Human Freedom Index [PDF], The Human Freedom Index 2021
2019: 8.45, Rank: 27, Personal Freedom: 8.75, Economic Freedom: 8.03
Archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, ruled since 1964 by the Repubblika ta' Malta
Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km south of Italy, 284 km east of Tunisia and 333 km north of Libya. Malta is one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries, at over 316 km² with a population of about 475,000. Its capital is Valletta, which is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area at 0.8 km². Its largest town is Birkirkara, while its chief economic center is Sliema. The official languages are Maltese and English, with Maltese also recognized as the national language. Maltese is the only Semitic language to be officially recognized in the European Union. Italian is also spoken by most of the population.
Geographical type: Archipelago
Latitude: 35.88° N — Longitude: 14.5° E
Area: 316 km²
ISO 3166-2 code: MT
Measures of Freedom
Level of Economic Freedom, Economic Freedom of the World
2014: 7.74, Rank: 17
2014: 7.74, Rank: 17
Malta | Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2022
2016: Status: Free, Aggregate Score: 96, Political Rights: 1, Civil Liberties: 1
2016: Status: Free, Aggregate Score: 96, Political Rights: 1, Civil Liberties: 1
In May 2015, a report from the UN special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants found that migrants have difficulty integrating into Malta's economy and society. It noted the prevalence of labor exploitation and weak enforcement of laws against such abuses. Also that month, the Migrant Integration Policy Index ranked Malta 33 out of 38 countries, underscoring problems in areas such as labor-market mobility, education, and access to permanent residence.
The introductory paragraph uses material from the Wikipedia article "Malta" as of 27 Sep 2018, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.