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Malta
, officially known as the
Republic of Malta
, is a small
island nation
comprising an
archipelago
of
seven islands
(Malta, Gozo (Għawdex) Comino (Kemmuna) Filfla, Cominotto (Kemmunett) Manoel, Selmunett (St.Paul's Islands)) in the
Mediterranean Sea
. A country of
Southern Europe
, Malta lies south of
Sicily
, east of
Tunisia
, and north of
Libya
. The country's official languages are
Maltese
and
English
.
Roman Catholicism
is the most practised religion. The islands constituting the Maltese nation have been ruled by various powers and fought over by many states for centuries. Malta has been a member state of the
European Union
(EU) since
2004
and it is currently the smallest EU country both in population and in area.
Air Malta
is the national
airline
of
Malta
. It operates services to around 50 destinations in
Europe
and North Africa. The airline is based at
Malta International Airport
, Luqa, with hubs at
Birmingham International Airport
and
Bristol International Airport
,
England
.
In July 2002, Air Malta announced that its new fleet of aircraft would be from the European aeroplane manufacturers Airbus. The new fleet comprises A319s and A320s and deliveries have already begun.
[
when?
]
The last plane will be delivered in 2007,
[
needs update
]
thus reducing the average age of fleet to around 2.5 years. Air Malta has concluded over 191
interline ticketing agreements
with other
IATA
airlines. It also has a codeshare agreement with Qantas from Sydney?Singapore?London?Malta.
According to the
Association of European Airlines
quarterly review of May 2006, Air Malta is the airline that loses the least amount of passenger baggage. The amount of baggage lost in the first quarter of 2006 was 4.1 bags missing per 1000 passengers. Air Malta is owned by the Maltese government (98%) and private investors (2%). Air Malta also has a 25% shareholding in
Medavia
. The airline employs 1,547 staff. (
more...
)
Comino
(Maltese:
Kemmuna
) is an
island
of the
Maltese archipelago
between the islands of
Malta
and
Gozo
in the
Mediterranean Sea
, measuring 3.5 km² in area. Named after the
cumin
herb that once flourished on the Island, Comino is noted for its tranquility and isolation. It has a permanent population of only four residents. One priest and one policeman commute from the nearby island of Gozo, to render their services to the local population and summertime visitors. Today, Comino is a
bird sanctuary
and
nature reserve
. (
more...
)
The city of
Mdina
displays an unusual mix of
Norman
and
Baroque
architecture, including several palaces, most of which serve as private homes.
- ...that the Maltese people have had the honour of being collectively awarded the
George Cross
?
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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