Europe: Plan your Journey to Europe

Malta

Malta is an island country near the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, about 95 kilometres south of Sicily. It is an archipelago (group of islands). It contains three inhabited islands viz Malta, Gozo, and Comino, and three uninhabited islets viz Cominotto, Filfla, and Selmunett (St. Paul's Isle).

Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Low hills with slopes cut by terraced fields make much of Malta resemble a series of giant steps. The balmy Mediterranean climate attracts many visitors...More Information on Malta

Also Read: A short feature on background of Malta

Full country name: Republic of Malta
Area: 316 sq km
Population: 400,000
Capital City: Valletta
People: Maltese
Language: Malti, English, Italian
Religion: Roman Catholic (90%)
Government: Republic
Head of State: President Edward Fenech Adami
Head of Government: Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi

History of Malta

Malta was an important cultic center for earth-mother worship in the 4th millennium B.C. Recent archeological work shows a developed religious center there long before those of Sumer and Egypt. Malta's written history began well before the Christian era. Originally the Phoenicians, and later the Carthaginians, established ports and trading settlements on the island. During the second Punic War (218 B.C.), Malta became part of the Roman Empire. During Roman rule, in A.D. 60, Saint Paul was shipwrecked on Malta at a place now called St. Paul's Bay...More on Malta's History.

Overview of Malta Economy

GDP: US$6.81 billion
GDP per capita: US$17,200
Annual Growth: 4%
Inflation: 2.4%
Major Industries: Tourism, electronics, ship repair, construction
Major Trading Partners: Italy, Germany, UK
Member of EU: Yes

Also Read: A short feature on Economy of Malta

Political System of Malta

- Government of Malta
- Political Condition in Malta
- Foreign Relationship of Malta
- Defense and Military of Malta

Climate, Vegetation and Fauna

The Maltese archipelago consists of five islands lying in the middle of the Mediterranean, 93km (57mi) south of Sicily and 350km (217mi) north of Libya. Malta, the largest, is shaped like a bottle of port, and is indented by many bays and harbours. Aside from a few low ridges and outcrops, Malta is pretty flat and composed mainly of limestone. Gozo, the second largest island, is greener and hillier than Malta, and its coast has high rugged cliffs.

The islands' soil is generally thin and rocky, yielding very little flora. The main exception is Buskett Gardens, a lush valley of trees and orange groves protected by the imposing Dingli Cliffs on the southwestern coast of Malta.

Malta has an excellent climate, reaching up to 30°C (86°F) in midsummer (July to August) and when the hot scirocco winds blow in from Africa. The lowest average daily high temperature, about 15°C (59°F), occurs during January. Rainfall is heaviest from November to February, though it's low year-round.


Population: The Maltese are predominantly Roman Catholic and speak a language similar in vocabulary to Arabic, although its alphabet...Malta's Population.

Culture: Mediterranean culture is dominant in Malta, but nearly 150 years of British rule have left their mark. English is an official language (along with Maltese)...More about Culture of Malta.


Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Visas are not required for holiday visits of up to three months by Americans, Australians, Britons, Canadians, Japanese, New Zealanders or nationals of most EU countries.
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1
Dialling Code: 356
Electricity: 240V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Also Read: Money and Cost Required

When to Go to Malta

The best time to visit Malta is the lull from February to June, between the rainy season (such as it is) and the hot Mediterranean summer. This is also when room rates drop by as much as 40% from their late June to August high. September and October are also good months to visit.

Also Read: Getting Around Malta | Malta: Getting There and Away

What to See in Malta

Major Tourist Attractions in Malta
- Valletta: While travelling through the Mediterranean, Sir Walter Scott described Valletta as ‘the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen'...
- Gozo: Gozo has a distinct character all its own. The countryside is prettier than that of its larger neighbour, the pace is slower...
- Mdina: This 3000-year-old city, once the political centre of Malta, is filled with Norman and baroque buildings and narrow cobblestone streets...

Other Tourist Attractions in Malta
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more...

Events in Malta

The Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck, on 10 February, commemorates the mishap that brought the apostle to Malta in 60 AD. During the third week of February, pretty floats and creepy masks mark Carnival, when dancing competitions and other festivities take place in the capital and Floriana. This predominantly Roman Catholic country gets into Holy Week in a big way. During the Good Friday pageant, Christ's passion and crucifixion are depicted by statues born aloft through the streets of Valletta and a dozen other towns. You can also see Last Supper Table Displays in the capital and in the outlying villages, including one in Zebbug made entirely of pasta.

The Feast of St Publius in Floriana kicks off the festa (feast) season on the first Sunday after Easter; over the next six months every village honours its patron saint. Satisfy your fried rabbit habit during L'Imnarja - the Feast of Sts Peter & Paul - held on 28 and 29 June. The festivities include traditional Maltese folk singing, horse racing and lots of crispy bunny. During the Christmas season, streets all over the islands are festooned with lights, statues of Baby Jesus look out from the windows of homes and shops, and bands march through Valletta every evening. On Christmas Eve (24 December), boys parade through towns and villages with statues of the infant Saviour, and a child tells the story of Christ's birth during Midnight Mass.

Activities in Malta

With 30m (98ft) of visibility, warm water and dramatic undersea vistas, Malta has great diving. Gozo has the best spots, including the waters off the northeast coast near Marsalforn. St George's Bay, on the southeast coast, is another good place for a plunge. Comino also has good dive spots, including a 40m (120ft) drop-off at Ras I-Irieqa on the southwest tip of the island.

Despite its rocky coastline, Malta has some good beaches. Gnejna and Golden Bays, on the northwest coast, and St George's Bay have warm, calm waters and good sandy strands. Ramla Bay has Gozo's best beach.

All the islands in the archipelago are excellent for walking. Gozo and Comino are small enough to be covered by foot in a day or less, and nothing is really very far from anything else on Malta.


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Cluj-Napoca : Romania Cluj-Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvar; German: Klausenburg; Latin: Claudiopolis), the seat of Cluj county, is one of the most important academic, cultural and industrial centers in Romania. Regarded as the historic capital of Transylvania, the city is located in northwestern Romania, and is approximately 480 km (200 miles) northwest of Bucharest in the Somesul Mic [...]
Cultural Activity in Europe Europe has a long tradition of excellence in literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and dance. In the late 20th century Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, and Moscow were particularly famous as cultural centers, but many other cities also supported important museums, musical and theatrical groups, and other cultural institutions. Most European countries had [...]
Religion of Europe In the early 2000s the great majority of Europeans were Christians. The largest single religious group, Roman Catholics, lived mainly in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, southern Germany, and Poland. Another large group was composed of followers of Protestant faiths, concentrated in countries of northern and central Europe such as England, Scotland, [...]
Languages of Europe Europeans speak a wide variety of languages. The principal linguistic groups are the Slavic, which includes Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Slovenian, Macedonian, and Serbo-Croatian; the Germanic, which includes English, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic; and the Romance, which includes Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. These languages have [...]
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Physical features of Europe In terms of shape, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas. The two largest of these are “mainland” Europe and Scandinavia to the north, divided from each other by the Baltic Sea. Three smaller peninsulasâ€ Iberia, Italy and the Balkansâ€ emerge from the southern margin of the mainland into the Mediterranean Sea, which separates [...]
Regions of Europe Europe can be divided into five geographic regions: Scandinavia (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark); the British Isles (United Kingdom and Ireland); W Europe (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Monaco); S Europe (Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City); Central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, [...]

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