Introduction - 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 its 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 its
combined bravery during the second world war , a fact that it proudly
commemorates on its 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, Valital 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, British Airways, Emirates,
Libyan Arab Airlines * Lufthansa. Malta has a modern airport terminal
well appointed with shops and facilities and most of Europe remains
within three hours flying time.
Overseas property insurance and holiday home insurance for.... Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech,
Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy,
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Morocco,
Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab
Emirates.
Copyright Assetsure Limited 2007
Homeowners
Guide to Malta and the Maltese
Islands
