Country: The republic Malta
is a state with a small land area on several islands in the
Mediterranean Sea, 97 kilometres south of Sicily and approximately
355 kilometres north of Libya. The state consists of the islands
of Malta, Gozo, Comino, Manoel Island and the small uninhabited
islands Cominotto, Filfla, Fungus Rock and the St Paul's Islands.
The inhabitation of Malta goes back a long way. Ruins
of temples, such as the temple of Taxiën, Hagar Qim,
Mnajdra and Ggantija are even older then the pyramids of Egypt.
From 800 B.C. Malta was used as a trading post by the Phoenicians,
and from this beginning a colony was established. The modern
inhabitants seem to ascend mainly from this group of people.
Malta is also mentioned in the Bible. The apostle Paul was
shipwrecked here. He and other passengers landed here and
were pleasantly welcomed in a most friendly manner by the
Maltese people (see Acts chapter 27 and 28).
Today, Malta is a very popular tourist destination. The
islands are extremely attractive for those that enjoy sun
and sea. Industrially, Malta is an excellent shipping port
and large cargo liners from Latin-America, Australia and the
Far East unload their cargo here for forward shipping in smaller
ships.
Today there are 405,165 people living here (2009). The
constitution provides for religious freedom, although Catholicism
is the official state religion.
