Malta - Island in the
Mediterranean Sea, South of Sicily, East of Tunisia,
and North of Libya.
History
- Malta was occupied in turn by
Phoenicia, Greece, Carthage, and Rome, and fell to
the Arabs 870. In 1090 the Norman count Roger of
Sicily conquered Malta, and it remained under
Sicilian rule until the 16th century, when the Holy
Roman emperor Charles V handed it over to the Knights
of St John of Jerusalem 1530. After a Turkish attack
1565 the knights fortified the island and held it
until 1798, when they surrendered to Napoleon. After
requesting British protection, Malta was annexed by
Britain 1814 and became a leading naval base. A vital
link in World War II, Malta came under heavy attack
and was awarded the George Cross
Independence
- Malta became a fully independent state
within the Commonwealth and under the British crown
1964, having signed a ten-year military and economic
aid treaty with the UK. In 1971 Mintoff and the MLP
returned to power with a policy of international
nonalignment. He declared the 1964 treaty invalid and
began to negotiate a new arrangement for leasing the
Maltese NATO base and obtaining the maximum economic
benefit from it for his country
Republic
- Malta became a Republic country in 13th
December 1974. The first president of Malta was Sir
Anthony Mamo.
Statistics
Area
: 230sq km/ 124 sq mi
Capital
: Valletta
Population
: About 368,000 in (1999)
Exports
: Vegtables,Eletronic Equipment,ecc.....
Currency
: Maltese Lira (Lm)
Language
spoken : Maltese,English (Both
official)
Political
Parties : (MLP) Malta Labour Party, (PN)
Nationalist Party.
Religion
: Roman Catholic 98%
Websites
related to Malta
|
| -> University of Malta
: The University of Malta traces its
origins to the founding of the
Collegium Melitense in 1592. Today,
the University is the highest
teaching institution of the State and
is open to all those who have the
requisite qualifications. |
| -> Malta On-Line
: Malta On-line has been established
since May 1997. It started out mainly
as a page of links to hotels and
other establishments connected to the
tourist industry. |
| -> Visit Malta
: Read about Malta's village festas,
monetary rates of exchange, hotels
and geography. Also check out the
video section and upcoming events. |
| -> Malta International Airport
: Website about the Maltese Airport. |
| -> Gozo.com
: Official guide to Gozo island. News
and photos updated daily. Also
includes guides to restaurants,
accommodation, beaches and diving.
Your perfect holiday in the
Mediterranean is Gozo, Malta and it
starts here! |
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