Welcome
to the Mgarr Local Council information panel. On this
system you will find information about our picturesque
village, from history to future, from bus routes to upcoming
events.
Navigation is simple, just click on the button with the
information you require at the left of each page. If you
want to come back to this screen just click on the Mgarr
Blason at the top of the navigation bar on the left.
Hope
that this system is helpful. If you would like to give
us feedback on how we could improve this system please
click on the Contact
Us button or call us from Monday to Friday, 8:00am
till 5:00pm (August from 8:00am till 1:00pm) and one of
our Officials will be more than willing to take your comments
and suggestions.
About Malta
| Capital
|
Valletta |
| Government
|
republic
|
| Currency |
Maltese
lira (MTL) |
| Area |
316 sq km |
| Population |
400,214
(July 2006 est.) |
| Language |
Maltese
(official), English (official) |
| Religion |
Roman
Catholic 98% |
| Electricity |
230V/50Hz
(UKplug) |
| Calling
Code |
+356
|
| Internet
TLD |
.mt
|
| Time
Zone |
UTC
+1 |
Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean
Sea that lies south of the island of Sicily, Italy. The
country is an archipelago, with only the three largest
islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino)
being inhabited.
History
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 harbors
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 Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also
known as the Knights Hospitallers, took over sovereign
control of Malta in 1530, and by 1533 the Order had built
a hospital at Birgu (one of the three cities) to care
for the sick. In 1565, Suleiman the Magnificent, sultan
of the Ottoman Empire, mounted a great siege of Malta
with a fleet of 180 ships and a landing force of 30,000
men. In response the Order, with only 8,000 defenders,
drove the Ottoman Turks away after a hard siege of several
months. After this siege, the Order founded the city of
Valletta on a peninsula, and fortified it with a massive
stone wall, which even withstood heavy bombing during
the Second World War. By 1575 the Order had built a large
hospital known as the Grand Hospital or Sacred Infirmary
in order to continue with its primary mission of caring
for the sick.
In 1798, the French under Napoleon took the island on
12 June, without resistance, when the Grand Master of
the Order capitulated after deciding that the island could
not be defended against the opposing French naval force.
French rule lasted a little over 2 years, until they surrendered
to the British Royal Navy, under Admiral Nelson's command,
in September 1800.
Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in
1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both
World Wars.
The island was awarded the George Cross for its heroic
resistance during the Second World War. An image of the
cross is displayed on the flag. The colors on the flag
are red and white, colors related to the Order of St.
John.
Independence
21 September 1964 (from UK)
National holidays
Freedom Day, 31 March (1979); Sette Giugno, 7 June (1919);
Feast of Our Lady of Victories, 8 September (1565); Independence
Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974).
Malta remained in the Commonwealth of Nations when it
became independent from Great Britain in 1964.
A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the
mid-1980s, the island has become a freight trans-shipment
point, financial center and tourist destination.
Malta gained European Union membership in May 2004.
Climate
Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
few rain
Terrain
Mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains, with a
coastline that has many coastal cliffs and numerous bays
that provide good harbors.
Highest point
Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)
