The Malta Portal
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 ArticleThe University of Malta (Maltese L-Università ta' Malta) is the highest educational institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, which last between three and five years, and postgraduate Master's Degrees that last two years full-time. The University is one of the oldest in Europe and was originally a Catholic university. Its origins dates back to 1592 when the Collegium Melitense was founded by the Bishop Garagallo. Originally the University was run by the Jesuits. After the Jesuits were expelled from the Maltese Islands in 1768, the University was taken over by the state. After Napoleon conquered the island in the 1798, the university was briefly abolished in favour of a French educational institution. However, after the French were forced to leave in 1800, the islands became a British protectorate and the University was reestablished by Sir Alexander Ball. In 1938, King George VI gave it the title of The Royal University of Malta. The word "Royal" was subsequently removed from the name of the university, when Malta became a republic in 1974. (more...) Selected LocalityCospicua, is a title given to the city of Bormla as it is known to the Maltese. It is a double-fortified harbour city on the Mediterranean island of Malta. It is the largest of the Three Cities. It was also given a title as Citta' Cottonera, but erroneously the title is now used to define the whole region. It is situated between the other two towns which make up Cottonera which are Vittoriosa (Birgu) and Senglea (Isla). These three towns form part of the area surrounding the Grand Harbour and are found on the eastern side of the capital city Valletta. Its population is of 5,642. Cospicua was inhabited since Neolithic times and the last to be fortified. Its lines of majestic bastions, built by the Knights of Malta, are a sight to behold for sheer size and magnitude. In 1722, Grand Master Marc'Antonio Zondadari declared it a city and in view of its strong bastions named it Città Cospicua. (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. Did you know
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