50 Beautiful Photos from Malta (2019)
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Malta is a small, island country in the Mediterranean Sea that lies south of the island of Sicily, Italy.
Malta is an archipelago, but only the three largest islands of Malta, Gozo (Għawdex) and Kemmuna (Comino) are inhabited.
The terrain is mostly low with the highest point, Ta' Dmejrek (near Dingli), being only 253m above sea level. It's rocky, flat to dissected plains, with a coastline that has many coastal cliffs and numerous bays that provide good harbours.
Malta's climate is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea and is similar to other Mediterranean climates. Winters are wet and windy. Summers are virtually guaranteed to be dry and hot. The beach season spans about 6 months from the end of April to the end of October.
Although small, Malta has a rich history, with evidence for habitation going back to the Neolithic era (4th millennium BC). The country has some of the world's most ancient standing buildings (the Neolithic temples), and its strategic location and good harbours in the middle of the Mediterranean have attracted Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Crusaders, the French and finally the British, with the colonial period lasting until 1964.
The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights Hospitallers and Knights of Malta, took over sovereign control of Malta in 1530, and by 1533 the Order had built a hospital at Birgu (one of the Three Cities) to care for the sick. In 1565, Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, mounted a great siege of Malta with a fleet of 180 ships and a landing force of 30,000 men. In response the Order, with only 8,000 defenders, drove the Ottoman Turks away after a hard siege of several months. After this siege, the Order founded the city of Valletta on a peninsula, and fortified it with massive stone walls, which even withstood heavy bombing during the Second World War. By 1575 the Order had built a new large hospital known as the Grand Hospital or Sacred Infirmary in order to continue with its primary mission of caring for the sick.
In 1798, the French under Napoleon took the island on 12 June, without resistance, when the Grand Master of the Order capitulated after deciding that the island could not be defended against the opposing French naval force. French rule lasted a little over 2 years, until 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.
Independence
21 September 1964 (from UK)
National holidays
Freedom Day, 31 March (1979); Sette Giugno, 7 June (1919); Feast of Our Lady of Victories, 8 September (1565); Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974).
Malta remained in the Commonwealth of Nations when it became independent from Great Britain in 1964. It is still a member.
A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has become a freight trans-shipment point, financial centre and tourist destination.
Malta gained European Union membership in May 2004.
Music:
Aaron Kenny - Watercolor Lilies
Photos:
Micaela Parente
Ferenc Horvath
Remi Yuan
François Kaiser
Reuben Farrugia
Marc Kleen
Lee Dobson
Mariana Proença
Karim Aazzouzi
Valentin Salja
Jana Sabeth
Reuben Mcfeeters
Nikola Johnny Mirkovic
Ostap Senyuk
Robin Vrancken
Sam Loyd
Oliver Ragfelt
Alex Block
Bruce Mars
Jacco Rienks
Michelle Taylor
Sasha Freemind
Alexander Serzhantov
Keith Camilleri
Mariana Proença
Svenja Holzer
Egle Sidaraviciute
Sara Cardoso
Jakob Boman
Belinda Fewings
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