Malta Country Info - Europe

Description and Basic Information

Malta with its capital Valletta is located in Europe (Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea). It covers some 317 square kilometres (slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC) with 403,000 citizens. Maltese and English are the the languages commonly used by the people in Malta.

Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea that lies south of the island of Sicily, Italy. Although small, Malta has a long and rich history, with evidence for habitation going back to the Neolithic era (4th millennium B.C.). The country boasts some of the world's most ancient standing buildings (the Neolithic temples). There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty - the European Union (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But be careful: Not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty, and not all Schengen members are part of the European Union. The official languages are Maltese and English. In Summer, the island is perfect for water sports and beach activities. The island has been described as an open-air museum by some; one is unlikely to run out of things to see during a visit to Malta. Each township has its own unique sights to offer if one pays close enough attention. Distinctly Maltese cuisine is hard to find but does exist. The food eaten draws its influences from Italian cuisine. A typical soft drink that originated in Malta is Kinnie, a non-alcoholic fizzy drink made from bitter oranges (called Chinotto orange) and slightly reminiscent of Martini. Malta is generally safe compared to its European counterparts. However, with growing illegal immigration in detention camps located in the south of the island, locals are beginning to feel a sense of uncertainty in regards to their safety in these areas.

Pictures from Capital (Valletta)

Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.

About Malta

The landscape features mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains and many coastal cliffs. The average density of population is about 1,275 per km². The climate in Malta can be described as Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters, hot, dry summers. Potential threats by nature are NA.

To reach someone in Malta dial +356 prior to a number. There are 252,700 installed telephones. And there are 422,100 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks operate on frequencies of 900, 1800 Mhz. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".mt". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery charger), keep in mind the local 240V - 50Hz. The following list are the 1 regions/states in Malta we know off.

Demographic Statistics

In the year 2010, the total Maltese population grew at a rate of 0.39% (or by 1,590 citizens). With 3,453 deaths and 4,222 babies born, the natural increase rate lies at 0.19%. 822 persons more in total immigrated to the country than emmigrated.

An overview of age distribution in Malta: Each pair of bars represents a single age group (male/female). Each group is spanning 5 years. E.g. 0 to 5 years, 5 to 10 etc. and group "0 to 5" being at the left end and "100 +" at the right end of the chart.

Based on content from wikitravel.org. The original article can be found here based on the work of these users.
Geographic information is based on the data provided by geonames.org, CIA factsbook and Unesco.