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Malta Facts and Figures

The Maltese archipelago consists of Malta, Gozo, Comino, Cominotto and Filfla and lies

midway between North Africa and Europe. It is 93 km south of Sicily and 290 km north

of Libya.

It has a rich 700-year old history which can be dated back to prehistoric times when the

islands first inhabitants are thought to have settled there from neighbouring Sicily.

Among other things such as having the most churches per square mile or being awarded

the George Cross for bravery during the Second World War, Malta boasts the worlds

oldest free-standing temples which pre-date the Pyramids and Stonehenge, making them

a designated UNESCO world Heritage site.

Throughout history Maltas fortunes have been linked to the succession of people that

conquered this tiny spot in the middle of the Mediterranean. From the Phoenicians to the

Carthaginians, the Romans to the Arabs. Malta has also been home to the Knights of St

John, The French and later a British colony. It was not until the 21st

September 1964 that

Malta became independent and finally joined the European Union on May 1st

2004 after a

referendum by its people. Malta adopted the Euro currency in 2008.

As a small island, it has few natural resources although the current prime Minister

Lawrence Gonzi has said that Maltas best resource are its people. This can be seen inthe way the government has injected funds into its education system starting from

primary right up to tertiary education.

The primary industry in Malta is still tourism and the island relies heavily on the large

numbers of foreigners attracted to the island by its history and heritage, its reputation for

being safe and friendly, its English speaking population and its lovely weather.

Recently however, there has been a shift away from promoting Malta solely as a sun and

fun destination. After all, if tourists came to Malta just for the beaches they could choose

from hundreds of other destinations. Malta is now also well-know as an English as a

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foreign Language destination and for its English Language Schools. In fact, it was the

first country to include government legislature to regulate the industry.

Maltas strength lies in its workforce who is hard-working and professional. Testament

to this are the major ICT companies and retail and investment banks who have decided to

invest heavily in Malta and the Maltese. Smart city, an IT village is expected to be

complete in the near future and should put Malta firmly on the map as a centre of ICT

excellence.