Malta

Overview

Malta is an island nation in the central Mediterranean, south of Sicily, made up of three inhabited islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Temples on the island dating back roughly 5,900 years rank among the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world, predating both the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge. Throughout history the islands were ruled by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and the Knights of Malta, the latter holding the islands from 1530 to 1798, before Napoleon and later Britain took control. Malta gained independence from Britain in 1964, joined the European Union in 2004, and the eurozone in 2008. The official languages are Maltese and English, and Maltese is the only official language of Semitic origin in the European Union.

Valletta, the capital, founded by the Knights of Malta in the 16th century, with its Baroque buildings and fortifications, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980. The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a multi-level underground Neolithic burial complex dating back roughly 5,000 years, is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, with visitor numbers limited daily for preservation purposes. The Ġgantija temples on the island of Gozo, among the oldest still-standing freestanding structures in the world, are likewise on the UNESCO list. Mdina, Malta's former medieval capital, nicknamed "the Silent City" for its limited vehicle traffic, with narrow streets and Norman-Arab influenced architecture, is one of the island's most atmospheric historic sites.

Malta's waters, while lacking coral reefs, remain clear and feature numerous caves, including the Blue Grotto, offering excellent diving and snorkeling, with several shipwrecks found in the surrounding waters as well. Comino, home to the Blue Lagoon, with its shallow turquoise waters, is one of the region's most photographed coastal sights. Gozo, quieter and more rural in character, with agricultural landscapes and the rock formations of the Dwejra coast, contrasts with the more urban atmosphere of the main island. Local cuisine blends Italian, Arab, and British influences, with pastizzi, flaky pastries filled with ricotta or pea puree, and fenkata, a traditional rabbit-based dish, regarded as the country's national dish.

The Order of Malta

The organization known today as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta was founded in Jerusalem in 1099, originally as a religious order caring for pilgrims and the sick, receiving papal recognition in 1113. Following the collapse of the Crusader states, the Order relocated to Cyprus and then, in 1310, to the island of Rhodes, from which it was driven out by Ottoman forces in 1522, before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted it Malta as a fiefdom in 1530, in exchange for an annual payment of a single falcon. The knights ruled Malta until 1798, when Napoleon's forces seized the island, causing the Order to lose its last sovereign territory; after decades of displacement, it settled permanently in Rome by the late 19th century. Though it no longer holds territory of its own, the Order remains recognized as a sovereign subject of international law, maintaining diplomatic relations with more than 100 countries, issuing its own passports, stamps, and coins, and holding permanent observer status at the UN General Assembly since 1994. Its two buildings in Rome, the Palazzo Malta on Via dei Condotti and the Villa del Priorato di Malta on the Aventine Hill, enjoy extraterritorial status, meaning they are exempt from Italian jurisdiction much like embassies, making these few square meters the Order's only literal "territory" left in the world.