Malta

Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea that lies S of the island of Sicily, Italy. The country is an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Għawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited. The five total Maltese islands- Malta, Gozo, Comino, Comminotto, and Filflawith-have a combined land area of just 122 sq miles featuring narrow cobblestone streets, crowded with Norman cathedrals and baroque palaces. 

The countryside is littered with the oldest known human structures in the world. Malta is very good at selling its romantic past of Copper Age temple builders and crusading celibate knights, and it has used this image to crank up a formidable tourism industry. Not that the islands are overrun with highrise resorts - yet.

Although small, Malta has a long and rich history, with evidence for habitation going back to the Neolithic era (4th millennium B.C.). The country boasts some of the world's most ancient standing buildings (the Neolithic temples), and its strategic location and good harbours in the middle of the Mediterannean have attracted Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Crusaders, the French and finally the British, with the colonial period lasting until 1964. 

The main island of Malta (although just 95 square miles) is a popular travel destination largely due to its secluded bays and white sandy beaches, washed by unpolluted crystal clear blue waters. Set against the backdrop of the island's scenery and its light coloured stone buildings, Malta is a beautiful and fascinating destination.

Despite its size and seclusion, Malta and its smaller island Gozo enjoy a modern lifestyle and the social calendar is filled with summertime festivals with fireworks in honour of the numerous parish village patron saints, as well as the major carnival in early spring each year. The country capital, Valletta, besides offering some incredible Baroque buildings and fortifications as its main sightseeing attractions, is full of restaurants and cafes.