A Day In Malta Diary
This fun diary writing prompt encourages children to write about an imagined day living in Malta...
Malta
Take a quick trip to Malta with us to learn some interesting facts, and print out our Malta flag printables and flag colouring page.
Early morning view of Valletta, Malta
A Little Geography...
- Malta is a small archipelago of islands in the Mediterranean, 50 miles south of Sicily, consisting of Malta, Gozo, Comino and two uninhabited islands.
- Malta is the most densely populated country in the EU. and has the smallest capital city in the EU - Valletta.
- Because the island is located in the centre of the Mediterranean, most European and Middle Eastern capitals are only between two and four hours flying time away.
- A warm climate and many important monuments have made Malta a popular tourist destination.
- Malta has been tilted in a northerly direction due to tectonic activity, resulting in cliffs of up to about 800 feet (250 metres) high.
A Little History...
- Malta's location and importance as a naval base have led to many rulers over the centuries, including the Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, Normans, Hapsburgs, French and British!
- The first settlers in Malta can be dated back to 4500 years BC, when people from the neighbouring island of Sicily went to investigate the island by crossing the narrow waters.
- Malta became part of the Byzantine Empire in 533 AD.
- In 1530 Charles V gave the island to the Knights of St. John. The Knights of St John ruled Malta for 250 years. Their symbol, an eight-point star, is known as the Maltese Cross.
- Valletta boasts a magnificent walled fortress built after the Great Siege of 1565, when a small force of Knights resisted the mighty navy of Suleiman the Magnificent.
- In 1798 the French and Napolean arrived. The French controlled the island until the British helped to expel them in 1800. Malta joined the British Empire in 1814.
- In 1942 the Maltese people were awarded the George Cross medal for bravery by King George VI after suffering a siege that lasted 154 days.
- Malta gained independence from the UK in 1964, becoming a republic in 1974 and a member of the EU in 2004.
Hagar Qim, one of seven Megalithic temples on Malta
And Some Interesting Facts...
- The name Malta is said to come either from the Phoenician word ‘malat ‘ which meant refuge, or the Greek word for honey which is 'melita’. The Phoenicians were great sailors who settled here around 800 BCE.
- Malta was 5 times larger 13,000 years ago when the sea level was over 85 metres lower than today! There was even a landbridge connecting Malta to Sicily.
- Malta has many Neolithic stone temples. Ggantija on Gozo was built between 3600 and 2,500 BCE, even before the Pyramids and Stonehenge. The stones are so large that local villagers thought they must have been built by giants!
- Gozo is thought to be the island called Ogygia, home of Calypso, from Homer's Odyssey.
- The pharaoh hound is the national dog of Malta, not - despite its name - the small Maltese dog. The hounds have pointed ears and came from ancient Egypt. They are used for rabbit hunting.
- Children’s toy maker Playmobil has its biggest factory outside of Germany in Malta, and 2 million figures are made each week. Visitors can ride on life sized toys at the theme park next door!
About the Malta Flag
The Malta flag is a basic bicolour flag of white and red, and was officially adopted on 21 September 1964. The red and white colours originally featured on the blazon of the arms of Malta, and were given to Malta by Count Roger of Sicily in 1091.
Our Malta Resources
Climate Of Malta Worksheet
Describe the climate of Malta, then find out the weather conditions there today and record them in the weather app template on this worksheet.
Culture In Malta Worksheet
Do some research on the different aspects of culture in Malta then record your results on our worksheet - choose from either a blank or lined version below.
Design A Tourism Poster For Malta
Design a fun, eye-catching poster encouraging people to visit Malta! Try to think of an interesting slogan to use that will catch people's attention...
Food From Malta Worksheet
It's time to eat in Malta! Can the kids find out about the food grown and eaten there and draw a typical meal?
Introduction to Malta
Learn some facts about Malta by reading our fun introductory pages - there are some geography facts, a little history and a few interesting facts too!
Malta Booklet
These little booklets take moments to print and fold, and are useful for collecting all sorts of facts, pictures or memories. Booklet folding instructions are here.
Malta Bookmarks
Choose from four sets of bookmarks featuring the Malta flag - two to colour, and two ready to go.
Malta Coat Of Arms Worksheet
Choose from two worksheets all about the Malta Coat of Arms. Both worksheets ask the children to find out more about the coat of arms and the significance of the different parts, and the second worksheet has an extra activity where the kids can design their own coat of arms for Malta!
Malta Compare And Contrast Venn Diagram
Venn diagrams are a great way to look at similarities and differences. Compare and contrast your daily life with that of a child growing up in Malta - you'll need to do a little research first. Then map the results on the Venn diagram!
Malta Compare And Contrast Worksheet
Use this worksheet to help compare and contrast your own daily life with that of a child in Malta. You'll need to do some research first about things like typical meals, education and the games played there...
Malta Fact Worksheet
Our country fact worksheets are a great accompaniment to topic work on countries, continents or as fun geography tests. This fact worksheet is all about Malta!
Malta Facts Poster
Do you know the capital city of Malta or the official currency? We've got these facts and a few more on this bright, simple poster.
Malta Factsheet
This Malta Factsheet is great for sticking into a project lapbook or displaying on classroom walls, and we have similar factsheets for lots of other Commonwealth countries too...
Malta Flag Colouring Page
Print and colour in the flag for Malta - a fun way to learn the flag!
Malta Flag Jigsaw
Our little flag jigsaws are a great way to get children familiar with flags. They are quick to make and fun to do! This one is of the Malta flag, with its distinctive cross.
Malta Flag Printable
There are four different sizes of Malta flags in this printable. Just choose the size that's most appropriate for your needs.
Malta Location Worksheet
Have you maybe visited Malta on holiday, or are you learning about Europe as a topic? If so, these location worksheets can help you learn where it is within Europe.
Malta National Flower Colouring Page
We've got a beautiful illustration of the National Flower of Malta, the Maltese Centuary, for you to enjoy colouring in. This pretty flower is only found in Malta and was adopted as the national flower in the early 1970s.
Malta Notebooking Page
Write about Malta using our smart notebooking pages featuring the flag. Page 1 has space for an illustration or map.
Malta On Map Of Europe
Malta is a popular holiday destination, so maybe you've been there or are about to visit? You can see where it is located using our simple outline map of Europe.
Malta Picture Gallery
There's space to draw five pictures of Malta on this fun picture gallery - perfect if you've just been holiday there or if you're learning about the country.
Malta Postcard 1
Imagine you are lucky enough to be visiting beautiful Malta! Can you write a postcard to send back home describing your visit?
Malta Postcard 2
Here's a fun creative activity for the kids to try. Can they design their own postcard from Malta, and write it too?
Malta Poster 1
This beautiful poster of Malta will brighten any classroom display!
Malta Poster 2
The distinctive flag of Malta is set within the outline shape of the country on this simple but effective poster.
Malta Quiz
Quizzes are a fun way to test your knowledge about a country, and this one is all about Malta - you can use our Introduction to Malta factsheet to help with the answers.
Malta Story Paper
If you've been on holiday to Malta, you might like to write all about it on our lovely story paper! Or if you've not visited, you can use it to write some facts about Malta or for a story set there.
Malta Study Pack
Enjoy studying all about Malta with the help of our bumper study pack. It's full of all kinds of activities to suit different ages!
Malta Tourist Leaflet
Our tourist leaflet templates are a fun activity to try when learning about a country. Can the kids design the contents of this 3-fold tourist leaflet for Malta?
Malta Travel Brochure Worksheet
This fun activity asks the kids to write a travel brochure for Malta. They could start by writing a captivating title and then use lots of descriptive adjectives in their writing.
Malta Word Search
We've hidden 14 words to do with Malta on this wordsearch grid - can the children find them all?
Malta Worksheet
Our simple Malta worksheet is great for topic work, but might also be fun to fill in if you're going on holiday there!
Packing For Malta Worksheet
Write or draw pictures of everything you'd need to pack for a week in Malta. A fun creative activity, or useful if you're going there on holiday!
Wildlife Of Malta Worksheet
The freshwater crab known as il-Qabru is famous on Malta and used to appear on the 5c Lira coin! Find out about some of the other animals on Malta, and the plants too, and record what you find on this worksheet.