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The Maltese archipelago is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea between Southern Italy and the north African coast. The archipelago consists of Malta, the largest island, Gozo, Comino and other small islands which are uninhabited. Malta's topography is characterised by a series of low hills and slopes towards the Northeast and low lying land to the Southeast.

Valletta, the capital city, lies on a peninsula between the two harbours. It houses the seat of Government. Malta has a typically Mediterranean climate, offering warm dry summers and mild winters. It enjoys over 300 days of sunshine each year. The average rainfall is about 590 mm. Temperatures range between 14 degrees Celsius in the winter to around 32 degrees Celsius in summer.

Malta is one of the oldest Mediterranean civilisations. It posses Neolithic temples dating back about 5000 years. One of the early settlers were the Phoenicians, who were the trading people of the Mediterranean, and they chose Malta for its ideal location.

Various cultures especially the heritage bequeathed by the Order of the Knights of St. John left their indelible mark on Malta's history and architecture. Malta became an independent state in 1964 and declared itself a Republic in 1974.

The population of the islands is approximately 400,000. Maltese society is homogeneous having its own identity and language. The Maltese language is a combination of Semitic and Romantic origin, with the former having a major influence on its structure. It is written in the Latin alphabet. Malta's official languages are Maltese and English, the latter is spoken fluently by almost every Maltese citizen. Business correspondence is mainly in English. Most of the population is also fluent in Italian and a good number can communicate in French, German and Arabic.

Most Maltese are practising Roman Catholics, and this is the official religion of the islands according to the Constitution. There are also several other religious communities, including Jews, Moslems, Indian and other non-Christian groups. All have their own place of worship where they can practice their beliefs without restrictions.

Malta has a parliamentary democracy. The President represents the unity of the nation, while executive powers rest with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Parliament is composed of 65 representatives elected every five years. The Judiciary enjoys complete independence.

Compulsory education is up to the age of 16, with Government offering a free system of education. There are a number of private primary and secondary schools. University is open to all and presently there are over 7,000 students attending there.

The Maltese live a European life style, enjoying an international cuisine mainly influenced by the Italian cuisine. It has a friendly and relaxed lifestyle to offer with a superb climate, good leisure facilities, historical and cultural environment and a low crime rate.

One of the principal attractions of Malta is the possibility of practising a variety of outdoor sports even in winter. Most leading hotels have a health and fitness centre. The theatre is a widespread mode of recreation and for the night life, one can find a number of smart and lively discotheques.

Malta has one of Europe's most advanced telecommunications infrastructures incorporating a fully automated digitalised transmission system and satellite facilities. This allows direct access to all countries of the world.

It has also one of the finest natural harbours in the world -- The Grand Harbour. A second harbour, Marsaxlokk, has been developed into a free port catering for inter-continental cargo and a distribution centre for the Mediterranean region.

Malta's airport has also been modernised to handle over 2.5 million passengers annually

There are direct flights to most major European business centres and also to the Middle East and North African countries.

Many shipping companies provide regular sailing from Malta to major ports around the Mediterranean and the world.

Efficient and reliable international trucking services ensure delivery of goods from Malta to most European destinations.

Various courier companies offer an efficient overseas delivery service for letters and parcels. Incoming airmail is delivered within 24 hours of arrival. International deliveries to European destinations take an average of 3 days.

| 20.08.2008 |