Portal:Malta

«The Malta Portal» Flag of Malta Coat of Arms of Malta Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a small island nation comprising an archipelago of seven islands (Malta, Gozo (Għawdex) Comino (Kemmuna) Filfla, Cominotto (Kemmunett) Manoel, Selmunett (St.Paul's Islands)) in the Mediterranean Sea. A country of Southern Europe, Malta lies south of Sicily, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The country's official languages are Maltese and English. Roman Catholicism is the most practised religion. The islands constituting the Maltese nation have been ruled by various powers and fought over by many states for centuries. Malta has been a member state of the European Union (EU) since 2004 and it is currently the smallest EU country both in population and in area. More about Malta... «Showcase Article» The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, and Chevaliers of Malta) is an organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in Jerusalem in 1080 to provide care for poor and sick pilgrims to the Holy Land. After the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade it became a Catholic military order under its own charter, and was charged with the care and defense of pilgrims to the Holy Land. Following the loss of Christian territory in the Holy Land, the Order operated from Rhodes, over which it was sovereign, and later from Malta where it administered a vassal state under the Spanish viceroy of Sicily. Although this state came to an end with the ejection of the Order from Malta by Napoleon, the Order as such survived. The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (abbreviated SMOM) is considered to be the main successor to this tradition. The Order of the Dames of Malta is the female auxiliary to the Knights. (more...) «Selected Locality» Mdina (also called L-Imdina or Città Notabile) is the old capital of Malta. It is a medieval town, with narrow quiet streets, situated in the centre of the island. It is also known as the "Silent City". It commands a magnificent view of the Island. Evidence for settlement in Mdina goes back to over 4000 BCE. It was first fortified by the Phoenicians around 700 BC, probably because of its strategic location on one of the highest points on the island and as far from the sea as possible. When Malta came under control of the Roman Empire, the Roman Governor built his palace there. It was here in 60 CE that the Apostle St Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the Islands. The city earned its present day name from the Saracens who came to Malta around 870 CE. They surrounded the city with thick defensive walls and a wide moat, separating it from its nearest town, Rabat. (more...) «Selected Picture» Photo credit: Philip Serracino Inglott A typical Maltese farmhouse, called Razzett in Maltese. Typically the razzett was one or two storeys. The flat roofs are typical of Maltese housing. They serve many practical purposes, including: a place to hang and dry clothes; a place to spend a summer evening to catch the evening breeze; a place to watch fireworks displays from distant towns and villages; and for farmers, a place to let pumpkins mature. The roofs are also designed to catch rain water and to direct it to wells dug in the soft limestone. «UNESCO World Heritage Sites» Ġgantija Ħaġar Qim Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni Mnajdra Megalithic Temples of Malta Valletta «Malta News» March 8, 2007 Malta applies to join Euro Malta has formally applied to join the Eurozone in January 2008 and adopt the euro currency. The request was made through a letter sent by the Prime Minister, Dr Lawrence Gonzi, and Central Bank of Malta Governor Michael Bonello to both the European Commission and the European Central Bank, asking both institutions to set in motion the mechanism to provide Malta with a convergence report on whether it has reached all Eurozone membership conditions, known as the Maastricht criteria. «Did You Know...» «Categories» Category puzzle Select [►] to view subcategories Malta Malta-related lists Buildings and structures in Malta Culture of Malta Economy of Malta Education in Malta Environment of Malta Geography of Malta Government of Malta Health in Malta History of Malta Organisations based in Malta Maltese people Politics of Malta Society of Malta Images of Malta Malta stubs «Wikipedia in Maltese» There is a Maltese version of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. «Things You Can Do» TASKS Expand stubs: Geography stubs · People stubs · Malta stubs in general Help us extend these stubs and make them real articles! Categorize: Help us categorize Maltese-related articles WikiProjects: Have a look at WikiProject Malta. «Malta topics» History Prehistory | Phoenicians and Carthaginians | Roman | Arab rule | Norman and Sicilian rule | Hospitaller rule | Great Siege | French occupation | British protectorate | British colony | Siege of Malta (World War II) | George Cross Award | Independence | EU Membership Geography Caves of Malta | Fortifications of Malta | Maps of Malta | Islands of Malta | List of cities in Malta Politics Constitution of Malta | President of Malta | House of Representatives of Malta | Political parties | Foreign relations | Elections | Local Councils of Malta | Armed Forces of Malta Economy Maltese Lira (Coins of the Maltese lira) | Euro (Maltese Euro Coins ) | Companies | Central Bank of Malta | Retailing in Malta | Trade unions in Malta Demographics Languages (Maltese, English) | Catholic Church (Archbishop of Malta) Culture Music | Cuisine | Theatres in Malta | Maltese literature Other Communications| Transportation | Universities | Flag | Coat of Arms of Malta | Flags and symbols of Malta | Holidays | List of Maltese people | Malta exiles «Related Portals» «Other Portals» Associated Wikimedia The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: Commons Free media repository Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals Wikidata Free knowledge base Wikinews Free-content news Wikiquote Collection of quotations Wikisource Free-content library Wikiversity Free learning tools Wikivoyage Free travel guide Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus