Portal:Malta
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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.
Selected Article
The Siege of Malta (also known as the Great Siege of Malta) took place in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire invaded the island, then held by the Knights of St. John. The siege is considered one of, if not the greatest, in military history and, from the point of view of the defenders, the most successful. However, it should not be viewed in isolation. Rather, it was the climax of an escalating contest between the Spanish and Ottoman empires for control of the Mediterranean, a contest that included a previous attack on Malta in 1551 by the Turkish corsair Turgut Reis and which in 1560 had resulted in the utter destruction of the Spanish armada by the Turks at the battle of Djerba. The Siege of Malta did little, if anything, to alter the balance of power in the Mediterranean, but it was the first true defeat of the Ottoman Empire in a century and lifted European morale immeasurably. (more...) Selected Locality Sliema (or Tas-Sliema) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta. It is, relatively speaking, a modern town. It is a center for shopping, restaurants and café life. Sliema is also a major commercial and residential area and houses several of Malta's most recent hotels. Sliema, which means 'peace, comfort', was once a quiet fishing town on the peninsula across Marsamxett Harbour from Valletta. Sliema and the coastline up to neighbouring St. Julian's constitutes Malta's main coastal resort. (more...) Selected Picture Photo credit: Jean-Christophe Benoist
St John's Co-Cathedral contains eight rich chapels, each of which was dedicated to the patron saint of the eightlangues (or sections) of the Knights. The inside of the Cathedral is in sharp contrast to the facade as the extremely ornate interior decorated in the height of the Baroque period. The inside was largely decorated by Mattia Preti, the Calabrian artist and Knight. Preti designed the intricate carved stone walls and painted the vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of St John. Did you know
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