Portal:Malta
The Malta Portal
Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a small island nation comprising an archipelago of seven islands (Malta, Gozo (Għawdex) Comino (Kemmuna) Filfla, Cominotto (Kemmunett) Manoel, Selmunett (St.Paul's Islands)) in the Mediterranean Sea. A country of Southern Europe, Malta lies south of Sicily, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The country's official languages are Maltese and English. Roman Catholicism is the most practised religion. The islands constituting the Maltese nation have been ruled by various powers and fought over by many states for centuries. Malta has been a member state of the European Union (EU) since 2004 and it is currently the smallest EU country both in population and in area.
Selected ArticleThe Valletta Royal Opera House was an opera house and performing arts venue in Valletta, Malta. It was designed by English architect Edward Middleton Barry and was erected in 1866. In 1873 its interior was extensively damaged by fire but was eventually restored by 1877. The theatre, Valletta's most imposing landmark, was bombed to the ground during World War II in 1942, and left in ruins to this very day. It was used as one of the first performance stages for new artists.The design of the building was entrusted to Edward Middleton Barry, the architect of Covent Garden Theatre. The original plans had to be altered because the sloping streets on the sides of the theater hadn’t been taken into consideration. This resulted in a terrace being added on the side of Strada Reale, nowadays known as Republic Street. (more...) Selected LocalityValletta, population 6,315, is the capital city of Malta. The whole city was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. The official name the Order of Saint John gave to the city was Humilissima Civitas Valletta — The Most Humble City of Valletta. However, with the building of bastions, curtains and ravelins, along with the beauty of the baroque buildings along its streets, it became known as Superbissima — 'Most Proud', amongst the ruling houses of Europe. In Maltese it is colloquially known as Il-Belt, simply meaning "The City". Benjamin Disraeli visited Valletta in August 1830, on the recommendation of his friend, Lord Byron. He described Valletta as "a city of palaces built by gentlemen for gentlemen", and remarked that "Valletta, equals in its noble architecture, if it does not excel, any capital in Europe." (more...) Selected Picture Photo credit: Maltesedog
Republic Street is the heart of the Maltese nation. People meet, shop, discuss and visit this pedestrianized street whenever they are in Valletta. Brimming with shops, cafes, restaurants and museums, this very busy street is usually packed with people going about their daily chores. Museums and historical attractions, including churches and palaces add to the uniqueness of Republic Street. Did you know
UNESCO World Heritage SitesCategories Select [►] to view subcategories
Malta topicsRelated PortalsThings You Can Do
Geography stubs · People stubs · Malta stubs in general
Help us categorize Maltese-related articles
Have a look at WikiProject Malta. Wikipedia in Maltese
Associated WikimediaThe following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
Discover Wikipedia using portals | ||||||
