The Islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino are situated in
the middle of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe. The Maltese archipelago consists
of three inhabited islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino and two other uninhabited
islands. Malta lies just 93 km south of Sicily and 230 km north of North Africa.
The total area is 316 sq km (Malta 246, Gozo 67, Comino 3).
The climate is warm, there are no biting winds, fog, snow or frost. Rain
falls for only very short periods averaging about 578 mm (20 inches) in a whole
year. The temperature averages 14.1 C° in winter and 32 C° in summer.
The longest distance in Malta from southeast to northwest is about 27 km and
at its widest point in an east west direction measures 14.5 km. Malta has
neither mountains nor rivers. The island is characterized by a series of low
hills with terraced fields on the slopes. The average population of the
Maltese Islands is 350,000.
Gozo, the island of the nymph Calypso, is smaller than its sister island
Malta and has a character quite distinct from it. The countryside is
greener and more spectacular. Gozo is more rustic and quieter than Malta. It is
14.54 km long, 7.2 km at its widest point and its shoreline measures 43 km.