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Malta

Brief Description

   Malta is the biggest in an archipelago of small islands (total 316 sq.kms) in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Sicily (Italy).  The other islands are Gozo, Comino, Cominotto and Filfla.  The capital city of Malta is Valletta, named after one of the Grand Masters of the Knights of St. John. The Maltese Islands have a population of about 375,000 and the climate is mild with temperatures never going below freezing.  Highest temperatures in July/August are in the region of 35 - 45 degress Celcius, and the lowest in January in the region 5 - 10 degrees Celcius. 

   The many ancient monuments and remains on Malta attest to the great age of its civilization. The islands became a colony of Phoenicia in about 1000 BC. In 736 BC they were occupied by the Greeks, who called the colony Melita. The islands subsequently passed into the possession of Carthage and then Rome.  The islands were then occupied by the Arabs in 870. A Norman army, led by Count Roger, defeated the Maltese Arabs in 1090, and Malta was later made a feudal fief of the Kingdom of Sicily. In 1530, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted Malta to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem,  who ruled the islands until the 19th century. After a famous and unsuccessful siege by the Ottoman Turks in 1565, the Knights fortified Valletta so well that it became one of the greatest Mediterranean strongholds.

    In 1798, during his Egyptian campaign, Napoleon occupied the islands. Unwilling to be ruled by France, the Maltese appealed to Great Britain; in 1799 the British besieged Valletta and compelled the withdrawal of the French. By the terms of the 1814 Treaty of Paris, Malta became part of the British Empire as a Crown Colony. The Maltese increasingly demanded self-government during the 19th century. In 1921, as a reward for its help during World War I, the colony was given a constitution that provided for a locally elected legislature.

    Malta’s strategic location meant the islands were of great interest to the Mediterranean powers, especially Italy.  During World War II, Malta withstood almost daily German and Italian air raids; in 1942 the British king George VI awarded the colony the George Cross in recognition of the bravery of the Maltese.

    Malta became independent on September 21, 1964,  a Council of Europe and UN member in the same year and a Republic within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1974.

Gallery

Aerial View of Mdina                                                                          Mgarr (Gozo) Harbour

       Karozzin                                          The Maltese Armada                                           Boat Ride   

The Maltese Islands                                                               Views of Malta - 1

Valletta Monuments                                                   Aspects of Malta

       Views of Malta - 2                                                          Gozo - Archway to Peace

        Fort St. Angelo                                                       Valletta - Grand Harbour

Views of Malta - 3                                                                   Views of Malta - 4

  Knights of St. John                                                       Views of Malta by night

                 Popeye's Village  Film-Set                                     Zebbug Paris Church - Ready for the feast

Dwejra (Gozo) in the storm                                                           Old City of Mdina          

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