International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

The history of protest and revolt in Malta is complex and intriguing, particularly given its small size (the surface area of Malta is only 122 square miles). Such a varied history is the result of a particular interaction between geography and the actions of people. The Maltese Islands lie right in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, 37 miles to the south of Sicily and 217 miles north of Libya. The major island, Malta, gives its name to the whole of the archipelago, and the word Malta is used interchangeably with the phrase Maltese Islands. The second island, Gozo, is about a third the size of Malta, and the third island, Comino, is miniscule and practically uninhabited. Though Malta lacks any natural resources, its position at the crossroads of the Mediterranean has always made it the object of interest of the powers that vied for control of this sea. Up to 1530 the history of Malta was tied to the history of Sicily. Whoever ruled the biggest island in the Mediterranean generally also ruled Malta. In this way, Sicily and Malta passed through a sequence of Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, Norman, Hohenstaufen, Angevin, and Aragonese administrations, all of which left a deep impact on the ethnic and cultural heritage of these islands. In 1530, through a grant made by Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, Malta passed under the control of the military-religious Order of Saint ... log in or subscribe to read full text