Malta does not only bloom in history, but has a lively contemporary and cosmopolitan feel to it. The Islands are fast becoming one of the most sought-after relocation destinations for young- and mid-career professionals. Medieval dungeons, megaliths and Calypso's Cave – The Maltese Islands are positively and boldly mythic. The narrow streets of the towns and villages are crowded with Renaissance cathedrals and ancient Baroque age palaces. As the countryside is dotted with the oldest known human structures in the world, the Islands have been described and referred to as an open-air museum.
The Maltese archipelago lies virtually at the centre of the Mediterranean, with Malta 93km south of Sicily and 288km north of Africa. The archipelago consists of three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino with a total population of 400,000 inhabitants over an area of 316sq km and a coastline of 196.8km (not including 56.01 km for the island of Gozo).
Malta is the largest island and the cultural, commercial and administrative centre. Gozo is the second largest island and is more rural, characterised by fishing, tourism, crafts and agriculture while Comino is famous for it's crystal blue seas and largely uninhabited.
With superbly sunny weather, expansive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do. With a little help from any guidebook, captivating places of interest are immediately identified – the world famous Hypogeum selected as a place of World Heritage by UNESCO, prehistoric temples and grand palaces are but a few.
The long relationship between the Islanders and the various nationalities that occupied Malta over the centuries has created a marriage of styles and traditions, giving the Islands a fascinating eclectic culture.
Malta has a vibrant, contemporary cultural life with something for all tastes. It has a year-round events calendar including theatre (in English), a wide range of performing and visual arts as well as traditional Mediterranean events such as festas. Malta is now firmly on the touring programmes of many internationally renowned pop, rock, classical and opera singers and performers and attracts numerous international theatre groups.
True to the melting pot of cultural influences, being an ex British Republic, the national languages are English and it's own unique language, Maltese. One can easily sense some Italian and Arabic element in speech. The Euro currency was recently adopted in the country since the 01st of January, 2008.
