Malta - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Malta, it was the origin is unclear; the name may come from the ancient term mel, meaning "high" and probably referring to the island's rocks; the ancient Greeks called the island "Melite," possibly from the Greek word meli, meaning "honey" and referring to the island's honey production. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 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
National symbols
Maltese eight-pointed cross.
The flag
The National flag of Malta has .
Info
The National Anthem
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More about the government of Malta
| Date of Independence | 21 September 1964 (from the UK) |
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| National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974) |
| Legal system | mixed 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 |
| Constitution | |
| History | Many previous; latest adopted 21 September 1964 |
| Amendment process | 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 |
| 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 |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (since 4 April 2024) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Robert ABELA (since 13 January 2020) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister |
| Election/appointment process | president indirectly elected by the House of Representatives for a single 5-year term; following legislative elections, the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister for a 5-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister |
| Most recent election date | 27 March 2024 |
| Election results | 2024: Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous 2019: George VELLA (PL) elected president; House of Representatives vote - unanimous |
| Expected date of next election | by March 2029 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | House of Representatives (Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati) |
| Legislative structure | Unicameral |
| Number of seats | 65 (all directly elected) |
| Electoral system | Proportional representation |
| Scope of elections | Full renewal |
| Term in office | 5 years |
| Most recent election date | 3/26/2022 |
| Parties elected and seats per party | Labour Party (LP) (44); Nationalist Party (PN) (35) |
| Percentage of women in chamber | 29.1% |
| Expected date of next election | March 2027 |
| 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 on 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) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Godfrey C. XUEREB (since 19 April 2023) |
| Chancery | 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (771) 213-4050 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 530-9753 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] The Embassy (gov.mt) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador-designate Somers FARKAS (since November 2025) |
| 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 | [email protected] https://mt.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 3 (all cultural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | City of Valletta; Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum; Megalithic Temples of Malta |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Malta
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Malta
Want to know more about Malta? Check all different factbooks for Malta below.
