Portal:Malta
The Malta PortalMalta, 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.
Selected ArticleThe Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys to sustain the Mediterranean island of Malta during World War II. The convoys were strongly opposed by Italian and German sea and air forces. Malta's geographical position, halfway between the strategic British bases at Gibraltar and Alexandria, close to the Sicilian Channel between Sicily and Tunis and on the sea route between Italy and its possessions in Libya, made it a vital base for control of the Mediterranean sea routes. For Britain this was the short route, via the Suez Canal, to its colonies in India, East Africa and the Far East and also to the major oil producers of Iraq and Iran. During the first year of the war, however, this region was a military backwater. Much of the coast was under Allied control - either French or British: the rest was neutral. Moreover, the British and French fleets dominated; the only other effective regional naval power was Italy, but at this time she was neutral. As a result, British defences on Malta were neglected. (more...) Selected LocalityMsida (or L-Imsida) is a harbour town in the northeast of Malta. It has a population of 7,623 inhabitants. Although relatively small, it is one of the most important towns in Malta, since its transportational infrastructure links the capital to the important town of Sliema. Its name comes from an Arabic word meaning "a fisherman's dwelling". However it could also be derived from the word 'Omm Sidna' meaning 'The Mother of Our Lord' since there could have been a small chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Msida was previously an old fishing village. Although it is now more urbanised, some fishermen still operate in the village. (more...) Selected PicturePhoto credit: Memecry
The Second Siege of Malta was a significant military event in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II that occurred between 1940 and 1943 on the island of Malta. The siege was conducted by Italian and German (Axis) military aircraft and ships. Malta was one of the most intensively-bombed areas during war – a total of 3,000 raids occurred during the two years of the siege. The Siege Bell Memorial was constructed to commemorate the victory of the Allied forces in this siege. Did you know
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