Some minor islands off the main island of Malta include: According to the WWF, the territory of Malta belongs to the ecoregion of "Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub". Phytogeographically, Malta belongs to the Liguro-Tyrrhenian province of the Mediterranean Region within the Boreal Kingdom. However, some watercourses have fresh water running all year round, such as those at Ras ir-Raħeb near Baħrija and at l-Imtaħleb. Although there are some small rivers at times of high rainfall, there are no permanent rivers or lakes on Malta. The highest point in Malta is Ta' Dmejrek, at 253 m (830 ft), near Dingli. The landscape consists of low hills with terraced fields. Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide good harbours. Malta is therefore situated in the zone between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. It lies on the Malta plateau, a shallow shelf formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa that became isolated as sea levels rose after the last ice age. Malta is located east of its sister islands of Gozo and Comino. Malta is the largest island in an archipelago in the central Mediterranean, some 80 km (50 mi) south of the Italian island of Sicily across the Malta Channel. Malta joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the Euro four years later. Ten years later the State of Malta became the Republic of Malta. The British ruled for about 150 years and Malta became independent in 1964. In 1800, the British took control over Malta and the island initially became a British protectorate, and a colony a couple of years later. The French remained until the Maltese rebelled against their rule. Napoleon's stay lasted from 12–18 June when he resided at Palazzo Parisio in Valletta. In 1798, the French under Napoleon occupied Malta and ruled from 1798–1800. The Order ruled Malta for over 250 years and built many great pieces of architecture, including the capital city Valletta. In 1565, the Order and the Maltese withstood a major Ottoman invasion which became known as the Great Siege of Malta. In 1192 Tancred, King of Sicily created Margaritus of Brindisi the first Count of Malta. The island then became part of the Kingdom of Sicily until it was given to the Order of Saint John along with Gozo and Tripoli (North Africa) in 1530. Malta was later ruled by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs before it was occupied by the County of Sicily in 1091. They built first fortifications in Malta. After 2500 BC, Malta was depopulated but soon became the home of Bronze Age settlers, who settled in sites such as Borġ in-Nadur. They built some of the oldest existing, free-standing structures in the world in the form of megalithic temples such as those at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra. Around 3500 BC, a culture of megalithic temple builders then either supplanted or arose. Early Neolithic settlements were discovered in open areas and also in caves, such as Għar Dalam. Humans have inhabited Malta since about 5200 BC, when stone age hunters or farmers arrived from Sicily. Main articles: History of Malta and Timeline of Maltese history Ħaġar Qim The landscape is characterised by low hills with terraced fields. The island is made up of many small towns, which together form one larger urban zone with a population of 409,259. The capital is Valletta, while the largest locality is Rabat. The island is 27 kilometres (17 mi) long and 14.5 kilometres (9 mi) wide, with a total area of 246 square kilometres (95 sq mi). Lying to the south-east of the smaller islands of Gozo and Comino, it is sometimes referred to as Valletta for statistical purposes to distinguish the main island from the entire country. The island is situated in the Mediterranean Sea, directly south of Italy and north of Libya. It is the largest and most populous of the three major islands that constitute the Maltese Archipelago.
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