The Republic of Malta is a small and densely populated island nation located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea about 90 km (55 mi) south of Capo Passero, Sicily. Malta is also the name of the largest island of the group; Għawdex (Gozo), the other major island, lies just to the northwest. The islands have a long and colorful history. From 1530 to 1798 they were independent under the rule of a Catholic military order called the Knights of St. John. Napolean captured the islands in 1798 but British troops evicted the French in 1800. Malta became a British colony in 1814. After 150 years of British rule the country resumed its independence in 1964 and joined the European Union in 2004. The Maltese language is spoken in the islands in addition to English and Italian. Maltese is related to Arabic but it is written in the Latin alphabet. The Maltese word for a lighthouse is fanal; gżira is an island, bajja is a bay, ponta is a point of land, and port is a harbor. Lighthouses in Malta are maintained and operated by Transport Malta Maritime. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining page: North: Eastern Sicily
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Posted July 26, 2006. Checked and revised March 14, 2025. Lighthouses: 10. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.