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: 14.480 kms   Gozo - Length : 14.484 kms*   Width: 7.242 kms   Total land area: 316 sq kms*
Climate:                                   Mediterranean: mild winters and hot, dry summer
Time zone :                             GMT +1 Daylight saving time: +1 hr beginning last Sunday in March and ends last Sunday in October
Capital City:                             Valletta Population: 410,290* (as at end 2007)
Language:                               Mainly Maltese but English is recognised as an official language, while Italian is also widely spoken
EU Member:                            Since May 2004
Local currency:                      Euro (adopted on 1st January 2008)
Principal Religion:                    Roman Catholic but other religious denominations are also represented with places of worship
Head of State:                         President - Dr. George Abela LL.D.
Prime Minister:                         Dr Lawrence Gonzi LL.D
Ruling Party:                            Nationalist Party
International dialing code:      +356
Internet:                                   Domain suffix for Malta is .mt
Weights & Measures:             Metric
Electricity Supply:                   Conforms to UK standards (230 volts AC, 50 Hz). UK style three-pin plugs and sockets are used.