ECP Malta on urban-rural relations in Europe

Abstract

Malta is a small island state located roughly at the centre of the Mediterranean, about 100 kilometers from the southern-most point of Sicily and experiences strategic issues that are unique. Malta’s character and the factors which affect, or have affected, urban development can be usefully summarised to the following parameters: Physical (Small island); Population (Small population size with low-growth rates but the highest population density in Europe); Economic (High-income and export tourism-based as opposed to production for domestic demand); and Administrative (Centralised government with devolution occurring at NUTs5 level as Local Council administrative units).