Malta

In 60 AD a ship carrying prisoner Paul of Tarsus to Rome wrecked off Malta's coast (Acts 28). Paul spent 3 months here and tradition holds he converted the island to Christianity. The wreck is located in St. Paul's Bay — every February 10th Malta celebrates "The Shipwreck of St. Paul" (il-Nawfraġju) as a national holiday.

Malta is the only country in the world to receive the George Cross — Britain's highest civilian decoration for bravery. King George VI awarded it in 1942 for heroism during 3,000+ Axis bombing raids. The Cross appears in the upper left corner of Malta's flag — the only such case in the world.

Maltese is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet and the only Semitic language that is an official EU language. An Arabic core (~60%) with massive Sicilian, Italian and English overlay. "Bonġu" = good morning (from Italian buongiorno). The letter "ħ" is a voiceless pharyngeal "h" — it doesn't exist in any other European language.

Malta has 1,672 people/km² — more than Monaco if counting only EU countries. Over 530,000 people live on 316 km². For comparison: Warsaw has 3,500 people/km², but that's a city — Malta is an ENTIRE COUNTRY at that density. Yet on the south coast (Dingli, Żurrieq) you'll find empty cliffs for kilometres.

"One for every day of the year" — popular Maltese saying. In reality, Malta has over 360 churches and chapels on 316 km². Every village has at least one, and Victoria on Gozo has 15. The festa (patron saint festival) is the most important event of the year in each village — with fireworks, processions and illuminations.

Beneath Valletta runs a network of underground tunnels from the Knights' era — connecting forts, ammunition stores and hospitals. During WWII they were expanded as air raid shelters (Lascaris War Rooms, now a museum). It's estimated only 60% of the tunnel system is known — the rest awaits discovery.

Since 1925, over 120 films and TV series have been shot in Malta. Mediterranean Film Studios in Kalkara has the world's largest outdoor film water tank (110×73m). Fort Ricasoli has "played" Rome, Troy, Babylon, Benghazi and Westeros. Malta is Europe's 2nd busiest film location after London for major productions.

The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is the only prehistoric underground temple in the world (3300–3000 BC). UNESCO limits entry to 80 people per day — humidity from tourists' breath threatens 5,000-year-old paintings. Tickets (EUR 40) sell out 2–3 weeks ahead. The "Oracle Room" acoustics amplify the bass of the human voice to 110 Hz.

Malta drives on the left — a legacy of 164 years of British rule (1800–1964). The only country in continental/Mediterranean Europe (besides Cyprus and the UK) with left-hand traffic. Steering wheel on the right, roundabouts clockwise — tourists need about 2 days to adjust.

In 1565, 40,000 Ottoman soldiers attacked Malta defended by just ~700 knights and 8,000 Maltese militia. The siege lasted 4 months. Fort St. Elmo fell after 31 days — 1,500 defenders died, but it cost the Ottomans 8,000 men. Voltaire wrote: "nothing is more well known than the Siege of Malta."