How big is Malta?

Natural environment

Regional location

Malta is located in southern Europe, adjacent to Italy, 90 kilometers south of Sicily, Italy, 284 kilometers east of Tunisia, and 333 kilometers north of Libya. Kilometers, it is an important transit point in Europe and Africa. In terms of military strategy, Malta, as a naval base, has become a battleground for military strategists and is known as the "Heart of the Mediterranean". Malta is also a world-famous tourist destination and is known as the "Back Garden of Europe". In 1942, Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI of the United Kingdom in recognition of the bravery of the entire Malta country in World War II. Therefore, the George Cross pattern was drawn on the Maltese flag.

Administrative divisions of Malta

The total area of ??Malta is 316 square kilometers. The official languages ??of Malta are Maltese and English.

Malta consists of five small islands: Malta, Gozo, Comino, Cominoto and Fairfla, with a coastline of more than 190 kilometers [4] . [5] Among them, Malta is the largest island, with an area of ??245.73 square kilometers and many natural harbors; the second largest island is Gozo, with an area of ??67.08 square kilometers. [1]

Topography

The terrain of Malta Island is high in the west and low in the east, with undulating hills and small basins in between. [6]

Climate characteristics

Malta has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and hot and dry summers.

The average temperature in summer is 25℃, and the average temperature in winter is 15℃. The annual average temperature is 21.3℃, the maximum temperature is 40℃, and the minimum temperature is 5℃. The average annual precipitation is 560 mm.

The winter rainy season in Malta is from November to March of the following year. [5]

Time difference

Malta belongs to the East 1 time zone. During daylight saving time (April to October), there is a 6-hour time difference from Beijing time, and the rest of the time has a 7-hour time difference.

Natural resources

Except for limestone for construction, there are no mineral resources and oil and natural gas are completely dependent on imports. Solar and wind energy resources are abundant but underdeveloped, with the alternative energy usage rate only 0.36%. Fresh water resources are scarce, and 55% of domestic water depends on seawater desalination. [4]

Administrative divisions

There are 68 local municipal councils in the country, including 54 on the island of Malta and 14 on the island of Gozo.

Malta is divided into six statistical areas: Southport area 26 square kilometers; Northern area 74 square kilometers; Northport area 24 square kilometers; Southeast area 50 square kilometers; Western area 73 square kilometers; Gozo-Komi It covers an area of ??69 square kilometers. [6]

Capital

Valletta, 0.8 square kilometers, population 6794 (2016).

Valletta (Valletta), 0.8 square kilometers, population 6794 (2016), [4] is located on a narrow peninsula in the Gulf of Malta at the northeastern end of Malta Island. It is a famous European cultural city, known as "St. Named after La Valletta, the sixth leader of the Order of John, it is the national political, cultural and commercial center of Malta. It has many interesting nicknames, such as "the city of the Knights of St. John", "the great masterpiece of the Baroque", "the city of European art", etc.

Malta

Malta’s largest natural harbor, Grand Harbor, is located between the capital Valletta and the three ancient cities of Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua. The port area has a long coastline 15.56 kilometers, 10,000-ton cargo ships can enter the port to load and unload cargo, with an annual throughput of 1.6 million tons. There are many deep-water terminals in the port as well as loading and unloading, refueling and grain storage facilities. [6]

Other cities

Sliema is located in the northeast of the island of Malta, covering an area of ??1.3 square kilometers. There are seaside resorts in the city, covering an area of ??1.3 square kilometers. The highest point is 35 meters above sea level, and the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

Three Sisters

Villoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea formed the famous three towns of medieval Malta.