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One of the most notable periods of Malta's history is the temple period, starting around 3600 BC. The Ġgantija Temple in Gozo is one of the oldest free-standing buildings in the world. The name of the complex stems from the Maltese word ġgant, which reflects the magnitude of the temple's size.
Malta's long history of foreign rule and its proximity to both Europe and North Africa have influenced its art, music, cuisine, and architecture. Malta has close historical and cultural ties to Italy and especially Sicily ; between 62 and 66 percent of Maltese people speak or have significant knowledge of the Italian language , which had ...
Malta is located 93 km (58 mi) south of Sicily, and 288 km (179 mi) north of North Africa, giving the country a warm, Mediterranean climate. [2] The nation's capital is the 16th century city of Valletta. Throughout much of its history, Malta has been considered a crucial location due in large part to its position in the Mediterranean Sea. [3]
Description: All the maps and views shown here come from different editions (1683-1719) of Mallet; some of them are from translations into German and Italian, and some from later reissues by others, with or without small modifications.
The fortifications of Malta consist of a number of walled cities, citadels, forts, towers, batteries, redoubts, entrenchments and pillboxes.The fortifications were built over hundreds of years, from around 1450 BC to the mid-20th century, and they are a result of the Maltese islands' strategic position and natural harbours, which have made them very desirable for various powers.
Malta is located east of its sister islands of Gozo and Comino. It lies on the Malta plateau, a shallow shelf formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa that became isolated as sea levels rose after the last ice age. [5] Malta is therefore situated in the zone between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. [6]
This is a timeline of Maltese history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Malta and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Malta .
The Phoenicians colonized Malta in around the 8th century BC, and they founded the city of Maleth on this plateau. [3] It was taken over by the Roman Republic in 218 BC, becoming known as Melite . The Punic-Roman city was about three times the size of present-day Mdina, extending into a large part of modern Rabat .