Total land area
316 km²
One of the world’s smallest archipelagic states.
Malta Guide · 05
The ArchipelagoMalta, Gozo and Comino
More than one island
Malta is the name of a country, an island and an archipelago.
Three inhabited islands form its core, surrounded by smaller islets, rocks, channels and a coastline that is never very far away.
A compact island nation
The sea does not sit around Malta. It runs through it.
The Maltese archipelago lies in the central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north of Libya. Across just 316 km² of land, Malta, Gozo and Comino form the inhabited core of the country, with smaller islets and offshore rocks scattered around them.
Malta is the largest and most urbanised island. Gozo is smaller, greener and more rural. Comino sits between them, tiny and largely uninhabited. Together they create a country where a few kilometres of sea can produce a surprisingly different sense of place.
Archipelago profile
Malta at island scale.
A small land area, three inhabited islands and a geography built around the sea.
Position
Central Mediterranean
On the sea route between Europe and North Africa.
Inhabited islands
3
Malta, Gozo and Comino.
Nearest large island
Sicily · 93 km
Directly to the north across the Mediterranean.
Malta
245.7 km²
The largest island and the country’s main urban centre.
Gozo · Għawdex
67.1 km²
The second-largest island, more rural and open.
Comino · Kemmuna
2.8 km²
Tiny, largely uninhabited and set between Malta and Gozo.
Libyan coast
288 km
A short Mediterranean distance from North Africa as well as southern Europe.
The three main islands
Three islands. Three very different rhythms.
The distances are small, but the balance of urban life, countryside and open sea changes noticeably from one island to the next.
Island 01
MaltaMalta · the main island
The largest island holds the capital, the international airport, the main ports and most of the country’s population and development. Its harbour region is intensely urban, while the west and south-west open into cliffs, fields, garrigue and smaller coastal settlements.
Area245.7 km²
RoleAdministrative & commercial centre
Island 02
GozoGħawdex · the sister island
Gozo lies north-west of Malta and feels more rural almost immediately. Villages sit between terraced fields and low hills, while the coast is cut by cliffs, bays and valleys. Rabat, also known as Victoria, is the island’s main town and administrative centre.
Area67.1 km²
CharacterMore rural & open
Island 03
CominoKemmuna · between the two
Comino occupies the channel between Malta and Gozo. At only about 2.8 km², it is largely uninhabited and dominated by exposed limestone, garrigue, cliffs and small coves. The Blue Lagoon made it famous, but the island itself is much more than the water beside it.
Area2.8 km²
SettingBetween Malta & Gozo
How they fit together
Close enough to share a horizon. Different enough to feel distinct.
Malta, Gozo and Comino form a short north-west to south-east chain, with smaller islets extending the archipelago around their coasts.
Comino sits between Malta and Gozo.
The narrow channels on either side of Comino turn the crossing between the two larger islands into a compact island corridor.
Most national life is concentrated on Malta.
Malta contains the capital, airport, main harbours and the largest continuous urban area, while its western and southern edges open into more rural landscapes.
Gozo remains geographically and culturally distinct.
A short sea crossing is enough to separate Gozo from Malta’s urban core, helping preserve its stronger village pattern, open countryside and slower rhythm.
Beyond the big three
The islets that complete the map.
Some are little more than slabs of limestone. Others carry protected habitats, legends or landmarks that are deeply woven into Maltese geography.
Cominotto · Kemmunett
The tiny islet immediately west of Comino helps form the narrow, shallow waters of the Blue Lagoon between the two islands.
Filfla
A steep, uninhabited islet off Malta’s southern coast. It is a protected nature reserve, and access is tightly controlled.
St Paul’s Islands · Selmunett
The low islands off Malta’s north-east coast are protected as a nature reserve and are closely tied to the traditional story of St Paul’s shipwreck.
Fungus Rock · Il-Ġebla tal-Ġeneral
A sheer offshore rock at Dwejra. It is protected as a nature reserve and forms one of Gozo’s most recognisable coastal landmarks.
Finding your bearings
The regions of Malta.
For orientation, this guide uses broad geographic regions rather than strict administrative boundaries. Malta’s official statistical districts are Northern, Western, Northern Harbour, Southern Harbour, South Eastern, and Gozo & Comino.
North
Northern Malta
Mellieħa, St Paul’s Bay, Mġarr, Mosta, Naxxar and Għargħur. The island’s north mixes ridges, bays, farmland, resort areas and the departure point for Gozo and Comino.
Mellieħa · St Paul’s Bay · MġarrCentre
Central Malta
The densely settled interior around Birkirkara, Ħamrun, Qormi, Attard, Balzan and Lija. Here the distinction between separate towns often blurs into one continuous urban fabric.
Birkirkara · Qormi · AttardGrand Harbour & Marsamxett
Harbour Region
Valletta, Floriana, Sliema, Gżira, Msida and the Three Cities cluster around Malta’s two great harbours. This is the country at its most urban, historic and maritime.
Valletta · Sliema · Three CitiesWest
Western Malta
Mdina, Rabat, Dingli, Siġġiewi and Żebbuġ sit among some of Malta’s broadest open landscapes, with limestone plateaux, cliffs, fields and old inland settlements.
Mdina · Rabat · DingliSouth & south-east
Southern Malta
Fishing villages, working ports, temple landscapes and low limestone coast meet around Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, Żejtun, Żurrieq, Qrendi and Birżebbuġa.
Marsaxlokk · Żurrieq · MarsaskalaSister island
Gozo & Comino
Gozo forms its own compact world of villages, valleys, terraced fields and cliffs, centred on Victoria. Comino lies to its south-east, small, exposed and almost entirely undeveloped.
Victoria · Xagħra · Nadur · Comino
Towns & villages
The places that give the islands their character.
Malta’s settlements sit extraordinarily close together, but each has its own history, skyline and relationship with the surrounding landscape.
Capital city
Valletta
A fortified peninsula between Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour, dense with bastions, churches, palaces and steep streets.
Harbour Region
Old capital
Mdina
Malta’s walled medieval city, perched on high ground above the centre of the island and still defined by its quiet lanes and limestone palazzi.
Western Malta
Historic town
Rabat
Wrapped around Mdina’s walls, Rabat extends the historic landscape into catacombs, old streets, convents and the countryside beyond.
Western Malta
Birgu · Isla · Bormla
The Three Cities
Three fortified harbour cities facing Valletta across Grand Harbour, shaped by dockyards, bastions and centuries of maritime history.
Harbour Region
Fishing village
Marsaxlokk
A traditional harbour settlement on Malta’s south-east coast, known for its waterfront, colourful boats and working fishing port.
Southern Malta
Central landmark
Mosta
A large inland town whose skyline is dominated by the monumental dome of the Rotunda, near the transition between central and northern Malta.
Northern Malta
Ridge-top town
Mellieħa
A steep northern settlement overlooking Mellieħa Bay, with easy access to Għadira, Marfa Ridge and the ferries towards Gozo and Comino.
Northern Malta
Gozo’s capital
Victoria · Rabat
Gozo’s main town and transport hub, gathered below the fortified Citadel at the geographical heart of the island.
Gozo
Urban waterfront
Sliema & St Julian’s
Malta’s busiest modern waterfront, where promenades, residential streets, restaurants, hotels and nightlife face Marsamxett and the open sea.
Harbour Region
Old south-east
Żejtun
A historic inland town of narrow streets, old houses and church squares, closely tied to the agricultural landscapes of Malta’s south-east.
Southern Malta
Coastal town
Marsaskala
A long harbour settlement on the south-east coast, spreading around Marsaskala Creek and towards the low rocky shores of Żonqor and St Thomas Bay.
Southern Malta
Gozo village
Xagħra
A hilltop village above Ramla Valley, best known for Ġgantija and for its broad views across eastern Gozo.
GozoFurther reading
Go deeper into the islands.
Government geography, official district classifications, protected-area information and Gozo’s regional guide.
The Maltese Islands · Government of MaltaOfficial overview of the archipelago and its position.
NSO · District ClassificationOfficial districts and the localities grouped within them.
ERA · Protected AreasNature reserves and protected terrestrial sites.
Visit GozoRegional context for Malta’s second-largest island.