Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on desalination
Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography-note: the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Gozo, and Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors
@Malta:People
Population: 379,563 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 40,655; female 38,425) 15-64 years: 68% (male 128,958; female 127,391) 65 years and over: 11% (male 18,629; female 25,505) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.58% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 11.73 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)