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Where is Malta? |
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Malta is in a very strategic location, right in the middle of the Mediterranean. Being at the cross-roads
has greatly influenced Malta. Commerce, language, religion, customs, and war passed through Malta
producing rich history, complex language, unique culture, and a tremendously resilient people.
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The combined size of the islands (Malta, Gozo, Comino...followed by much smaller Cominotto and Filfla)
comprise only 198.8 square miles (320 km). Of the two main inhabited islands, Gozo is roughly one third the size of Malta.
During the Ice Ages, the Maltese Islands were joined to Sicily,
and Sicily to Italy. Human presence in Malta can be dated to the Neolithic period (5200BC to 4100BC).
The population of Malta is almost 400,000 people with only 30,000 of that number living in Gozo.
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| A short history of Malta
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Malta's jewel in the crown of ancient archaeology is its 'Temple Period' (4100BC to 2500BC) from which
there are major architectural structures. The world's oldest freestanding architecture is the Ggantija
temple in Gozo which is over one thousand years older than the Egyptian Pyramids. The incredible number
of these temples include Skorba, Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Tarxien, and the awe-inspiring underground temple of
Hal Saflieni, Hypogeum.
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If more modern history is your pleasure, there is plenty to hold your interest, with Phoenician, Roman,
Medieval, Crusades, French, and British influences all weaving textures of life which are close to
undescribable but immensely interesting and appealing to the eye, the mind, and the heart.
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The 'Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta' - Knights of Malta
moved to Malta after being defeated at Rhodes by Suleiman the Magnificent. The Order's original duties
were to care for sick and wounded Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land and to help the poor, but they were
destined to become players in one of the most dramatic battles in history. Suleiman set out to destroy the
Knights and use Malta as a staging area for an attack on Southern Europe. In 1565 the much feared and
dreaded naval commander of the Ottoman Turks, Dragut the 'Great Turkish pirate' set out with his enormous
fleet to overtake the heavily outnumbered Knights of Malta. In one of the dramatic stories of all history,
the heavily outnumbered Knights of Malta stood their ground and forced the Turks to abandon their plans.
The Knights of St. John had successfully protected Southern Europe.
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The fortress city, Valletta, was built and named in honour of the Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette,
the courageous leader of the Knights. Valletta is one of the earliest examples of a planned city built on
the grid system. The Knights of Malta came from the richest aristocratic families in Europe and proceeded
to hire the best engineers and artists of the day to craft "The city built by gentlemen for gentlemen" as
described by Sir Walter Scott. The massive fortifications, museums, palaces, churches of Valletta still
stand in testimony to the style and culture of those who built this 'modern' city. Valletta's harbor and
fortifications can be seen in many movies, lending atmosphere and historic character that is distinctive
to Valletta, Malta.
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Napoleon also took his turn at dominating the Maltese islands. In 1800 the British helped oust the French and
remained until 1964, when the Maltese Islands achieved their independence. During World War II, Malta sustained
more intense air attacks than the well-publicized blitz of London. The Maltese came within days of starvation from
this second great siege and were saved by a dramatic supply convoy on the feast day of Santa Marija, 15 August 1942.
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Malta and Gozo are of the same political and cultural cloth and yet are places of two very distinct ambiances. The island of
Malta is the modern-day business center with lots of hustle and bustle, all taking place against the backdrop of the
architecture and history of medieval walled cities and the social structure of gentry and European hierarchy of the Knights,
with its attendant protocols and etiquette. The sister island of Gozo, on the other hand, is the smaller, informal, greener,
farming island. Gozo functions more on the principle of who you are, rather than who you know. It is a very down to earth
place...with a delicious array of vegetables, hills, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and church bells. It is the place where many
Maltese come to spend weekends, to get away from the clock and the schedules, to relax and unwind...and it is the place where a
small number of other, wiser folk from far-away lands come quietly to live!
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The result of all these various cultures and influences on the Maltese Islands and people is a combination of
richness to the textures of life which is close to undescribable but immensely interesting and appealing to the eye,
the mind, and the heart.
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SUGGESTED READING LIST |
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Blouet, Brian The Story of Malta 1967 Faber and Faber London (available in paperback)
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Evans, J.D. The Prehistoric Antiquities of the Maltese Islands 1971 University of London/Athlone Press
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Hughes, Quentin Fortress ~ Architecture and Military History in Malta 1969 Lund Humphries London
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Monsarrat, Nicholas The Kappillan of Malta 1973
(A novel set in Malta during World War II, by the author of The Cruel Sea)
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Murphy, Paul (Ed) Insight Guides/Malta APA Publications (latest edition)
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Rinaldi, Nicholas The Jukebox Queen of Malta 1999 Bantam Press ISBN 0593 044215
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Sire, H.J.A. The Knights of Malta1996 Yale University Press ISBN 0300068859
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Trump, David H. (photography: Daniel Cilia) Malta ~ Prehistory and Temples 2002 Midsea Books Ltd. ISBN 99909-93-93-9
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