Location: Southern Europe, in the central Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of Sicily (Italy), 290 km north of Libya

Map references: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 320 sq km
land area: 320 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 140 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Natural resources: limestone, salt

Land use:
arable land: 38%
permanent crops: 3%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 59%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989)

Environment:
current issues: fresh water very scarce; increasing reliance on desalination
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

Note: the country comprises an archipelago, with only the 3 largest islands (Malta, Gozo, and Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors

NOTE: The information regarding Malta on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Malta Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Malta Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.