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 George Cross was awarded to the island of Malta by King George VI in a letter dated 15 April 1942 to the island's Governor Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie, so as to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" during the great siege it underwent in the early parts of World War Two. The George Cross is woven into the Flag of Malta and can be seen wherever the flag is flown. While Italian and German bombers brought havoc to the Maltese islands, the problem of supplies was soon felt. An invasion threat in July 1941 ended in complete failure when coast defenders spotted E-boats of the Italian Decima Flottiglia 10th Fleet MAS. Whilst people suffered hunger, a final assault to neutralise the island was ordered by the German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring.(more...) «Selected Locality» Marsaxlokk is a traditional and pictoresque fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta, with a population of 3,205 people. The village’s name comes from marsa, which means "harbour" or "bay" in Arabic, and xlokk, which is the local name for the dry sirocco wind that blows from the Sahara; it is pronounced mar-sa-shlok. Marsaxlokk is the foremost fishing village and, perhaps, the most picturesque seaside locality in Malta. Fishing nets are often spread on the quay to dry in the sun and, quite often, sturdy fishermen can be seen mending these nets. These activities, together with the modest houses by the quayside, lend the place charm and serenity. (more...) «Selected Picture» Photo credit: Thoro The Mnajdra temple grouping lies on the southern coast of Malta. It is a complex of three Neolithic temples surrounding an oval courtyard, the oldest having been built during the Ġgantija phase (3600-3200 BCE), while the other two date from the early and mid Tarxien phase (3150-2500 BCE). It has been stated by numerous historians that part of the Mnajdra Temples are the oldest free standing buildings in the world, much older than Stonehenge. «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