The Maltese islands are considered by many to be the ideal location for a holiday home or indeed for retirement. This wonderful group of three islands is a regular home from home for Brits and over 375,000 people enjoy a fantastic lifestyle on this Mediterranean paradise. Certainly there is a very British feel to the Islands, the main languages spoken are Maltese and English, but most people will speak English and if it weren’t for the warm weather and stunning architecture you might be forgiven for believing your were in England. The long association with the British began in 1814 with the treaty of Paris and as a result of this Malta became a British Naval Base and because of it’s location equidistant between Gibraltar and Suez, it became strategically important for any vessels on route to the Far East. Malta remains the only Island to be awarded the George Cross for it’s combined bravery during the second world war, a fact that it proudly commemorates on it’s National Flag.
Geography – The Malta archipelago is located practically in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea approximately 100 miles from Sicily and 285 km from the coast of North Africa. It has an area of approximately 315 km miles and a 200 km coastline. There are three main islands in the group, Malta, Goza & Comino. Towards the North East of Malta the land is undulating whilst in the South it becomes flatter and low lying. Malta itself is the largest of the Islands and it is here that you will find the centre of government and all the islands administrative offices, Valletta is the capital and it is a cosmopolitan dynamic town with a thriving nightlife. The second largest Island is Gozo, much quieter with fishing & tourism in evidence and Comino the smallest which is largely uninhabited. Some say that the Maltese are the friendliest people in the world and you can be assured of a warm welcome whenever you venture on to these islands
Climate-Malta enjoys over 300 days a year of sunshine with enough rainfall in between to make sure there are adequate supplies for all. The islands are very beautiful with a warm Mede terrain climate and some say the friendliest people in the world, no wonder that in recent years more and more people have been attracted to this area to buy a holiday Home. Recently the government have considered making more land available for construction of new properties particularly apartments, their used to be a good study supply of older style properties ripe for renovation buy most of these have now been snapped out by persons eager to create their dream second home. We at Assetsure have recently acquired the ability to insure Homes and Holiday homes on the islands are we believe that our policy offers excellent value for money. We have developed this product just at a time when many people are considering making Malta their base inspired no only by the warm weather but the excellent tax advantages and quality of life. We hope that if you decide to buy a property on this island, that you will consider us for your insurance needs.
History – The history of the islands can be traced back almost 5000 years when Malta had a golden Neolithic period, temples to the gods are still in evidence as is architecture from the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans & Byzantines. All of these civilizations have left their mark on the land. Walking these islands you could be forgiven for believing you were in the worlds largest open air museum such is depth of the architectural heritage, The structures here are amongst the oldest in the world.
When you do reach a town, you will find a plethora of baroque palaces and renaissance. architecture surrounded by simply enchanting narrow streets. It also has more than it’s fair share of megalithic structure and exotic ruins including the world famous Hypogeum which has been selected as a world heritage site by Unesco. In 60AD St Paul was shipwrecked on the Island and brought Christianity with him. In the 9th century, Malta was conquered by the Arabs and it was then that the Maltese language much in evidence today was first introduced. Until the 16th century, Malta was seen as an extension of Sicily and, the Normans & the Aroganese both ruled over the islands until Charles V gave the islands to the Military order of St john who stayed in occupation until 1798.
Napoleon visited the island in this year on his way to Egypt and it was he that took over the islands but there presence was short as the islanders asked the British for help to liberate the Islands.
In 1964 Malta gained it’s independence but proud of their association with Britain they have kept the same style of government, education and legislation.
In 1974 Malta became a republic and is now a member of the European Union. This chequered history has left a permanent stamp on the islands, and now many styles and traditions have become fused to make modern Malta.
Culture –Because of this British lifestyle, the islands are very popular with holiday home owners, taxation is low and the cost of living is still considerably lower than in the United Kingdom. Malta boasts an excellent health service. The hospitals are modern and equipped with the latest facilities. Although Malta has reciprocal health arrangements with the United Kingdom, Travel Insurance or Private medical insurance is still; advisable and it is essential if you intend to stay in excess of one month. Although the official language of the islands is Maltese (Maltese is a language of Semitic origin written in Latin that over the years has incorporated words from many other languages) English is spoken by almost everyone making the Brits feel very at home.
Getting There It is anticipated that holiday home ownership will increase on the island and many airlines are planning to introduce services in the near future. At the present moment, it is the national airline Air Malta, which runs the bulk of the services. Other airlines that fly to Malta include, Ryanair,British Airways, Emirates, Libyan Arab Airlines * Lufthansa. Malta has a modern airport terminal well appointed with retail shops and facilities and most of Europe remains within three hours flying time. The main holiday home areas are: Attard, Balzan, Birgu, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Dingli, Fgura, Floriana, Gharghur, Ghaxaq, Gudja, Gzira, Hamrun, Iklin, Isla, Kalkara, Kirkop, Lija, Luqa, Marsa, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mdina, Mellieha, Mgarr, Mosta, Mqabba, Msida, Mtarfa, Naxxar, Paola, Pietà, Qormi, Qrendi, Rabat, Safi, San Gwann, Santa Lucija, Santa Venera |Siggiewi| Sliema, St. Julian’s, St. Paul’s Bay, Swieqi, Ta’ Xbiex.
