Malta

Malta

AREA	316 sq km (122 sq miles).
POPULATION	376,513 (1997, excluding non-Maltese).
POPULATION DENSITY	1189.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Valletta.
CAPITAL POPULATION	7146 (1997).
GEOGRAPHY	The Maltese archipelago is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean, with the largest inhabited island, Malta, lying 93km (58 miles) south of Sicily and 290km (180 miles) from North Africa. Gozo and Comino are the only other inhabited islands. The landscape of all three is characterised by low hills with terraced fields. Malta has no mountains or rivers. Its coastline is indented with harbours, bays, creeks, sandy beaches and rocky coves. Gozo is connected to Malta by ferry and is more thickly vegetated, with many flat-topped hills and craggy cliffs. Comino, the smallest island, is connected to Malta and Gozo by ferry and is very sparsely populated.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1964. Head of State: President Guido de Marco since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Edward Fenech Adami since 1998.
LANGUAGE	Maltese (a Semitic language) and English are the official languages. Italian is also widely spoken.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	240 volts AC, 50Hz. UK-style 3-pin plug are in use.

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