Malta - The places of your holidays on a sailing yacht and catamaran

Malta is an island state in southern Europe and a member of the European Union. It is an archipelago situated in the Mediterranean Sea and it is one of the smallest and most populated countries in the world. The climate is sub-tropical Mediterranean, with mild and rainy winters and hot and dry summers, mitigated by sea breeze along the coasts. The medium annual temperature is 19°, one of the highest in Europe. 

Malta is a parliamentary republic and its capital is Valletta. The principal island is characterized by lots of cities, the island hosting the capital forms a conurbation of 368 250 inhabitants. The greatest resources of Malta are limestone, a favorable geographic position and a very productive workforce. Malta has limited resources of drinking water and no sources of domestic energy. The economy depends on foreign trade and tourism. The latter has increased a lot in the years.

In 1814 Malta became part of the United Kingdom and it was used as a basis of exchange and headquarters for the fleet. At the beginning of 1900 a strong irredentism developed in favour of the union of the island to the Kingdom of Italy, that intensified in 1919. The pro-Italian feeling was hindered by the Brits especially during the Fascism period in Italy. Malta played an important role in the World War II because of its nearness to the Axis. Since 1934, Italian is no longer the official language of the country and Malta got the independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, becoming a member of the Commonwealth. In 1974 it became a republic, with a president.

The Maltese culture is characterized by different influences. Despite its small dimensions, Malta has a very rich literary scene. The first work was in the Middle Ages and it was a poem, while in 1800 there was a real literary "renaissance" with writers such as Gian Anton Vassallo. Today Malta's literature is dominated by lots of Maltese, some English and few Italian language works.

The island has 3 Unesco World Heritage Sites. One of these is the whole capital, one of the most beautiful cities of the Mediterranean Sea. There are more than 300 monuments and historical sites and for night-life lovers the city has clubs, bars, theatres and beautiful restaurants with a view on the sea.