LANGUAGE: Maltese (a Semitic language) and English are the official languages. Italian is also widely spoken.
GEOGRAPHY: The Maltese archipelago is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean, with the largest inhabited island, Malta, lying 93km (58 miles) south of Sicily and 290km (180 miles) from North Africa. Gozo and Comino are the only other inhabited islands. The landscape of all three is characterised by low hills with terraced fields. Malta has no mountains or rivers. Its coastline is indented with harbours, bays, creeks, sandy beaches and rocky coves. Gozo is connected to Malta by ferry and is more thickly vegetated, with many flat-topped hills and craggy cliffs. Comino, the smallest island, is connected to Malta and Gozo by ferry and is very sparsely populated. The Maltese Islands enjoy a healthy climate, with mild winters and a hot summer season. Cold winds, snow, frost and fog are unknown. Rain falls between September and April. It seldom rains after April, and nearly never in summertime. The temperature averages 57.5 degrees Fahrenheit in winter (Nov-Apr) and 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer (May-Oct). The hottest period is from mid-July through mid-September although the islands seldom get too hot, as hot summer days and nights are regularly tempered by cool sea breezes. There are no mountains or rivers. The majority of fields are small and terraced, but despite lack of rain and other adverse terrain conditions, agriculture is well developed.
TIME: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY: 240 volts AC, 50Hz. UK-style 3-pin plug are in use.
COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 356. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 00. Public telephone booths are widely available. Mobile Telephone: Dual band network with extensive coverage of land and sea.
GOZO, or GHAWDEX [Awdesch] as it is locally known, lies about 20 minutes away by ferry. Measuring about one third the size of Malta it has a character quite distinct from Malta; it is primarily a fishing and farming community and the countryside is greener and more spectacular. Its main historical attractions are the megalithic temples of Ggantija which, according to the latest analysis, date back to around 4000 years BC
Ferry Service The Gozo Channel Company operates an all year Ro Ro Ferry service between Cirkewwa Malta and Mgarr Gozo. Journey time is approximately 20 minutes.
If you want to know more about Malta and everything Maltese, visit these websites:
www.visitmalta.com
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mt.html
www.aboutmalta.com
www.di-ve.com | 
