The Maltese archipelago consists of 3 islands with a total population of over 400,000 inhabitants. Malta lies in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily and north of Africa. Malta joined the EU in 2004 and adopted the Euro currency in 2008. The national language is Maltese, which is influenced by Italian, Sicilian, Arabic, and English. Tourism is important to Malta's economy, with visitors attracted to the beaches and historic sites such as Megalithic temples and fortified cities. Traditional Maltese food features dishes made with seasonal ingredients like lampuki fish pie, rabbit stew, and pastizzi pastries.
2. The Maltese archipelago consists of 3 islands,
Malta, Gozo and Comino, with a total population
of over 400,000 inhabitants occupying an area
of 316km².
3. Malta lies in the middle of the Mediterranean
Sea, 93km South of Sicily and 288km North of
Africa.
5. Our flag has two colours, white and red, and the
George Cross in the top left-hand corner. The
George Cross was awarded to the Maltese
People by King George VI in 1942 for gallantry
during the Second World War.
6. Our national bird is the Blue Rock Thrush, our
national plant is the Maltese Centaury and our
national tree is the Arar tree.
7. Maltese is Malta’s national language. About half
the vocabulary is borrowed from Italian and
Sicilian, while the other half comes form the
Arabic and English Languages. Maltese is the
result of all the languages of those people that
conquered Malta in the past before it became
independent in 1964.
8. Malta features a Mediterranean climate with
warm dry summers and mild wet winters.
Average high temperature ranges from around
15°C in January to about 30°C in August, while
the average low temperature ranges from
around 12°C in January to 24°C in August.
9. Malta’s capital city is Valletta, built by the
Knights of St. John in 1566. It was built between
two natural harbours, Marsamxett and the
Grand Harbour.
10. Since Malta is an island many tourists come here
mainly in summer for our rocky and sandy
beaches.
11. For those tourists who don’t love to swim there
are endless historical sites, such as the
Megalithic Temples, underground catacombs,
churches, forts, the fortified medieval city of
Mdina and impressive collections in different
museums.
12. Traditional Maltese food is rustic and based on
the seasons. If you visit us look out for Lampuki
Pie (Fish Pie), Rabbit Stew, Bragjoli (Beef Olives),
Kapunata (Maltese version of Ratatouille),
Widow’s Soup which includes vegetables and
goat’s cheese, Bigilla (a thick pate of broad
beans with garlic) and pastizzi (a flaky pastry
parcel filled with ricotta or mushy peas).
