The Maltese are a breed of domestic goat from the east and central Mediterranean area. It originates in Asia Minor and takes its name from the island of Malta. It is raised mainly in southern Italy, and particularly in the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Although the Maltese: Mogħża Maltija is reported to DAD-IS, the official view is that there are no pure-bred specimens of the breed in the Maltese islands, although some modern Maltese goats may be closely related to the original type. The Maltese are also present in Greece, Turkey and the Maghreb.
The Maltese are a long-haired white goat characterised by a raven-black area on the top and sides of the head and long pendulous black ears which turn outwards at the tip.
In Italy, the Maltese are one of the eight autochthonous Italian goat breeds for which a genealogical herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep- and goat-breeders. The herdbook was established in 1976. The Italian population of the breed was estimated in 1983 to be about 70,000, and in 2005 at 40,000. At the end of 2013 the registered population reported was 1934.