About Malta
Located in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Sicily, the Maltese archipelago basically consists of three islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino. The largest island of the group is Malta, from which the archipelago takes its name. It has a population of just over 400,000. Valletta, the capital, is the cultural, administrative, and commercial centre of the archipelago. Malta is well served with harbours, Valletta Grand Harbour being the main harbour. Its international airport is at Luqa, five kilometres from the capital.
The distance between Malta and the nearest point in Sicily is 93 km. The distance from the nearest point on the North African mainland (Tunisia) is 288 km. Gibraltar is 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria is 1,510 km to the east.
This strategic position has allowed Malta to develop as an important trading post. The Malta Freeport is one of the Mediterranean’s leading ports for container transhipments.
The Maltese Islands fall within the following positions:
- North – 36ø00′ N. Latitude
- South – 35ø48′ N. Latitude
- East – 14ø35′ E. Longitude
- West – 14ø11′E. Longitude
Area of the Maltese Islands and internal waters:
- Maltese Islands 316 km2
- Internal Waters 198 km2
Maritime areas (excluding Maltese Islands and Internal Waters)
- Territorial Waters 3,800 km2
- Fishing Zone 11,100 km2
- Continental Shelf 72,850 km2
Further Information can be found on the following website:
