| |
Situated in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta is an
archipelago made up of seven Islands, but the main three are
Malta, Gozo and Comino, some 93 km south of Sicily. The island
of Malta has an area of 246 sqkm and Gozo of 67 sqkm whilst
Comino is a small island in between the two. Indented coastline
of the islands forms numerous bays thus providing good natural
harbours. Malta has no mountains or rivers and the landscape
primarily consists of low hills with terraced fields. The
highest point is the Ta' Dmejrek on Malta Island at 253 m (830
ft), near Dingli. The climate is typically Mediterranean with
mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Nearly three-fourths
of the total annual rainfall of about 600 millimetres (24
inches) falls between October and March. Malta will give you the
opportunity to explore 7000 years of history yet live
passionately in the present. First inhabited around 5200 BC
Malta had been successively occupied by Phoenicians, Carthage,
Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Order of Knights of Saint
John of Jerusalem, the French and the British. Each of the
conquerors had left a significant trace in the islands’ history
and culture. So did the original inhabitants of the archipelago,
whose temples still stand on the Maltese soil and are considered
to be the oldest man-made structures on the planet. In Roman
times, the Maltese accepted Christianity brought to them by St.
Paul in the 1st century AD and the Arabs were the ones who
introduced what is now the basis of Maltese language. The
biggest impact, though, was made by the Knights of Saint John
who came to Malta in 1530 and ruled the islands for almost 300
years. |
|
They established the city of Valletta and made it the
capital. They also built towns, palaces, churches, gardens
and fortifications and embellished the island with numerous
works of art and enhanced cultural heritage. During their
rule, in 1565, the Turks attacked the islands. Their attempt
to take over Malta and defeat the Knights failed after four
months, but remained remembered in history as “the Great
Siege”. After the short French occupation, came the British
and stayed until 1964 when Malta finally gained its
independence, but remained in the Commonwealth. In 1974 it
became a republic and the last British troops left the
islands in 1979. The most recent milestone in Maltese
history is accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004,
and the next one is introduction of Euro in 2007. Malta has
two official languages - Maltese and English. Maltese became
an official language of Malta in 1936, alongside English.
Before that year, the official language was Italian. The
English language is a leftover of about 160 years of British
colonisation. Maltese is the only Semitic language which is
written in Roman alphabet. There are a significant number of
Maltese expatriates in Australia, the United States and
Canada who can still speak the language. Italian, too, is
widely spoken among the younger generation. Maltese
population today is around 400,000. The predominant
religious denomination is Roman Catholicism (98%). Diving
and yachting are among the most popular sports activities in
Malta. With pleasant climate and the warm and clear sea the
islands offer a great choice of diving locations and a
number of diveable wrecks.
There are several marinas both in Malta and Gozo, which are
equipped with all necessary amenities and are suitable for
wintering one’s yacht. The last 20 years have seen the
Islands make the transition to a forward looking, thoroughly
modern country which now attracts invaders of a most welcome
sort: investors, European companies, high-tech light
industry and over one million tourists each year.
|
|
They are also relatively crime free and safe, with no racial
or religious problems, it is a safe place to bring up a
family. The following is the list of national and public
holidays in Malta:
1 January - New Year's Day
10 February - Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck
19 March - Feast of St Joseph
31 March - Freedom Day
Easter Holidays - Good Friday and Easter Sunday
1 May - Worker's Day
7 June - Sette Giugno
29 June - Feast of St Peter and St Paul
15 August - 'Santa Maria' Feast of the Assumption
8 September - Victory Day
21 September - Independence Day
8 December - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
13 December - Republic Day
25 December - Christmas Day
31 December - New Year's Eve
For more information about Malta visit:
Malta Tourism
Authority
Visit Malta
Malta Weather
Department of Information
Map of Malta
Medical Services
Malta Maritime Authority
Marsa Sports Club
Diving in Malta
or have
a look at our picture Gallery by
clicking here |
|
