Malta is the main island of the Maltese archipelago. It makes up about 78% of the archipelago's area and is home to an overwhelming population of almost 90%. 1)
Malta's landscape is mostly lowland. 2)
There are cliffs in the south of Malta, in some areas of Gozo, and on several smaller islets. 3)
The beaches in Malta are sandy. 4)
Malta has no permanent rivers. It is the only country in Europe with a network of periodic rivers flowing in several valleys. 5)
The highest point in Malta is Ta'Dmeirek at 830 ft and the lowest in the Mediterranean Sea at 0 ft. 6)
Malta is the southernmost country in Europe. 7)
Malta has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. 8)
The capital of Malta is Valletta, sometimes referred to as the “open-air museum”. 9)
There are over 40 museums in Malta covering exhibits from prehistoric times to the World War II period. 10)
The architecture of Malta flourished during the rule of the archipelago by the Knights of St. John. 11)
The Manoel Theatre is the third oldest theater in the world. 12)
The predominant religion in Malta is Catholicism. 13)
Malta is sometimes considered a city-state. Maltese law does not distinguish between towns and villages. The country is divided into 68 units called “local councils”. 14)
The flag of Malta is formed by two vertical stripes of white and red. In the upper left corner of the white stripe is the Cross of George in a red border. The colors on the flag are supposed to refer to the family colors of Count Roger de Hauteville. He chased the Arabs off the island in the 11th century, and in return for the hospitality shown to him by the inhabitants, he was to give them half of his family coat of arms. 15)
The anthem of Malta is titled “L-Innu Malti”, which simply means… “The Anthem of Malta”. It has been the official anthem since 1945 but was first performed in 1923. The music is a school anthem tune composed by Robert Samut. The words to it were written by the Maltese poet Dun Karm Psaila. The hymn is in the form of a prayer. 16)