Capital City
Valletta
EU Member
Since May 2004
Accessibility
Daily flights to all main European cities
Location
95 kms south of Sicily and 290 kms from the North African coast
Area
316 Km2
Structure
Archipelago comprising of Malta (main island), Gozo and Comino.
Climate
Mediterranean: mild winters and hot, dry summer
Population
471,554 (as at end of 2014)
Languages
Maltese & English. Italian widely spoken. Many speak a fourth language such as French/ German
Education
British model but with a University with roots dating back to the Knights of St John. Literacy level is 92.6%.
Culture
Western European
Principal Religion
Roman Catholic but other religious denominations are also represented with places of worship
Currency
Euro €
Political
Independent, Parliamentary Republic, EU member state
Head of State
President - Ms Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca
Prime Minister
Dr. Joseph Muscat KUOM, B.Com., E.A. (Hons), M. A., Ph.D.
Ruling Party
Labour Party
Economy
Based on financial services, ICT, Container & freight transshipment, manufacturing & tourism
Legal System
English Common Law and Roman Civil Law
Electricity Supply
Conforms to UK standards (230 volts AC, 50 Hz). UK style three-pin plugs and sockets are used.
Internet
Domain suffix for Malta is .mt
International dialing code
+356
Weights & Measures
Metric
Time zone
GMT +1 Daylight saving time: +1 hr beginning last Sunday in March and ends last Sunday in October
