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MaltaMalta<!-- begin quick bar --> <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em"> <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff" width="200"> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Flag</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 2px">Image:mt-flag.png</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; border-top: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Quick Facts</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Capital'''</td><td>Valletta</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Government'''</td><td>republic<br/></td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Currency'''</td><td>Maltese lira (MTL)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Area'''</td><td>''total:'' 316 sq km <br>''water:'' 0 sq km <br>''land:'' 316 sq km</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Population'''</td><td>400,000 (2004)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Language'''</td><td>Maltese (official), English (official)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Religion'''</td><td>Roman Catholic 98%</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Country Calling Code'''</td><td>356</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Internet TLD'''</td><td>.mt</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Time Zone'''</td><td>UTC +1</td></tr> </table> </div> <!-- end quick bar --> '''Malta''' is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea that lies south of the island of Sicily, Italy. The country is an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited. Image:mt-map.png|frame|Map of Malta ==Regions== By inhabited island: *'''Malta''' (''This page'') *Gozo (''Ghawdex'') *Comino (''Kemmuna'') ==Cities== *Marsaxlokk *Mdina — Malta's well-preserved quiet old capital *Rabat *Sliema — beach package tourist central just off Valletta *Valletta — the capital, named for Jean Parisot de la Valetta, a French nobleman who was Grand Master of the Order of St. John and leader of the defenders during the Turkish siege of Malta in 1565. ==Other destinations== ==Understand== ===History=== The ''Order of St. John'', also known as the ''Hospitallers'', took over sovereign control of Malta in 1530 and by 1533 the Order had built a hospital at Birgu to care for the sick. In 1565, the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, mounted a great siege of Malta with a fleet of 180 ships and a landing force of 30,000 men. However the Order, with only 8,000 defenders, drove the Turks off after a hard siege of several months. After the siege, the Order founded the city of Valetta, defending it with a massive stone sea wall, which even withstood heavy bombing during the second world war. By 1575 the Order had built a large hospital known as the ''Grand Hospital'' or ''Sacred Infirmary'' in order to continue its primary mission of caring for the sick. In 1798, the French, under Napoleon, took the island on 12 June 1798, without resistance, when the Grand Master capitulated after deciding the island could not be defended against the opposing naval force. French rule lasted a little over 2 years and they surrendered to the British Royal Navy, under Admiral Nelson's command, in September 1800. Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars. The island was awarded the George Cross for its heroic resistance during the Second World War. An image of the cross is displayed on the flag. The colors on the flag are, red and white, being colors related to the Order of St. John. ; '''Independence''' : 21 September 1964 (from UK) ; '''National holiday''' : Independence Day, 21 September (1964) Malta remained in the Commonwealth of Nations when it became independent from Great Britain in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has become a freight transshipment point, financial center, and tourist destination. Malta gained EU membership in May 2004. Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration. ===Climate=== Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. ===Terrain=== Mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains, with a coastline that has many coastal cliffs and numerous bays that provide good harbors. ; ''Highest point'' : Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli) ==Get in== ===By plane=== Malta possesses its own national carrier, [http://www.airmalta.com/ Air Malta], with regular connections to European, North African and Middle Eastern centres. The islands possess one international airport, [http://www.maltairport.com/ Malta International], located near Valletta. ===By boat=== There are frequent fast ferries to the Sicily|Sicilian port of Catania, Italy. The trip takes around 4 hours, and can get a little bumpy (or cancelled) if it's windy. ==Get around== ===By helicopter=== Scheduled helicopter rides are a surprisingly affordable way of getting from Malta to Gozo: regular rates are Lm25 return, Lm16 one way, and there's even a Lm20 one-day return fare available. ===By bus=== One of Malta's joys (at least in small doses) is the wonderfully antiquated public bus system, consisting of 1950s-era exports from England usually kitted up with more chintz than a Christmas tree plus icons of every saint in the Bible and then some. Fares are very cheap and even the longest ride across the island costs less than a pound; the only catch is that almost all buses radiate out from Valletta, so you may have to detour back to the capital to reach your next destination. ===By taxi=== Malta's taxis are a ravenous lot and fares are quite expensive. There are '''black taxis''', which have to be called in advance, and '''white taxis''', which can pick you up off the street. Both have meters that are uniformly ignored, figure on Lm 5 for short hops and not much more than Lm 10 for a trip across the island. Also note that plenty of black taxis break the rule when nobody's looking, and this is the cheapest way to hitch a cab ride. ===By ferry=== There is regular ferry service between Cirkewwa on Malta and Mgarr on Gozo, and irregular services to Comino. ==Talk== Image:Malta_Sliema_Sign.JPG|thumb|250px|Traffic safety for Borgs The official languages are Maltese phrasebook|Maltese and '''English'''. Italian phrasebook|Italian is also widely understood. You can get around just fine with English alone, but even a few words of Maltese will be much appreciated. Maltese is not the easiest language in the world to pick up though: a Semitic language related to Arabic, it's written with the Latin alphabet and replete with phrases like ''Jekk joghgbok'' ("Please") and ''M'hemmx mn'hiex'' ("You're welcome") that, at least in writing, seem straight out of a Star Trek episode. Two pronunciation hints: the common letter combination ''għ'' can usually be ignored entirely, and ''x'' is pronounced "sh". ==Buy== The Maltese currency is the '''Maltese lira''' ('''£''', '''Lm''', '''MTL'''), also referred to as the '''pound''', which is divided into 100 cents. One of the strongest currencies in the world — as of January 2005, a single Maltese pound is over 2.3 euros — it takes a while to get used what seem like deceptively low prices. ===Costs=== Malta is good value for a European country, but expensive by North African standards. You can survive on a budget of less than €30 a day by staying in youth hostels and self-catering, but should double this for comfort. ==Eat== There is little in the way of a distinctly Maltese cuisine: the food eaten draws its influences from Italy, northern Africa and (alas) England. Most restaurants in resort areas like Sliema cater largely to English tourists, offering pub grub like meat and three veg or bangers and mash, and you have to go a little out of the way to find 'real' Maltese food. One of the island's specialities is rabbit (''fenek''), and small savoury pastries known as ''pastizzi'' are also ubiquitous. ==Drink== The national drink is '''Kinnie''', a fizzy drink made from bitter oranges that tastes better than it sounds. ==Sleep== *'''LOOZA''' Homestay in San Gwann. e-mail: info@maltabudget.com From Lm 35 or € 90 per person per week twin share. Private rooms with adjacent bathroom. Suitable for students, accademics, visiting parents or holiday makers on a budget. A short walk from the University of Malta and close to many English language schools and the towns of Sliema and St. Julians. http://www.maltabudget.com ==Learn== ==Work== ==Stay safe== Malta is, generally, quite a safe country with little in the way of violent crime or political disturbances. Petty theft does occur, so keep an eye on your belongings, especially at the beach. ==Stay healthy== The main health risk in Malta is the fierce '''sun''' in the summer, which can scorch unsuspecting tourists in less than 30 minutes. Apply sunblock liberally. The second main health risk is '''driving habits''', which combine the worst of Italian driving with narrow, twisty roads and fairly poor road maintenance. ==Respect== Malta is a strictly '''Catholic''' country and carousing by tourists, while tolerated to some extent, is not looked on very favorably. Dress respectfully when visiting churches and keep your top on at the beach. ==Contact== ==External links== *[http://www.visitmalta.com/ Visit Malta] - official website of the Malta Tourism Authority *[http://www.foreign.gov.mt/ Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs] - official government website de:Malta fr:Malte WikiPedia:Malta {{stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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