The Western World Daily Readings on Geography Chapter 57 Europe Historical Geography II

CHAPTER 57 Europe Historical Geography II Created by Ted from Noun Propel is a small island country , situated in the Mediterranean Sea , southwest of Italy and north of Libya . Its geographic location , natural harbors , and limestone quarries made it a strategic geopolitical prize historically , especially at two key military times . Coincidentally , these same features have drawn talent scouts from film and television , resulting , among others , in the hosting of a number of scenes from the popular series Game of Thrones . In considering , the acronym FOE is useful . Let start with the letter is for old . As a pair , the country is only 122 square miles in area , about double the size of Washington , The main island is 95 square miles with the island being 26 square miles ( Comino is one square mile , a nature preserve ) As such , the country is the tenth smallest country in the world . For comparison , Tahiti 403 . miles , Great ( unknown by most people , until Hurricane Dorian in 2019 ) 442 , 720 , Puerto Rico 3500 . Given size , when might we expect that it would first be peopled ?

What about other small islands , in comparison ?

Tahiti first settlers , Polynesians , arrived about 1000 CE however , that is the Pacific Ocean . Great CE and Puerto Rico 2000 , but in the Atlantic Ocean . 1500 CE in the Indian Ocean . As it is with geography , location matters . location in the Mediterranean Sea , allowed its discovery 274

EUROPE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY II 275 and settlement to come much earlier than these other modestly sized islands , for sits in a much smaller sea and in the midst of many of history early seafarers . Though was not settled as early as much larger Mediterranean island such as Cyprus , Sicily , and , this too makes geographic sense that these large islands would be discovered and utilized before tiny . However , has been settled since 5900 . It has been considered a strategic location , controlled at times by Mediterranean groups including the Phoenicians , Romans , Arabs and later by European countries such as Great Britain and France . While these numerous peoples brought varied religions to the island , it is noteworthy that the apostle Paul , a major Christian figure , was shipwrecked on around the year 60 CE . Although other points in history could have led to other religious patterns , is now a largely Catholic country . Photo by Feral Sh is for Fortified . Limestone quarries abound on in fact , the islands and essentially are slabs of limestone . As a relatively soft stone , limestone can be cut into blocks use as building materials . Although soft may sound weak for construction , actually limestone is prized for its strength , resistance to corrosion , durability , and and qualities . It is readily obvious to any visitor of that nearly every human structure there is built of limestone . From ancient structures to modern urban residences , from cathedrals to fortifications , from coastal Photo by Mame on landscapes to burial catacombs , in it is all limestone . As more and more peoples came to , more and more limestone was quarried . However , with human migration to , there came conquests and dangers . The demand for simple shelter evolved into the need for fortified dwellings and urban areas . Thus , in the on , limestone built the walled city now known as . At that time , it was the Phoenicians who developed this as the capital city , thus serving for nearly a thousand years . On , the walled Citadel was developed much later , beginning as a limestone castle in the 15005 . Although there have been many peoples and many invaders arriving at , two points in its military history stand out . First , in 1565 forces of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of the Magnificent sailed in nearly two hundred ships to with a large invading force . Under siege and led by the Knights , resisted the attack . According to the Knight order historian , the numbers clearly favored the Ottoman forces , who greatly valued strategic location in Islam quest to gain more territory in Europe .

276 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN 1565 The Knights The Ottomans 500 Knights 600 ( cavalry ) 400 Spanish soldiers 500 from 800 ltalian soldiers 6000 Janissaries 500 soldiers from the galleys ( Spanish Empire ) 400 adventurers from 200 Greek and Sicilian soldiers 2500 from 100 soldiers of Fort Elmo 3500 adventurers from 100 servants of the knights 4000 religious servants 500 galley slaves 6000 other volunteers 3000 soldiers from the Maltese population various from Tripoli and Algiers Total 6100 Total 28500 from the East , 40000 in all Although Ottoman forces earlier had taken and while had won numerous battles elsewhere to expand the Ottoman Empire , the nearly siege of was unsuccessful for the invaders . The invasion though repelled by Maltese forces prompted additional use of limestone , as the new port city was founded in 1566 , featuring towering limestone fortified walls . The siege proved to be a singular turning point in the history of , securing a strategic location in the defense of Europe . cultural , economic , and military foci then never strayed from Europe , eventually extending to entrance into the European Union in 2004 and the in 2008 . Additionally , the role of knights , prominent in Europe , gained prominence in , with Europe Knights of ( the Order ofthe Hospital or the Knights ) being headquartered there from 1530 to 1798 . Europe hold on continued , but altered course with Napoleonic takeover of in 1798 , only to be quickly supplanted by British rule , starting in 1800 . remained a British colony until independence in 1964 with subsequent conversion to a republic in 1974 . The second key point in military history was World War II . As a British colony , obviously , fought on the side ofthe Allies . This siege , of course involved attacks by air as well as by sea . German and Italian aircraft bombed repeatedly , as Allied forces sought to withstand and to repel the attackers . we Winston Churchill likened to an unsinkable aircraft , carrier . strategic value was at its highest during the ' campaigns in North Africa . Overall , in three years of attacks , military and civilians were put on alert over 3000 times . In fact , Maltese and Allied forces withstood the siege and defended successfully . usefulness as a base for navy and air force was important for the overall Allied victory in the war . British King George awarded the Maltese people in general the George Cross as a recognition of heroism . This George Cross became part . Cartography of national flag .

EUROPE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY II 277 is for European . As a result of victory over Ottoman invaders in 1565 , regional focus remained centered on Europe and did not turn toward the Muslim world . Subsequent rule by French and then British before eventually independence held that European perspective . One aspect of European culture in is seen in language . Although the native language is Maltese , almost everyone can speak English . of the population can speak Italian and French . Maltese language itself is a curious mix that reflects the island geographic position . Maltese is a Semitic language in the same family as Arabic , but a majority of its words have Latin and it uses a modified Latin Photo by Mas , alphabet . Of the top ten countries sending tourists to , the United Kingdom is number one , while the USA at number nine is the only country in the top ten . Britain influence is seen in a variety of ways , including driving on the left side of the road . FOE . Fortified Old European . Did You Know ?

The famous rock arch on known as the Azure Window collapsed in 2017 during a big storm . The local soft drink is , a bitter orange soda . On , the walled city takes its name from the Arabic word medina which means city . This is a reminder that Arabs were one of many groups to live on the island . CITED AND ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY , Photo by Karl Paul no on . di , Francesco . 1965 . The Siege 1565 . Translated by Ernie Bradford . London The Folio Society . 2013 . Physical Map of . Creative Commons Alike . 2016 . 2020 . College of . College of GIS class .