Malta has few natural resources and its small population makes for a limited domestic market. Consequently, Malta is dependent on foreign trade, and the government has supported export-based companies through tax breaks and other incentives. It has also looked for foreign investment by offering similar incentives. A prolonged period of economic growth through the 1990s and continued government spending on infrastructure programs has kept unemployment low.
Malta's economy is diverse. There is a small agricultural sector, which contributed 2.8 percent of GDP in 1999, but the poor soil of the islands prevents wide-scale crop cultivation. The industrial sector experienced some growth in the 1990s, as the low cost of labor attracted light industries such as electronics, textiles, and
Communications | ||||||||
Country | Telephones a | Telephones, Mobile/Cellular a | Radio Stations b | Radios a | TV Stations a | Televisions a | Internet Service Providers c | Internet Users c |
Malta | 187,000 | 17,691 | AM 1; FM 18; shortwave 6 (1999) | 255,000 | 6 (2000) | 280,000 | 2 | 40,000 |
United States | 194 M | 69.209 M (1998) | AM 4,762; FM 5,542; shortwave 18 | 575 M | 1,500 | 219 M | 7,800 | 148 M |
Italy | 25 M (1999) | 20.5 M (1999) | AM 100; FM 4,600, shortwave 9 | 50.5 M | 358 (1995) | 30.3 M | 93 | 11.6 M |
Cyprus | 488,162 (1998) | 138,000 (1999) | AM 10; FM 71; shortwave 2 | 366,450 | 8 (1995) | 300,300 | 6 | 80,000 |
a Data is for 1997 unless otherwise noted. | ||||||||
b Data is for 1998 unless otherwise noted. | ||||||||
c Data is for 2000 unless otherwise noted. | ||||||||
SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2001 [Online]. |
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