Some gerenal information

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a southern European country and consists of an archipelago situated centrally in the Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north-east of Tunisia, with Gibraltar 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria 1,510 km to the east.

Malta is just over 300 km² making it one of Europe's smallest and one of the Europe's most densely populated countries.Its de facto capital is Valetta and the largest city is Birkirkara. Maltese is the national language and a co-official language, alongside English.

Throughout history, Malta's location has given it great strategic importance and a sequence of powers including the Phoenicians, Romans, Fatimids, Sicilians, Knights og St.John,French and British have all ruled the islands. Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and became a Republic in 1974, whilst retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. It is a member of the United Nations (since 1964) and a memberof the European Union (since 2004). Malta is also party to the Schengen Agreement (since 2007) and member of the eurozone (since 2008).

Malta has a long Christian legacy and is an Apostolic Sea. According to theActs of the Apostles, St.Paul was shipwrecked on the island and ministered there and, indeed,Catholicism continues to be the official and dominant religion of Malta.

Malta is known for its world heritage sites, most prominently the Megalithic Temples which are the oldest free-standing structures in Europe.

The Republic of Malta
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The grand harbour

The grand harbour

The Islands of Malta

The Republic of Malta consists of a small group of islands: Malta, Gozo, Comino and Filfa — located in the Mediterranean Sea, with a total area of 316 square kilometers. The capital and leading port of the country is Valetta.The islands of Malta consist of low-lying coralline limestone plateaus surrounded by impermeable clay slopes. The highest point is 239 meters above sea level.

Malta, Valetta by night

Malta, Valetta by night

The second-largest island of Malta, Gozo

Gozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago. Compared to its southeastern neighbour, Gozo is more rural and known for its scenic hills, which are featured on its coat of arms.

A popular nickname of Gozo is the Isle of Calypso, derived from the location of Ogygia in Greek mythological poem Homer's Odyssey. In the myth, the island was controlled by nymph Calypso who detained the hero of the story Odysseus there as prisoner of love for seven years; Gozo is thought to be modern day Ogygia.

The island itself has a population of around 31,000 people (all of Malta combined has 402,000).


Gozo, The Azure Window

The Azure Window is a natural rock formation. The natural megalithic archway was formed by the waves as the constant pounding wore down the soft limestone. It's name comes from the colour of the sea one observes when looking through the big archway.


The Island of Comino

The tiny Island of Comino is situated right in the middle of the channel that separates mainland Malta from the island of Gozo. The unspoilt island is a haven for all those who love swimming, snorkelling, diving, wind surfing and other water sports. Comino has an area of 1.5 sq. kms. and there are only about eight residents living on the Island.