Malta, independent republic in the Commonwealth of Nations, consisting of a small group of islands—Malta, Gozo, Kemmuna, Kemmunett, and Filfla—located in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily.

The area of the largest island, Malta, is 246 sq km (95 sq mi); of Gozo, 67 sq km (26 sq mi); and of Kemmuna, 3 sq km (1 sq mi). The combined area of Kemmunett and Filfla is 0.3 sq km (0.12 sq mi). The total area is 316 sq km (122 sq mi). The capital and leading port of the country is Valletta, a world heritage site (population, 1997 estimate, 7,172). The population of Malta (2000 estimate) is 383,285. The overall population density is 1,212 persons per sq km (3,138 per sq mi).

Manufacturing for export, ship construction and repair, and tourism are Malta’s chief industries. Major manufactures include processed food and beverages, textiles and clothing, furniture and wood products, printing and publishing, tobacco products, transportation equipment (especially ships), macFile:Malta - Mellieha - St. Paul's Islands (St. Paul's Bay Tower) 02 ies.jpghinery, rubber and plastic goods, and chemicals. Tourism is increasingly important; the country had 1.2 million visitors in 1998. Shipping-related industries are vital to Malta’s economy. These industries include shipbuilding facilities, naval construction and repair facilities, and transshipment centers.

Most of Malta’s agricultural products are cultivated on small terraced slopes. The principal crops include potatoes, tomatoes, melons, wheat, and citrus fruits. Some poultry, rabbits, cattle, goats, and sheep are raised. Because the population is dense and the soil is poor, Malta must import most of its food. Just 3 percent of the labor force is employed in the agricultural sector.

In 2020 Malta’s gross domestic product was $14.6 billion. In 2020 exports earned $4.8 billion, and imports cost $5.3 billion. Malta’s trade deficit makes the country highly dependent on foreign markets and services. Principal exports include clothing, transportation equipment, basic manufactures, and machinery, and principal imports are machinery, textiles, chemicals, raw materials, fuels, and food. The chief purchasers of Malta’s exports are France, the United States, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom; leading sources of imports are Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

The Euro is the currency. All major credit cards and traveler’s cheques are accepted.

The islandsA childhood fantasy land - Review of Popeye Village Malta, Mellieha, Malta  - Tripadvisor of Malta consist of low-lying coralline limestone plateaus surrounded by impermeable clay slopes. The highest point is 239 m (784 ft) above sea level. The climate is dry and temperate, with a mean temperature of 19° C (66° F). Average annual rainfall is about 560 mm (about 22 in). Because Malta has no permanent rivers or lakes and precipitation is limited, the natural water supply has become a problem. The country has implemented a program to desalinate sea water; up to 70 percent of Malta’s water comes from desalination plants.

The Maltese are predominantly Roman Catholic and speakMellieha Malta | Have Bag, Will Travel a language similar in vocabulary to Arabic, although its alphabet and grammatical structure are derived from Latin. Both Maltese and English are official languages. Italian is widely spoken. Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 16. The University of Malta (1592) in Msida had approximately 5,000 students in 1994.

According to the terms of the constitution of 1964, substantially amended in 1974, Malta is a democratic republic. The head ofMemorabilia - Picture of Mellieha Parish Church, Island of Malta -  Tripadvisor state is the president, who is appointed by parliament to serve a term of five years. Legislative authority is vested in the House of Representatives, composed of at a minimum of 65 members elected to five-year terms by universal adult suffrage on the basis of proportional representation. A variable number of extra seats are awarded to the party with the majority of the popular vote in order to ensure a majority in the legislature. The head of government is a prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of parliament and responsible to the legislature. The prime minister is assisted by a cabinet.

The many ancient monuments and remains on Malta attest to the great age of its civilization. Remains from Stone Age and Bronze Age peoples have been found in subterranean burial chambers near Rahal Gdid. The islands became a Phoenician colony about 1000 BC. In 736 BC they were occupied by click to enlarge!!!the Greeks, who called the colony Melita, and later the islands passed successively into the possession of Carthage and Rome. At the division of the Roman Empire in scaps AD395, Malta was awarded to the Eastern Roman Empire. The islands were occupied by Arabs in 870. A Norman army conquered the Maltese Arabs in 1090, and Malta was later made a feudal fief of the kingdom of Sicily. In 1530 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted Malta to the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, who ruled the islands until the 19th century. After a famous and unsuccessful siege by the Ottoman Turks in 1565, the Knights fortified Valletta so strongly that it became one of the greatest Mediterranean strongholds.

In 1798 Napoleon invaded and occupied the islands during his Egyptian campaign. Unwilling to be ruled by France, the Maltese appealed to Britain, and in 1799 the British naval officer Horatio Nelson besieged Valletta and compelled the withdrawal of the French. By the terms of the Treaty of Paris, in 1814, Malta became part of the British Empire as a crown colony. The Maltese increasingly demanded self-government during the 19th century. In 1921, as a reward for its help during World War I, the colony was given a constitution that provided for a legislature elected by the inhabitants. The strategic position of the islands made Malta the object of many Italian intrigues. In 1936, because of increasing Italian influence, the constitution was revoked. During World War II (1939-1945) Allied fighter planes and submarines were based on Malta. Consequently, Malta withstood heavy bombing by the German and Italian air forces; in 1942 George VI, king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, awarded the colony as a whole the George Cross for heroism.

A constitution effective on November 1, 1961, gave Malta internal self-government. In the campaign preceding the first election under the new constitution, the Labour Party called for independence outside the Commonwealth; the Nationalists, the other major party, which advocated independence within the Commonwealth, won the election, and their leader, George Borg Olivier, became prime minister. Malta became independent on September 21, 1964, and a United Nations member on December 1.

In elections in June 1971, Olivier’s Nationalist Party was defeated by the Labour Party, and Dominic Mintoff became prime minister of a Labour cabinet. He changed the form of the island’s government to that of a republic in 1974.

In the subsequent years the country’s politics became violently polarized, and Mintoff was accused of strong-arm tactics. Claiming nonalignment in international affairs, the country declined in 1979 to renew the agreement under which British troops of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had rented facilities on the island. Malta and Libya cooperated closely in the late 1970s, but relations were strained in 1980 by a dispute over oil-drilling rights in Mediterranean waters. In December 1981 Mintoff’s government won a mandate for a third five-year term in office; in December 1984, however, Mintoff resigned and was succeeded as prime minister by his education minister, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici. After 16 years out of power, the Nationalist Party won the national election of May 1987, and its leader, Eddie Fenech Adami, became prime minister.

Mellieha Local Council

21 521333

The Parish Priest

21 523449

Mellieha Clinic

21 522316

Police - Mellieha

21 523457

Police - Qawra

21 571174 - 21 576737

Waterworks - Qawra

21 573507 - 21 583859

Maria Bambina Primary School

21 523527

Get visibility on our site

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Libero a pellentesque nisi, aliquet quam montes. Facilisi massa gravida hendrerit est eget.

    About the village of Mellieha

    Mellieha is a rural village and tourist resort in the Northwestern part of Malta and derives its name from the Semitic root 'm-l-h' which in Arabic means salt. The name was probably derived from the ancient Punic and Roman salt-terns; historians indicated as lying adjacent to the large sandy bay at the foot of the village.
    Mellieha has been inhabited since early Neolithic times (3000 B.C). Several megalithic remains and tombs of this era and other primitive tools and fragments of pottery were found in various localities around this area, primarily at "il-Latnija" - a natural cavity used by several stone-age peoples - and at l-Gholja tax-Xemxija.
    During the Roman and Byzantine occupations (213B.C- 870A.D.), Mellieha's valleys were inhabited by troglodytes, who irrigated the land, adopted natural caves as their dwelling places and buried their beloved ones in Punic style burial chambers. Following the Arab conquest and during the medieval period (870-1530A.D.), the area was deserted, primarily due to the continuous raids of the Muslim corsairs.
    Notwithstanding the hardship experienced by the Maltese during the Reign of the Order of St. John (1530-1798A.D.), Mellieha's medieval chapel, dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary, was one of the most venerated places on the island. Several distinguished persons, such as grandmaster's, kings and bishops visited the shrine and pilgrimages to the sanctuary from all over the island were held frequently.
    In the late 17th century, the Knights built several fortifications along the coast, so as to protect the inhabitants. This venture brought about the gradual repopulating of the area, mainly by those who wanted to exploit the fertile valleys and the new enterprise of tunny net fishing. Under the British, in 1844, Mellieha was established again as a parish and since then it grew up into a modern town, of circa 6,500 people.
    Today, Mellieha is one of Malta's most picturesque tourist destinations. The town centre boasts of its splendid hotels, fine restaurants and traditional cute shops. It has a unique primary school, a majestic baroque church (built in late 19th century) and various cultural organizations, including band clubs, sports clubs, an orchestra, various religious societies, a parish community centre and an environmental pressure group. Since 1993, local affairs are being run by the Mellieha Local Council, an institution made up of seven councilors, elected every three years by the people.
    Mellieha's main festive season occurs in the first two weeks of September and reaches its climax on the 8th September. During these days various cultural manifestations are held, such as musical concerts, fireworks, folk singing, art exhibitions and the traditional religious procession. The town's people, ''Il-Mellehin'', are renowned for their laborious nature, their ironic sense of humour, and their friendliness and hospitality. Those who visit us, no matter where they hail from, do not merely enjoy themselves but feel at home.

    As long as Mellieha preserves its great archaeological and historic heritage, its unique natural environment, and its traditions and costumes, its people, "Il-Mellehin", can look forward to a bright future.