Key Facts
- Location: 95 kms south of Sicily and 290 kms from the North African coast
- Structure: Archipelago comprising Malta (main Island), as well as Gozo and Comino
- Malta - Length: 27.359 kms*
Width: 14.48 kms
- Gozo - Length: 14.484 kms*
Width: 7.242 kms
- Malta - Shoreline: 196.80 kms*
- Gozo - Shoreline: 56.01 kms*
- Total land area: 316 sq kms*
- Climate: Mediterranean - mild winters and hot, dry summer
- Time zone: GMT +1 (Daylight saving time: +1 hour beginning last Sunday in March and ends last Sunday in October)
- Capital City: Valletta
- Population: 413,609* (as at end 2008)
- Language: Maltese (English is also recognised as an official language whilst Italian is widely spoken)
- EU Member: Since May 2004
- Local currency: Euro which was adopted on 1st January 2008
- Principal Religion: Roman Catholic. Other religious denominations are also represented with places of worship.
- Head of State: President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat
- International dialing code: +356
- Internet: Domain suffix for Malta is mt
Public Holidays in 2014
- January 1st (New Year's Day)
- February 10th (St Paul's Shipwreck)
- March 19th (St Joseph)
- March 31st (Freedom Day)
- April 18th (Good Friday)
- May 1st (Worker's Day)
- June 7th (Sette Giugno)
- June 29th (St Peter & St Paul)
- August 15th (Assumption)
- September 8th (Victory Day)
- September 21st (Independence Day)
- December 8th (Immaculate Conception)
- December 13th (Republic Day)
- December 25th (Christmas Day)
Economic Data on Malta
- GDP (at market prices): €6,829.5 million (as at 2012)
- Balance of Payment current account: €109.4 million (as at 2012)
- Imports of goods: €6,178.3 million (as at 2012)
- Exports of goods: €4,431.1 million (as at 2012)
Source: Malta in Figures 2013 - National Statistics Office of Malta