Located in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Sicily, the Maltese archipelago consists of three islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino. The largest island of the group is Malta, from which the archipelago takes its name. 

Valletta, the capital, is the cultural, administrative, and commercial centre of the archipelago. Malta is well served with harbours, chief of which is the Valletta Grand Harbour. Its international airport is at Luqa, five kilometres from the capital. 

The second largest island is Gozo. It is topographically quite different from Malta, and is quaintly attractive for its less industrialised way of life. Comino, Cominotto, Filfla and St Paul’s Islet are the other major features of the archipelago. 

The distance between Malta and the nearest point in Sicily is 93 km. The distance from the nearest point on the North African mainland (Tunisia) is 288 km. Gibraltar is 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria is 1,510 km to the east. 

Area of the Maltese Islands and internal waters: 
Maltese Islands 316 km²
Internal Waters 198 km²

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