% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Malta

280,300 (2021 est.)

Republik Moldau

810,000 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Malta

17.1% (2018 est.)

Republik Moldau

7.3% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Malta

3.5% (2021 est.)

4.26% (2020 est.)

3.62% (2019 est.)

Republik Moldau

3.96% (2021 est.)

3.82% (2020 est.)

5.1% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Malta

50.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

56.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: Malta reports public debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year, according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty for general government gross debt; the data include the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); general government comprises the central, state, and local governments, and social security funds

Republik Moldau

33.01% of GDP (2020 est.)

24.95% of GDP (2019 est.)

27.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Malta

1.5% (2021 est.)

0.64% (2020 est.)

1.64% (2019 est.)

Republik Moldau

5.11% (2021 est.)

3.77% (2020 est.)

4.84% (2019 est.)

Exports

Malta

$22.11 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$19.526 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.773 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Republik Moldau

$4.197 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.222 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.662 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Malta

Germany 12%, France 9%, Italy 9% (2019)

Republik Moldau

Romania 27%, Russia 9%, Italy 9%, Germany 9%, Turkey 6%, Poland 5% (2019)

Imports

Malta

$21.362 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$18.328 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$18.578 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Republik Moldau

$7.915 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$5.918 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$6.608 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Malta

Russia 22%, Italy 12%, United Kingdom 11%, Germany 6%, Turkey 5%, France 5%, China 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Republik Moldau

Romania 20%, Russia 10%, Ukraine 9%, Germany 8%, China 7%, Turkey 6%, Italy 6% (2019)

Airports

Malta

1 (2021)

Republik Moldau

7 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Malta

total: 213,419 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2020 est.)

Republik Moldau

total: 719,001 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Malta

total: 461,100 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 87% (2021 est.)

Republik Moldau

total: 1.891 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 61% (2021 est.)

Republik Moldau

total: 1,171 km (2014)

standard gauge: 14 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

broad gauge: 1,157 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

Roadways

Malta

total: 3,096 km (2008)

paved: 2,704 km (2008)

unpaved: 392 km (2008)

urban: 1,422 km (2001)

non-urban: 832 km (2001)

Republik Moldau

total: 9,352 km (2012)

paved: 8,835 km (2012)

unpaved: 517 km (2012)

Telephones - fixed lines

Malta

total subscriptions: 259,439 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2021 est.)

Republik Moldau

total subscriptions: 1,000,228 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Malta

total subscriptions: 644,955 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (2021 est.)

Republik Moldau

total subscriptions: 3,900,179 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2021 est.)

Republik Moldau

558 km (2011) (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut Rivers)

Disputes - international

Malta

none identified

Republik Moldau

Moldova-Romania: none identified

Moldova-Ukraine: Ukraine and Moldova signed an agreement officially delimiting their border in 1999, but the border has not been demarcated due to Moldova's difficulties with the break-away region of Transnistria; Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor the transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region, which remains under the auspices of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-mandated peacekeeping mission comprised of Moldovan, Transnistrian, Russian, and Ukrainian troops