Strategically located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, the Maltese archipelago consists of seven small islands which include: Malta, Gozo and Comino.

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.

This strategic position has allowed Malta to develop as an important trading post. The Malta Freeport is one of the Mediterranean’s leading ports for container transhipments.

Malta joined the European Union on 1st May 2004. Subsequently, on 1st January 2008 Malta adopted the euro as its currency and hence became the only legal tender currency on the Maltese Islands.

Both the EU membership and the adoption of the Euro have made the Maltese economy even more stable and consequently attractive to foreign trade and investment. This is regularly being confirmed by International Credit Rating Agencies.