Geography
According to bridgat, the island of Malta has a low plateau geography, the highest point reaching 239 m above sea level.
Climate
Its climate is the typical Mediterranean climate with humid and temperate winters and the summer for its part is hot and dry. The average temperature on the islands is 20º Celsius. Average rainfall levels for a year are 550 mm of rain.
Demography
The total population is 398,534 residents, in the Capital (Valletta) about 7,000 people live. The population is predominantly Catholic, its official languages are Maltese, whose words are similar to those of the Arabic alphabet but the writing and grammar derive from Latin, and English. Due to its proximity and contact with the Italian region of Sicily, the Italian language is widely spread throughout the region.
Culture
Culture plays a fundamental role in government plans by providing free education. The University of Malta was created in 1592 and is located in the city of Msida.
The three cities
Malta does not have large mountains or rivers and fields and terraces on small hills are the preponderant landscape. The cliffs, coves and bays are natural and the beaches are small, with almost no sand. The Maltese islanders are among the oldest Christian peoples in the world. Saint Paul, who was shipwrecked as a prisoner on his journey to Rome in AD 60. brought Christianity to Malta. The Islands were home to the earliest defenders of Christianity, the Knights of Saint John Hospitallers.
There are currently about 365 Churches on the Islands and 82% of its population is Catholic. Perhaps the highlight of all religious worship sites are the little chapels on the edge of the roads. Some are carved out of the rocks; others cling to cliffs. They are all beautiful places that invite relaxation and worship.
There are Spanish ties with Malta that date back to 1530, when Emperor Charles V ceded the Maltese Islands to the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, but without renouncing its sovereignty, since, in practice, the Order enjoyed a regime of co-sovereignty with Spain. The Knights of Malta and the Grand Masters of the Order of Malta, many of whom were Spanish who played an important role in the history of the Islands, until they were expelled by Napoleon and his troops in 1798, in an invasion without precedents.
In the smallest village we can see one of the largest parish churches. Each one has its votive statues (animals from Thebes) its religious treasures and art. Today the life of the islands is highly influenced by the religious calendar. Malta is famous for its lively summer festivals honoring the Patron Saints of each parish. Christmas and Easter are also ideal dates to visit the Islands.
Maltese wines are also beginning to be exported; Grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Garnacha, Sauvignon Blanca, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanca and local grape varieties such as Gellewza and Ghirghentina are grown on their land, with which they are producing excellent wines, with a body and very defined flavor. Fortifications and cliffs on the Maltese islands.
Its main city is Valletta, which is the State Capital and is made up of the Three Cities: Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. A good place to start our visit is the Co-Cathedral of Saint John, where we can admire two of the most impressive works of the master Michelangelo Merisi (Caravaggio, 1571 – 1610) called ” Saint Jerome ” and “The beheading of Saint John the Baptist”. The entire pavement consists of multi-colored tombstones engraved with the names of European families who served the Order of Saint John, and there is also a collection of Flemish tapestries, a gift from the Grand Masters to the Church.
Another emblematic building is the Albergue de Castilla y León, with an impressive façade, the most beautiful of the Islands, the bust of the Grand Master Pinto (who participated in its construction) and his coat of arms. In 1565 the Knights, under the orders of the Grand Master Frey Jean Parisot de la Valette, defended the Island from attack and from the great Turkish siege for three months.
Since then, the original mission of hospital care has been the main activity of the Order, which has intensified over the last century, thanks to the activities of the Grand Priories and National Associations present in various countries of the world. Large-scale hospital and charitable activity took place during the First and Second World Wars under the leadership of Grand Master Freí Ludovico Cogí Della Royere Albán, and was further intensified under Grand Master Freí Angelo de Lojana di Colonia, from the year 1962 to 1989, whose successor is the current Prince and Grand Master Freí Andrea Verte.
A street in La Valleta
Another important city is Medina, which is the most aristocratic in Malta: Located about 11 km from Valletta, it is known as “the city of silence”. It is a medieval city, located on a hill 213 meters high and nestled in the very center of the island. Through its walls you can see one of the most beautiful views of Malta.
It is forbidden to circulate by car (except residents), which makes the visit more interesting. Its old cemetery dates from Roman times, and turned into a suburb by the Muslims, today it constitutes the city of Rabat or the area outside the city. Access to Mdina is through the main gate (the Mdina gate or Main Gate), from where we can see a coat of arms of the Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena and the date of the reconstruction, 1724. It is located in front of the gardens that separate it from the city of Rabat. In Roman times, Rabat and the smaller neighboring Mdina formed the capital city, then called Melita, where Saint Paul arrived after his shipwreck.
According to historians, Saint Paul lived in a cave next to the Church baptized in his honor. This was the first Maltese church built on a large scale, in keeping with the bonanza brought by the Knights of St. John, who established their captaincy in Malta in the year 1529. Another landmark is Anchor Bay, a water sports and activities center, with specially designed tanks for underwater filming and views of seascapes. Popeye Village is the original set where the Robbin Williams movie was filmed in 1979.
In some of the houses scenes from the film with the characters are represented. Today it is a popular attraction where you can admire the entire complex of houses, port, bars and roads. The island’s biggest nightlife centers around Sliema, St. Julians’s, and Paceville. Sliema has a wide promenade and a small beach, with many bars and restaurants.
