Portal:Malta
The Malta Portal
Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a small island nation comprising an archipelago of seven islands (Malta, Gozo (Għawdex) Comino (Kemmuna) Filfla, Cominotto (Kemmunett) Manoel, Selmunett (St.Paul's Islands)) in the Mediterranean Sea. A country of Southern Europe, Malta lies south of Sicily, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The country's official languages are Maltese and English. Roman Catholicism is the most practised religion. The islands constituting the Maltese nation have been ruled by various powers and fought over by many states for centuries. Malta has been a member state of the European Union (EU) since 2004 and it is currently the smallest EU country both in population and in area.
Selected ArticleThe Siege of Malta was a significant military event in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II that occurred between 1940 and 1943 on the island of Malta. The siege was conducted by Italian and German(Axis) military aircraft and ships. Malta was one of the most intensively-bombed areas during war – a total of 3,000 raids occurred during the two years of the siege. During the siege, 1,493 civilians died and 3,674 were wounded. Between June 1940 and December 1942 the RAF fighters claimed some 863 Axis aircraft shot down (true losses were around 570 aircraft in action) for the loss of 289 Spitfires and Hurricanes in action, and some 844 aircraft of all types lost to all causes in the air and on the ground. The Luftwaffe alone claimed some 446 Allied aircraft (of all types) shot down.(more...) Selected Locality Mdina (also called L-Imdina or Città Notabile) is the old capital of Malta. It is a medieval town, with narrow quiet streets, situated in the centre of the island. It is also known as the "Silent City". It commands a magnificent view of the Island. Evidence for settlement in Mdina goes back to over 4000 BCE. It was first fortified by the Phoenicians around 700 BC, probably because of its strategic location on one of the highest points on the island and as far from the sea as possible. When Malta came under control of the Roman Empire, the Roman Governor built his palace there. It was here in 60 CE that the Apostle St Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the Islands. The city earned its present day name from the Saracens who came to Malta around 870 CE. They surrounded the city with thick defensive walls and a wide moat, separating it from its nearest town, Rabat. (more...) Selected Picture Photo credit: Philip Serracino Inglott
The Sopu Tower is situated at the edge of a cliff between San Blas Bay and Dahlet Qorrot Bay. It was built in 1667 by Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner to guard this part of Gozo from the warships of the Turks who at that time sailed between Gozo and Sicily. The tower is unique in its kind in Gozo. It resisted the incursions of the French troops on 10th June 1798, who landed on this part to capture Gozo. Did you know
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