The Southern Region () is one of six
regions
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
of
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. The region covers the southeastern part of the
main island of Malta. The region borders the
Northern,
Eastern,
Port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
and
Western Regions
The Western Regions or Xiyu (Hsi-yü; ) was a historical name specified in Ancient Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to the 8th century AD that referred to the regions west of the Yumen Pass, most often the Tarim Basin in prese ...
.
It was created by the Act No. XVI of 2009 out of parts of
Malta Majjistral and
Malta Xlokk. Act No. XIV of 2019, which led to a regional reform in 2021, significantly altered the region's borders and composition, and reduced its local councils from 14 to 12.
Administrative divisions
Districts
Southern Region includes parts of the
Northern Harbour District,
South Eastern District and
Southern Harbour District.
Local councils
Southern Region includes 12 local councils:
*
Birżebbuġa
Birżebbuġa (; sometimes shortened to B'Buġa) is a seaside town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, close to Marsaxlokk. It is approximately from the capital Valletta, and has a population of 9,736 as of March 2014.
The ...
- include the areas of
Qajjenza,
Tal-Papa,
Bengħisa Battery,
Ħal Far
Ħal Far is the largest industrial estate in Malta. It is at the southern extreme of Malta, between the localities of Birżebbuġa, Safi and Żurrieq.
In the past, Ħal Far housed the RAF Hal Far airfield, which was known as HMS Falcon when i ...
, and
Għar Dalam
Għar Dalam (; "Cave of Dalam", Dalam being a fifteenth-century family name) is a 144-metre long phreatic tube and cave, located in the outskirts of Birżebbuġa, Malta. The cave contains the bones of animals that lived on Malta during the Plei ...
*
Għaxaq - include the areas of
Ħas-Saptan,
Ħal Dmikki,
Tal-Qattus and
Tal-Millieri
*
Gudja - include the areas of
Bir Miftuħ,
Tal-Mithna and
Xlejli
*
Ħamrun
Hamrun ( ) is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014.
The people
The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who ca ...
- include the areas of
Blata l-Bajda and
Rabbat
*
Luqa
Luqa ( , ) is a town located in the Southern Region of Malta, 4.3 km away from the capital Valletta. With a population of 5,945 as of March 2014, it is a small but densely populated settlement which is typical of Malta's older towns and vi ...
- include the area of
Ħal Farruġ
*
Marsa - include the areas of
Albert Town and
Menqa (annexed in 2021 from
South Eastern Region
The South Eastern Region () is a former region of Malta. The region included the southeastern part of the main island of Malta, including the capital Valletta. The region bordered the Central and Southern Regions.
It was created by the Act No ...
)
*
Marsaskala - include the areas of
St. Thomas' Bay,
Żonqor Battery and
Bellavista (annexed in 2021 from South Eastern region)
*
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishing and history. As of March 2014, the village had a populati ...
- include the areas of
Delimara and
Tas-Silġ (annexed in 2021 from South Eastern region)
*
Qormi (Città Pinto) - include the areas of
Ħandaq and
Tal-Ħlas
*
Santa Luċija
Santa Luċija () is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 2,997 as of March 2014. It is one of the modern towns developed in Malta during the 20th century. By virtue of an article which appeared in Government Gazette o ...
*
Santa Venera
Santa Venera is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 8,834 (2021). It is located between the towns of Birkirkara and Ħamrun, and also borders Qormi and Msida.
History
The Old Church of Santa Ven ...
- include parts of
Fleur-de-Lys
The ''fleur-de-lis'', also spelled ''fleur-de-lys'' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a common heraldic charge in the (stylized) shape of a lily (in French, and mean and respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' ...
and
Mrieħel (annexed in 2021 from
Central region)
*
Żejtun (Città Beland) - include the areas of
Bulebel,
Ä ebel San Martin,
Bir id-Deheb,
Tal-Barrani,
Ħajt il-Wied and
Ħal Tmin (annexed in 2021 from South Eastern region)
;Hamlets:
*
Ħal Farruġ
Local councils lost in 2021
After the 2021 local government reform, the region ceded 6 of its local councils to the newly established Western region:
*
Kirkop
Kirkop () is a village in the Western Region, Malta, Western Region of Malta. Located near the Malta International Airport, it has been inhabited since pre-history. The parish church is dedicated to Saint Leonard. The football team of the village ...
*
Mqabba
*
Qrendi
Qrendi () is a village in the Western Region, Malta, Western Region of Malta, with a population of 3,148 people as of October 2021. It is located close to Mqabba, Żurrieq and Siġġiewi. Within its boundaries are the two Neolithic temples of ...
- include the areas of
Maqluba,
Wied iż-Żurrieq and
Ħaġar Qim
*
Safi
*
Siġġiewi (Città Ferdinand) - include the areas of
Għar Lapsi,
Fawwara and
Girgenti
*
Żebbuġ (Città Rohan) - include the areas of
Ħal Muxi,
Ħal Mula,
Ħal Dwin
*
Żurrieq
Żurrieq ( ) is a town in the Western Region of Malta. It is one of the oldest towns in the country, and has a population of 11,823 inhabitants as of March 2014. Żurrieq is one of the 10 parishes to be documented in 1436 and is dedicated to S ...
- include the areas of
Bubaqra,
Nigret and
Tal-Bebbux
Regional Council
The current Southern Regional Counsil () is made up of:
References
External links
*
{{Regions of Malta
Regions of Malta
States and territories established in 2009
2009 establishments in Malta