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14 unusual facts about Malta


Angela Galea

Angela Galea (born May 5, 1983 in Pietà) is a retired Maltese swimmer, who specialized in butterfly events.

Anton Buttigieg

Anton Buttigieg was born in Qala, Gozo, on 19 February 1912, the third child of Salvatore and Concetta (née Falzon) Buttigieg.

Baħrija

Baħrija is a small rural village in Rabat, Malta, with a population of about 56,000 that is growing.

Bulgarian Soft Drink Association

Products of Bulgarian companies, manufacturers of soft drinks, are sold in USA, UK, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Malta, and Cyprus, all Balkan countries, in Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America.

Gareth Sciberras

Gareth Sciberras (born 29 March 1983 in Pietà, Malta) is a professional footballer currently playing for Birkirkara in the Maltese Premier League, where he plays as a midfielder.

Gianluca Bezzina

Gianluca's maternal grandfather, the late Gaetano Buttigieg of Marsa, Malta, better known as Gaetano Kanta, was also a very well-known figure in Malta.

Latvia national rugby union team

However their hopes took a massive blow, when they failed to capitalise on Poland's surprise home defeat to Croatia, losing 16-13 to Malta in Paola.

Louis Briffa

Briffa received his education at the Precision Engineering Centre, Marsa (1990–1991) and at the Technical Institute, George Grognet De Vasse, Naxxar (1992).

Malfa

In the 12th century some families established their lives in Malfa on the island of Salina.

Maltese heraldry

The coat of arms of Malta was created in the 20th Century but has an older history.

Ray Buttigieg

He attended Qala primary school, then the Lyceum in Victoria, Gozo.

Saint Joseph's Day

However, the city of Rabat celebrates the traditional Maltese feast on the 19th of March, where in the evening a procession is also held with the statue of St Joseph.

Salina Catacombs

The Salina Catacombs are a cluster of small catacombs located near the Church of the Annunciation in Salina, Naxxar, in Malta.

Tennis at the 2003 Games of the Small States of Europe

Tennis competitions at the 2003 Games of the Small States of Europe in Malta were held from June 3 to June 7 at the Marsa Sports Club in Marsa.


27 Kinder European Challenge

The largest fundraising effort came from Malta, and was shared between Inspire Foundation and the Daniel Delicata Memorial Association for the construction of a children's outdoor play area at the new national Mater Dei Hospital.

7th Wonder

"7th Wonder" (occasionally rendered as "Seventh Wonder") was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, performed in English by Ira Losco.

Alexander Clifford

In June 1940 the Sunderland flying ship in which he was being transported beached near Malta to avoid sinking.

Armier Bay

Armier Bay (in Maltese: Bajjet l-Armier), is situated in the locality of Mellieħa, Malta.

Borough United F.C.

A 0-0 draw in Malta was followed by a 2-0 success at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham — a more suitable venue than the tiny Nant-y-Coed ground with its single stand and spartan changing rooms — to set up a tie with Slovakian ŠK Slovan Bratislava.

British currency in the Middle East

The 1825 order-in-council was limited largely to the remnants of the old Empire in North America and the West Indies, along with New South Wales, Gibraltar, and some spoils of the Napoleonic wars such as the Cape of Good Hope, Malta, and Mauritius.

Constitution of Malta

On July 27, 1960, the Secretary of State for the Colonies declared to the British House of Commons the wish of Her Majesty’s Government to reinstate representative government in Malta and declare that it was now time to work out a new constitution where elections could be held as soon as it was established.

Daniel Callus

In 1931 Callus resigned from all of his offices in Malta and permanently left for Hawkesyard, and then, a year later, for Oxford, England, where he stayed until his death.

De Bono

Edward de Bono, a Malta-born British physician, author, and consultant

Diritto Municipale

The Municipal Law' (Diritto Municipale in the original Italian) was a compilation of the knight's and Malta's laws during their stay on the Island.

Doyles Room

Named for Doyle Brunson, the 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, the Doyle Brunson Poker Network is licensed and incorporated in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles with the website also stating "Letter of Intent from Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority Received".

Dwarf elephant

Fossil remains of dwarf elephants have been found on the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Malta (at Ghar Dalam), Crete (in Nomos Chanion at Vamos, Stylos and in a now under water cave on the coast), Sicily, Sardinia, the Cyclades Islands and the Dodecanese Islands.

Filfla

On the Maltese coast opposite Filfla are the archeological sites of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, the Hamrija Tower (one of 13 watchtowers that Martin de Redin built around the coast of Malta), and a memorial to Walter Norris Congreve, one of Malta's British governors, who was buried at sea in the channel between the island and Malta.

Filfola Lizard

This subspecies is found on the three main islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino.

Francis Douglas

Francis Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Barloch (1889–1980), MP from Battersea North and Governor-General of Malta

Gary Muir

With head coach Korytoski deciding to move on from his post after changes in the clubs ownership, Muir signed for Vittoriosa Stars in Malta.

GHAR

Għar Dalam, a prehistorical cul de sac located on the outskirts of Birżebbuġa, Malta

Għajn Tuffieħa Roman Baths

The site has also benefited in recent years from the UNESCO funded Malta Mosaics Project, which mapped mosaics and pavements at Għajn Tuffieha and the Domvs Romana.

Għonnella

In the south-eastern part of Malta, the għonnella was called ċulqana, while in the Għargħur dialect it was referred to as stamijna.

Giovanni Francesco Abela

Abela was born in Valletta to Marco Abela and Benarda Vella whose great great grandfather was Barone di Pietra Lunga and whose ancestors ruled Malta on more than one occasion and were part of the royal family of Spain.

Harpalus affinis

In Europe, it is only absent in the following countries or islands: the Azores, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, Crete, Cyclades, Dodecanese, the Faroe Islands, Franz Josef Land, Gibraltar, Iceland, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, the North Aegean islands, Novaya Zemlya, San Marino, the Savage Islands, Sicily, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and Vatican City.

Harpalus anxius

In Europe, it is only absent in the following countries or islands: Andorra, the Azores, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, Crete, Cyclades, Cyprus, Dodecanese, the Faroe Islands, Franz Josef Land, Gibraltar, Iceland, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, the North Aegean islands, Norway, Novaya Zemlya, Portugal, San Marino, the Savage Islands, Sicily, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and Vatican City.

HMVS Childers

Later that month, she was in Malta on her delivery voyage to Victoria with HMVS Albert and HMVS Victoria when news of General Gordon's death at Khartoum arrived.

Il-Foss

The Zabbar Ground better known by its nickname Il-Foss is a football ground in Ħaż-Żabbar, Malta.

John Mortimer Warfield

In February 1939, just before the Second World War started, Warfield was appointed as Command Armament Staff Officer at HQ Mediterranean Command at RAF Luqa serving under Air Vice Marshal Hugh Lloyd, a post he held until the spring of 1941 when he was promoted to Wing Commander and appointed as Officer Commanding of the Malta airbase RAF Ta' Qali.

Julen Guerrero

Among Guerrero's personal international highlights were hat-tricks against Malta (3–0 in Attard, on 18 December 1996) and Cyprus (8–0, 8 September 1999).

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014

It will also be the third time in the history of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest that the event will be hosted by the previous year's winning country, after Malta won the 2013 edition in Kiev, Ukraine, with the song "The Start" by Gaia Cauchi.

Kaplan International Colleges

KIC also offers short, medium and long-term residential foreign language courses in China, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Russia and Spain through partner schools.

Luqa

In 1592 the village of Luqa was hit by Bubonic plague, which at that time hit all the population of Malta and caused many deaths.

Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012

In the final, Macedonia was drawn to perform 22nd, after Malta and preceding Ireland.

Malta Colony

During the Second World War, Ugo Pasquale Mifsud and George Borg Olivier were the only remaining Nationalist members of parliament of Malta.

Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005

Malta was represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 by the song "Angel" performed by Chiara.

Pierre J. Mejlak

He was a BBC correspondent, a regular columnist for Malta's daily In-Nazzjon and produced radio shows - including 60 one-hour documentaries on rock legends - for various national radio stations.

Renzo Spiteri

He is the musical director and drummer/percussionist of the Maltese folk band Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and works very closely with Contact Dance Company (Malta), writing music and performing live on stage with the company in Malta and across Europe.

Robert Samut

On 26 May 1968 Dr. Giorgio Borg Olivier, then Prime Minister of Independent Malta, in the presence of the Governor General and Lady Dorman, of His Grace Mgr Michael Gonzi, and many other personalities, unveiled a marble plaque on the façade of the Lion House to commemorate the birthplace of Prof. Samut.

Ron Angus

Commonwealth Championships: 1993 Ireland (3rd), 1995 Malta (3rd)

Royal Malta Golf Club

The Royal Malta Golf Club was founded in 1888 by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D’Oyley Torrens KCB KCMG.

Royal Malta Yacht Club

In 1968 the first Middle Sea Race was sailed, and in 1987 was the start of the Rimini-Malta-Rimini race.

Sir Graham Hamond, 2nd Baronet

He was made a Post-Captain on 30 November, and in the following year, when in command of HMS Champion (24), was at the blockade of Malta, where he occasionally served on shore at the siege of Valletta.

Sweet Haven

Popeye Village, also known as Sweethaven Village, tourist attraction in Malta

The Sleeping Lady

This figurine is held in the Museum of Archaeology, in Valletta, Malta.

Three villages of Malta

Attard, Balzan, and Lija are three small villages located near the centre of the Mediterranean island of Malta.

Valletta Waterfront

It is also being used as a venue with a concentration of bars, retail outlets and restaurants, as well as for concerts and events, including the Malta Jazz Festival, the Malta Fireworks Festival, the Perfect Wedding Fair and other themed events.

Verdala Palace

Verdala palace was restored by Governor Sir William Reid by 1858 and was the official summer residency of the Governors of Malta during British rule.

Violeta Chamorro

Chamorro was the first elected female head of state in the Americas, the second in the Western Hemisphere after Iceland's Vigdís Finnbogadóttir and the fifth in the world after the elections of Agatha Barbara in Malta, Elisabeth Kopp in Switzerland and Corazon Aquino in the Philippines.

Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb

Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb is a modern folk sextet from Malta, featuring Walter Micallef on vocals and guitar, Renzo Spiteri on percussion, Jes Psaila on acoustic and electric guitar, Eric Wadge on bass, Pawlu Camilleri on harmonica and Albert Garzia on piano and accordion.

Watchtower

Some notable examples of military Mediterranean watchtowers include the towers that the Knights of Malta had constructed on the coasts of Malta.

Wignacourt

Wignacourt towers, series of fortifications on the island of Malta built by the Knights of Malta

William Keir Carr

Later he was deployed to No. 542 Squadron at RAF Benson flying the Spitfire PR Mk XI, one of which he flew to Malta when he was transferred to No. 683 Squadron.

Women in Maltese General Elections

The Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista, PN), on the other hand, fieled its first female candidate, Mary Louise Muscat Manduca, in 1950, but it was Anne Agius Ferrante, for the first time, successfully contested the 1976 elections under PN flag, and was elected in a by-election, It was not before 1987 that another PN female candidate made it to parliament - Giovanna Debono for Gozo.