Geography
Located in the Meditterranean 80 km south of Sicily, and 333 km north of Libya, Malta is just 316 square kilometres in size, making it one of the world's smallest countries. The population is around 360,000.
The climate is mild in winter and warm in summer with sunshine. Really there are only two seasons - spring and summer, all year round.
Malta is a member of the European Union and the border-free Schengen zone, making travel there simple. The national currency is the euro.
Languages
As Malta was a British colony for 160 years, English is very widely spoken and even has official language status, along with Maltese, which is descended from a Sicilian Arabic dialect. Maltese has the distinction of being the only Semitic or Arabic language that is written in Latin characters. The prevalence of English makes Malta a popular destination for language learning: why learn English in grey London when you can learn it in the sun of Malta?
See and Do
It may be small but you'll be amazed how much the sun-kissed island of Malta manages to pack in.
The capital, Valletta, is a stunning city full of rococo gems such as the Grandmaster's Palace and National Museum of Fine Arts. Providing contrast are huge fortifications that speak of Malta's tempestuous history. But one of the results of being occupied by many different civilizations is the Malta's eclectic mix of Mediterranean cooking with Lampuki (fish) pie and Kapanuta (Maltese ratatouille) not to be missed! A variety of theatres including Valletta's famous Manoel Theatre and two opera houses in Victoria offer wide selection of plays, musicals, operas and concerts.
There are no fewer than nine UNESCO World Heritage sites on Malta, including megalithic temples that are believed to be among the oldest structures in the world.
Flights are operated by airBaltic in cooperation with TEZ-TOUR and can be purchased at most travel agencies and on www.teztour.lv. |
