Malta at a Glance: Quick Facts

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The Republic of Malta is a European microstate comprising an archipelago of three larger islands (Malta, Gozo and Comino) and a number of smaller islets. These are: - Cominotto (uninhabited); - Filfla (uninhabited); - Fungus Rock (uninhabited); - Manoel Island (joined to the town of Gżira on the mainland by a bridge); - the Islands of St. Paul (uninhabited).   Malta is located in the Mediterranean Sea, 93 km (58 miles) south of Sicily, giving the country a warm Mediterranean climate. Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide good harbours. The landscape is characterised by low hills with terraced fields.

The country's official languages are Maltese and English, although there are strong historical ties to the Italian language on the islands.

Maltese (or Malti) is a Semitic language descended from Sicilian Arabic, with substantial borrowing from Sicilian, Italian, a little French, and more recently, English. It is the only Semitic language written in Latin charachters.

Tourism infrastructure has increased dramatically over the years and a number of good-quality hotels are present on the island.

Surprisingly, film production is another growing contributor to the Maltese economy, with several big-budget foreign films shooting in Malta each year.

Maltese cuisine is disctinctly Mediterranean in character and while many dishes are native to the island, some popular Maltese recipes show Southern Italian (especially Sicilian) or Turkish culinary influences.

Popular Maltese local dishes include ftira biż-żejt, ġbejniet, pastizzi and Ross il-Forn.

SPOTLIGHT ON ...
	Beaches of the Maltese Islands The most popular sandy beaches in Malta - including Golden Bay and Paradise Bay - are in the north of the Island.		Caravaggio in Malta Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was in Malta in 1608-1609 because he had to flee Rome after killing a man in a brawl.
	The Blue Lagoon in Comino Between Comino and the adjacent islet of Cominotto lie the transparent waters of the Blue Lagoon.		Prehistoric Temples in Malta & Gozo The Maltese islands were first settled around 5200 BC by stone age farmers from the nearby island of Sicily.
	Malta Nightlife St. Julian's and Paceville are the most popular destinations for clubbing, with top international DJs throughout the year.		Diving and Snorkeling in Malta With some of the clearest waters in the Mediterranean and visibility down to 30 metres, Malta is any diver's paradise.