1. MALTA A look at some aspects of this great small country

2. WHERE IS MALTA?
Malta is a tiny country in the Mediterranean sea, in the south of Europe. It is an archipelago south of the Italian island of Sicily. Only the three biggest islands (Malta, Gozo and Comino) are inhabited.

3. OTHER BASIC INFORMATION
Its capital city is Valetta (which is the smallest capital city in Europe). The official languages are Maltese and English and the official religion is Catholicism. Its flag is red and white.

4. DIFFERENT CULTURES IN MALTA
Malta has a strategic location. That is why it has been occupied by lots of different people: Phoenicians, Romans, Moorish, Normans, Aragonese, Habsburg Spain, Knights of St. John, French and British.

5. MALTA TODAY
Finally Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, and it became a republic in It was admitted to the European Union in 2004, and it has been part of the eurozone since 2008.

6. MALTA: A TOURIST DESTINATION
Malta is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its warm weather, numerous recreational areas (hotels, resorts,…) and historical monuments, including nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among which there are seven Megalithic Temples.

7. BEACHES IN MALTA
Beaches are very popular in Malta. They are perfect for sunbathing, snorkeling and swimming. There are some sandy beaches, but others are rocky. They become pretty busy during the summer. Some of the most well-known beaches are Mellieha Bay and Golden Bay.

8. HISTORICAL SITES
With so many different cultures having established in Malta, it is only logical that there are so many archaelogical sites. Very interesting are the megalithic monuments, especially the Hypogeum, a labyrinth of underground chambers probably used as both a burial site and a temple.

9. THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA
The Knights of Malta belong to an order called the Order of Hospitallers, or Order of Saint John. The order was founded in the Middle Ages, and in 1530 Charles I of Spain gave them the island of Malta to get established there.

10. THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA
They stayed in Malta for 268 years, transforming what they called «merely a rock of soft sandstone» into a flourishing island with mightgy defences and a capital (Valetta). They built fortresses, watchtowers and churches. Later in 1798, Napoleon captured Malta. The Maltese cross was a symbol of the Knights. Now it is a symbol for Malta itself and is present in coins and elsewhere.

11. THE MALTESE CROSS