Why Everyone Wanted Malta: A Tiny Island with Huge Power

Although small in size, Malta has played an outsized role in history. Its position in the centre of the Mediterranean made it a strategic prize for empires, traders and military powers for thousands of years.

A Crossroads of the Mediterranean

Situated between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Malta lies on key sea routes that connect east and west. Control of the island meant control over shipping and communication lines, which made Malta valuable for trade as well as warfare.

A Long List of Rulers

Over the centuries Malta was occupied by a succession of powers. The Phoenicians used it as a trading base, the Romans made it part of their empire, and the Arabs introduced new systems of farming and language. The Normans and later the Knights of St John strengthened its fortifications. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it became a vital naval base for the British Empire.

The Great Siege of 1565

One of the most defining moments in Malta’s history came during the Great Siege of 1565, when the Knights of St John and the Maltese people resisted the vastly larger Ottoman forces. Their victory cemented Malta’s reputation as a fortress island and a stronghold of Christianity in the Mediterranean.

A Bastion in the Second World War

During World War II, Malta was once again at the centre of conflict. Its harbours and airfields allowed the Allies to disrupt enemy supply lines across the Mediterranean. Between 1940 and 1942, Malta endured heavy bombing but continued to resist. In recognition of their bravery, the Maltese people were awarded the George Cross by King George VI in 1942.

An Island of Global Importance

Malta has been invaded more than twenty times throughout its history, a reflection of how valuable it was to whoever controlled it. Though small in territory, it repeatedly shaped events far beyond its shores.

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