Compiled by Oleg K. Temple, January 2010.

Malta is an amazing nation with a vibrant history and culture that took root at the dawn of civilization. Despite ranking as the 7th most densely populated country (with 413,627 people living on an area of 316 km2), surpassed only by other tiny giants such as Macau (541,200 people on 29.2 km2), Malta is still, due to its secluded location, home to hundreds of rare and endemic species of flora and fauna.

In the last century, Malta was the anvil upon which the very fate of the World, wrought by titans of politics, was decided and forged. F.D. Roosevelt and W. Churchill formed an alliance that fuelled the Cold War at the Malta Conference in early 1945 and much later, in 1989, G. H. W. Bush met in Marsaxlokk with M. Gorbachev to pull the plug on the nuclear arms race and end the Cold War.

Inaugurated into the EU on May 1st 2004, along with Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and others, Malta exhibited remarkable economic growth and stability that allowed the government to enter ERM II already in 2005 and adopt the Euro from 2008. The Maltese Archipelago is renowned for its ideal climate, trade-friendly economy and gracious inhabitants. Malta offers a myriad of tourist attractions – from breathtaking architecture steeped in rich history, to natural wonders, putting the country on the map as a favourite “rest nest” for opulent holiday makers seeking a pure paradise of sea, sand and sun. As tourism poured into the soul of the Maltese economy, a multitude of elegant hotels offering state-of-the-art conference facilities blossomed around the islands of Malta and Gozo, making the country a magnet for business event organizers. Find out what’s ON in Malta in our Maltese Event Calendar 2010 or read on and sample the Editor’s picks, the exquisite cream-of-the-crop of Malta’s luxury hotels.