A. Malta is the largest island in a group of three (the Maltese archipelago) situated at the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, 60 miles south of Sicily and 180 miles north of Africa. In a surface area of 312 sq KM there are 350,000 inhabitants. The official language is Maltese. However, most Maltese can speak English and Italian fluently. It is a country with a vast history. The earliest inhabitants were the Stone Age people some 6000 years ago. Since then,various nations and peoples have attempted to occupy the country mostly because of its strategic position. At first, there were the Phoenicians and Cartaghinians, then the Romans. In AD 60 Saint Paul was shipwrecked on this island. He converted the local inhabitants to Christianism. The Arabs, Spanish and Normans under Count Roger came next. In AD 1530 the Knights of St. John were given the possession of Malta. During the great siege in 1565, the knights defeated the Turks and there onwards constructed several majestic buildings and fortifications to safe guard the island from further invasions. The French under Napoleon finally ended the rule of the knights in the late 17th century. The Maltese, unhappy under French rule asked the British to take over the island from the French. The British solidified Malta as a military and naval base and set up various infrastructures. The dockyard industry became the major industry since the beginning of this century. Malta was instrumental in the victory of the allies over the Germans and Italians in the Second World War. During 1942, Malta miraculously managed to survive the heavy air raids of the German bombers. For the hardships endured and courage, the Maltese earned the coveted George Cross. Malta achieved independence in 1964 and became a republic in 1972. The island continued to industrialise, moving away from the dockyard industry into other industrial sectors like electronic and mechanical products, semiconductors, clothing and plastics. The other chief source of income is tourism with around one million visitors per annum. There are numerous hotels and restaurants, which depend on this industry.