13th December: Malta Republic Day

Today is Malta Republic Day. Having been there less than a month ago this is a nice reminder of my last holiday!

1. Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean, about 80 km (50 mi) south of Sicily. Only the three largest islands – Malta (Malta), Gozo (Għawdex) and Comino (Kemmuna) – are inhabited. Comino has only 4 permanent residents.
2. The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km2, is the smallest national capital in the European Union. UNESCO has dubbed Valletta as “one of the most concentrated historical areas in the world” as it has 320 monuments.
3. There are ancient Megalithic Temples in Malta which are older than The Pyramids or Stonehenge.
4. Calypso’s Cave in Malta is thought to be the cave featured in The Odyssey.
5. Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI in 1942, for the country's bravery in the Second World War. The George Cross continues to appear on Malta's national Flag even though it is now a republic.
6. According to the Bible, St Paul was on his way to Rome when his ship was wrecked on the coast of Malta. The area that is thought to be the site of the wreck is commemorated with a statue.
7. An endemic species of bee lives on the island, giving it the popular nickname the "land of honey". The name Malta is thought to derive from the world for Honey in Greek.
8. Malta has a national dog - the Klieb tal-Fenek or Pharoah Dog.
9. Edward Richard Portelli was born in Malta in 1873. His great-great granddaughter is Britney Spears.
10. Around 17,000 years ago, the Maltese islands were the mountain tops of a landmass which connected current-day Malta to Sicily and even mainland Italy.