OVER the centuries, Maltaâ€™s strategic position fostered its development as an important trading post and it remains a leading centre for container and freight transshipment. Malta is a popular holiday destination and tourism is the nationâ€™s main source of income.

Malta a country of no rivers, streams and lakes

OVER the centuries, Maltaâ€™s strategic position fostered its development as an important trading post and it remains a leading centre for container and freight transshipment. Malta is a popular holiday destination and tourism is the nationâ€™s main source of income.The Republic of Malta comprises an archipelago of six islands and islets in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, 93km south of Sicily and 290km from the coast of North Africa. Malta, Gozo and Comino are inhabited; the other islands are Cominotto, Filfla and St Paulâ€™s Island.There are no rivers, streams or lakes on Malta Island, which has an indented coast on the eastern side with several good natural harbours. Gozo has cliffs and flat-topped hills. Water is obtained from natural ground water resources.Malta is a small and densely populated country of Southern Europe. The countryâ€™s official languages are Maltese and English.The islands, constituting the Maltese nation, have been ruled by various powers and fought over for centuries. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and has been a member state of the European Union since May 2004. It is the smallest EU country in both population and area. Her population is 404,346. It aims to join the Euro zone in 2008.Malta is home to what may be the oldest freestanding structure in the world: the oldest of all the megalithic temples on the islands is il-Ggantija, in Ghawdex dating back to before 3500 BC. One of the very earliest marks of civilisation on the islands is the temple of Hagar Qim, which dates from between 3200 and 2500 BC, stands on a hilltop on the southern edge of the island.Adjacent to Hagar Qim, lies another remarkable temple site, I-Imnajdra. Phoenicians colonised the islands around 700 BC, using them as an outpost from which they expanded sea explorations and trade in the Mediterranean.It has a history of colonial control spanning centuries. Because of its location, Malta has been occupied by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and latterly France and Britain.Independence from Britain was achieved in 1964, after the Maltese were awarded the George Cross for defending the island during World War II.Since becoming an EU member, the tiny island has reported an increasing problem with immigration from North Africa and has requested more help to deal with it. The United Nations refugee agency has criticised the islandâ€™s policy of keeping asylum seekers in detention for 18 months.Lawrence Gonzi took office in March 2004, just before Malta entered the EU. He said Malta should seize the opportunities afforded by membership.Gonzi was elected as head of the ruling Nationalist Party after veteran leader Edward Fenech Adami retired. He promised to boost tourism and to create favourable conditions for investment. A lawyer by profession, Gonzi became a government minister in 1998.Maltaâ€™s capital is Valletta.