Malkara experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa),[4] with hot, dry summers, and chilly, rainy, somewhat snowy winters.

Alternatively the town may be named after 'Malgar' a general in the army of Alexander the Great who built a fortress here after they had succeeded in bringing to an end the Persian 30-year occupation of Thrace.

At the end of the 18th century Malkara was the scene of an uprising by the Janissary troops in protest against plans by Sultan Selim III to replace them with a new model army.

Malkara is a small market town serving the countryside around it, which is mostly devoted to growing sunflowers for seeds and oil.

[citation needed] There are 77 neighbourhoods in Malkara District:[7] The village of Yenidibek with its reservoir and ruined Byzantine castle is a popular picnic spot.