13 facts about Malta

1. Malta is an archipelago consisting of three inhabited islands: Malta (27 km by 14.5 km), Gozo (13 km by 7 km), and Comino (2 km long), along with two uninhabited islands - Fifla and St. Paul's Island. Malta's shape resembles a small fish when viewed from above; you can check it on the map ;)

2. Before Malta emerged as an island, it was entirely submerged underwater. It was only after the closure of the Straits of Gibraltar that the sea level dropped enough to expose the islands, which were still connected to both North Africa and Sicily. This connection lasted for a long time. Don't believe it? Maltese archaeologists have discovered remains of animals that were native to both Europe and North Africa, such as elephants and hippopotamuses, particularly at Ghar Dalam.

3. Malta is the only country in Europe without any freshwater sources: no rivers, lakes, or streams.

4. Malta has two official state languages: Maltese and English. People from all over the world come to Malta to learn English because it is more affordable to learn English here than in Great Britain.

5. The megalithic temples of Malta are over 1,000 years older than the Egyptian pyramids.

6. In 1530, the Knights of the Order of St. John, originally founded in the 11th century in Jerusalem, and later known as the Order of Malta, settled in Malta.

7. Malta was part of the British Empire for a century and a half, which is why cars drive on the left here and British sockets are used.

8. In Malta, there is the world's largest hypogeum, Hal Safini - an underground temple of death, built in 4,000 BC. It consists of 34 "rooms," which include rooms with an oracle, an egg-shaped chamber of the main Mother, numerous tunnels with passages, halls, and doorways, stairs, and burial niches. The premises of Hal Safini are a mirror image of the Maltese temples on the surface. In the lowest section of the temple, there is a room where the steps abruptly break off; then, there is a tunnel leading down. This level of the Hypogeum was being built just as the mysterious civilization disappeared from the island. In 1940, a group of 30 schoolchildren and their teachers disappeared in this tunnel. Squeezing through the narrow opening, the group disappeared forever. Many residents of Malta assured that they heard children crying and screaming in their houses located in different parts of the island. The search operations that were conducted in the temple after that incident turned out to be fruitless. All the rescuers could find was a piece of rope that had been neatly cut with a sharp object. Sound like a legend? You can Google National Geographic for 1940; there is an entire article describing this incident.

9. On June 10, 1940, Mussolini followed Hitler into war. The next day, the first bomb landed on Malta. Malta was bombed by German and Italian aircraft every day during the 2 years of World War II - there was a British airbase in the country.

10. The Catholic Church has a strong influence in Malta. Divorce in Malta only appeared in 2011; abortion is prohibited, but same-sex marriages are allowed (not in the church).

11. There are 365 functioning Catholic churches in Malta, one for each day of the calendar year. Each village/town has a main church (sometimes 2) with a patron saint whose feast is celebrated from May to September. 95 such feasts take place in Malta, and 10 in Gozo. The celebration takes place with pomp: a statue of the saint is taken out of the church and placed on a special tribune; all of this is accompanied by a religious procession, an orchestra, and fireworks. It is usually celebrated every day during the week. The biggest celebration falls on Sunday and can last until 4 in the morning.

12. Only one family of four lives on the island of Comino. Therefore, if something happens, for example, to the car, or medical assistance is needed, the family must go to the neighboring island of Gozo.

13. Queen Elizabeth II lived in Malta for 2 years from 1949 when her husband Prince Philip was serving as a naval officer. These were the last moments of her private life before she ascended the throne in 1952.