Geography and Population 'The Maltese archipelago is situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, some 93 km south of Sicily (Italy) and 290 km north of North Africa. It is made up of three main inhabited islands, namely Malta, Gozo and Comino and a few smaller islands'

The Maltese archipelago is situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, some 93 km south of Sicily (Italy) and 290 km north of North Africa. It is made up of three main inhabited islands, namely Malta, Gozo and Comino and a few smaller islands. The total land area is 316 km2 and the landscape is typically characterised by low hills with terraced fields. The entire population of the Maltese islands stands at approximately 404,000, with a population density of 1282 person per square kilometre which is by far the highest in the EU and one of the highest in the world. The islands attract over one million tourists annually putting further pressure on the country’s resources. The Maltese population has been growing steadily since 1985 at an average rate of 2,900 per annum. However, more recently, population growth has slowed down from 9.5 % between 1985 and 1995 to around 6.9 % between 1995 and 2005, lending to lower fertility rates. The population is expected to continue increasing at the current rate, reaching a peak of approximately 425,000 in around 15-20 years and later declining to 360,000 by 2060. With a coastline of 43km, Gozo is the second largest island forming part of the Maltese archipelago. It has an area of 67 km2 and a population of over 31,000 persons, which amounts to around 8 per cent of the total Maltese population. When compared to the overall area of the Maltese Islands, Gozo covers approximately one-third of that area. This indicates that the island of Gozo is not as overpopulated, and therefore a lot greener and more peaceful. The Gozo population has a markedly higher dependency ratio than Malta, mainly due to a relatively high proportion of persons in retirement. This is in part, due to the fact that younger persons generally reside in Malta, drawn by better economic prospects and the opportunity to further their studies.