The Maltese archipelago consists of the islands of Malta, Gozo, Comino and a series of uninhabited islets, of which Cominotto and Filfola can be visited; the latter, however, can only be viewed from the sea. The total area, of 316 square kilometers, makes the Parliamentary Republic of Malta the smallest state in the European Union, and hosts a population of 500,000 inhabitants. The capital is Valletta and the most populated locality is St. Paul's Bay.
The geographical position, in the middle of the Mediterranean, between the Sicilian and North African coasts, gives the archipelago a mild climate. The average temperature during the year is 18 ° C, in January it is slightly below 12 ° C, and in July and August it is around 30 ° C. Summers are long, dry and hot, winters are mild and wet.
The main islands feature beaches, caves, archaeological sites and fortifications that testify to 7,000 years of Maltese history.
The spontaneous vegetation is that of the Mediterranean scrub. The territory, except for some reliefs, is flat or hilly. The hills were often terraced for the cultivation of vines, vegetables and cereals. The coast, often high and rocky, is also characterized by large bays and deep inlets. Among the natural attractions of the Maltese island are the Dingli Cliffs, a natural embankment that rises 250 meters above sea level on the coastline to the south-east. Nearby, towards the south, which can be visited by sea, there is a complex of sea caves among which the Blue Grotto stands out.
In the 16th century, the grand master of the Order of the Knights of Malta, Jean Parisot de La Valette, began to design a fortified city. Charles V had in fact ceded the island to the Knights of the Order, who settled in one of the Three Cities, Vittoriosa. In 1556 they began to build Valletta. After 15 years the work was completed with the construction of Fort Saint Elmo, built from an Aragonese tower, and the Saint John's Co-Cathedral. In the La Cottonera area, there are also the other two of the so-called Three Cities: Senglea, with the watchtower of the Saint Michael fort, and Cospicua, with the church of the Immaculate Conception.
The Sciberras Peninsula is located between the two inlets where the ports of Valletta are located: Grand Harbor and Marsamxett Harbour.
The Saint John's Co-Cathedral is the church of the archdiocese of Malta and is dedicated to the patron saint of the Knights Hospitallers. The Order of the Knights was formed by nobles from European families to protect the Catholic faith and Europe from the Ottoman Turks. In the beautiful baroque church there are two paintings by Caravaggio: The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome Writing.
A long coastline of golden sand is that of Golden Bay, while that of Paradise Bay is a small sandy beach. But the most beautiful beach is that of the Blue Lagoon, on the island of Comino, with a depth rich in flora. Also worth seeing is the bay and the caves of Santa Maria. This island owes its name to the many cumin plants present here.
The fortified city of Mdina, founded by the Phoenicians, stands on a hill on the island of Malta and is characterized by ancient walls, a maze of alleys and limestone buildings. In the so-called City of Silence, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, Vilhena Palace and Palazzo Falson are worth seeing.
In the city of Rabat, on the other hand, there are the St. Paul's Catacombs and the Museum of Roman Antiquities.
In the village of Marsaxlokk, the luzzu stand out, the characteristic colored boats of fishermen moored at the pier of the Sirocco port, to the south-east, where the weekly fish market is organized.
Typical Maltese boats are also found in Spinola Bay, in the Saint Julian's area, where there are nightclubs, accommodation facilities and one of the few sandy beaches, St. George's Bay. But most of the hotels and shops are concentrated in the city of Sliema.
On the Maltese island it is possible to visit a rare example of an underground prehistoric temple, the Hal-Saflieni hypogeum, the finds of which are found in the National Museum of Archeology in Valletta. Both the capital and this prehistoric necropolis are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, together with the Megalithic Temples, seven structures built between the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. located on the islands of Malta and Gozo.
The island of Gozo has maintained a purely rural aspect, with farms and countryside. The name of its capital, in 1887, was changed to Victoria to pay homage to the Queen of England. The medieval citadel was inhabited by the Knights of the Order and by the nobles of Aragon. To reach the port of Mgarr in Gozo, there are ferries that depart from the port of Cirkewwa on the island of Malta.