The Republic of Malta is a small and densely populated island nation in southern Europe . It consists of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea directly south of Italy . These strategically located islands have been ruled and fought over by various powers over the centuries.

 

 

Geography

Malta comprises an archipelago in the central Mediterranean Sea , some 93 km south of Sicily . Only the three largest islands Malta Island (Malta), Gozo (Ghawdex), and Comino (Kemmuna) are inhabited. Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide good harbours, whereas the landscape of the densely populated islands themselves is characterised by low hills with terraced fields. The highest point is the Ta'Dmejrek on Malta Island at 253 m, located near Dingli , but the highest point is not easy to locate, and many locals have no idea where it is.

The local climate is a Mediterranean temperate climate , with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Effectively there are only two seasons, which makes the islands attractive for tourists especially during the drier months.

Economy

Malta's major resources are limestone , a favourable geographic location, and a productive labour force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade (serving as a freight transshipment point), manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism .

Malta has recently privatised some state-controlled firms and liberalised markets in order to prepare for membership in the European Union , which it joined on May 1 , 2004 . Malta and Tunisia are currently discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration.

Demographics

Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with about 1,250 inhabitants per square kilometre. The population is mostly composed of the descendants of Italian , French , Spanish and British peoples. Most of the foreign community in Malta consists of British nationals, a group centred around Sliema and the surrounding suburbs.

Roman Catholicism is established by law as the official religion of Malta; however, full liberty of conscience and freedom of worship is guaranteed, and a number of faiths have places of worship on the island. An estimated 90% of the population are Roman Catholic. Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English , but Italian is also widely understood, mainly due to Italian media reaching Malta.