National Statistics Office, Malta 2014 Published by the National Statistics Office Lascaris Valletta Malta Tel.: (+356) 25 99 70 00 Fax: (+356) 25 99 72 05 e-mail:
[email protected] website: http://www.nso.gov.mt CIP Data Malta in Figures 2014. – Valletta: National Statistics Office, 2014. xviii, 60p.; 21cm. ISBN 978-99957-29-48-6 ISSN 1726-1392 For further information and for acquisition of publications, please contact: Unit D2: External Cooperation and Communication Directorate D: Resources and Support Services National Statistics Office Lascaris Valletta Tel.: (+356) 25 99 72 19 Fax: (+356) 25 99 72 05 Printed in Malta by the Government Printing Press. Cover painting: Fort Saint Angelo by Joseph Casapinta. Manuscript completed: 7 November 2014 Cut-off date for data: 31 October 2014 MALTA: A PROFILE Malta comprises an archipelago of five islands: the island of Malta is the largest, followed by Gozo, Comino, Cominotto and Filfla. The latter two are uninhabited islets. The Maltese Islands are situated in the Central Mediterranean Sea, 93 kilometres south of Sicily and 290 kilometres north of Libya. The climate is a Mediterranean one characterised by hot, dry summers and cool winters with an annual average rainfall of nearly 476 millimetres. Temperatures are stable, the annual mean being 19°C and monthly averages ranging from 15°C to about 31°C in the summer months. Winds blow frequently over Malta. The most prevalent are the cool northwesterly known in the vernacular as il-majjistral, the dry northeasterly called il-grigal, and the hot southeasterly called ix-xlokk. Malta gained independence from Britain on 21 September 1964 when it also joined the Commonwealth.