Malta: The Mythical Island

The Maltese Islands are positively mythic with Megaliths, medieval dungeons and Calypso's Cave . The narrow streets of their towns and villages are crowded with Renaissance cathedrals and Baroque palaces. As the countryside is dotted with the oldest known human structures in the world, the Islands have rightly been described as an open-air museum. The Maltese archipelago is situated at the centre of the Mediterranean, with Malta 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north of Africa. The archipelago consists of three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. The total population is 400,000 inhabitants over an area of 316 sq km and a coastline of 196.8km. The largest island and also cultural, commercial and administrative centre is Malta. The second largest island and more rural is Gozo, Comino is largely uninhabited. Although small, Malta has a long and rich history. Man first arrived in Malta around 5200 BC. These first Neolithic people probably arrived from Sicily and were mainly farming and fishing communities, with some evidence of hunting activities. They apparently lived in caves and open dwellings.