This article is about the Republic of Malta. One might be looking for Malta Island. For other uses of "Malta" please see Malta (disambiguation).
The Republic of Malta is an islandnation in southern Europe. Consisting of an archipelago in the central Mediterranean Sea directly south of Italy, these strategically located islands have been ruled and fought over by various powers over the centuries.
Malta comprises an archipelago in the central Mediterranean Sea, some 93 km south of Sicily. Only the three largest islands Malta Island (Malta), Gozo (Għawdex), 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.
The local climate is a Mediterranean temperate clime, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Effectively there are only two seasons, which makes the islands attractive for tourists.
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 privatised state-controlled firms and liberalised markets in order to prepare for membership in the European Union which will occur in 2004. Malta and Tunisia are currently discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration.
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 Arab, British, Italian, and Phoenician peoples. Most of the foreign community in Malta consists of British nationals, a group centred around Sliema[?] and the surrounding suburbs. There also is a growing North AfricanMuslim community of about 2,250 (2001), many of which are married to Maltese nationals.
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. Malta has two official languages: Maltese (a Semitic language) and English, but Italian is also widely spoken.
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