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The history of the islands that make up the Republic of Malta goes back to
the time when they did not exist! In the beginning they formed plateau high up
on land that joined what is today Europe and the African continent. In a 144m
long natural cave (Ghar Dalam) were found dwarf prehistoric fauna remains
an indication that the land was joined to the two continents. The massive
stalactites and stalagmites which it contains reveal its very great antiquity.
With the separating of the land mass that are now Spain and Morocco the Mediterranean
sea was formed and the islands therein.
The first known places of worship in the world are found in Malta. The Ggantija
Prehistoric Temples in the sister island of Gozo were built between 3600 to 2400
BC making them among the earliest architectural plan facades in the world, older
than the Pyramids in Egypt.
In 1530 Malta was given as a fief to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
The capital city of Malta, Valletta, was built right after the great siege
of 1565 on the order of the then Grand Master Jean de la Vallette.
On
his way to conquer the East, Napoleon invaded Malta in 1798 and expelled
the Knights of St. John. The French occupation was short lived as in the same
year the insurrection of the Maltese and the assistance of Nelson saw the French
thrown out of Malta.
By 1814 the Treaty of Paris gave Malta to Britain and the island became an
important strategic 'island fortress' in the Mediterranean. During the 1st World
War its importance was enhanced. During the 2nd World War Malta was in the
front line from the very first day. At one time it was on the verge of
starvation with all food supply exhausted.
On 21 September 1964 Malta became an independent nation and in 1974 it became
a Republic.
Malta became a member of the European Union on 1st May 2004.
The Maltese islands consist of Malta, Gozo and Comino are situated 95
kilometres south of Sicily and 290 kilometres from the nearest point on the
North African coast in the Mediterranean sea. The total area of the three
islands is 320 square kilometres with the main island, Malta, being 27
kilometres long and its widest point measures 14 kilometres.
The capital city of Malta is Valletta. It is the Governmental, commercial
and shopping centre.
Maltese is the national language. For official purposes both Maltese and
English are given equal status and use in the Government. All Maltese are able
to speak fluent English and most business correspondence is normally in English.
Malta enjoys a moderate climate of warm, dry summers and mild winters. Being
a small island cooling breezes are often in evidence. The average rainfall
is 590mm and the temperatures range from 12 degrees Celsius in winter to over 30
degrees in the peak of summer.
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