Daniela Muscat Nicole Green Vella Giovanni Curmi Higher
Secondary School Naxxar, Malta Biodiversity (Malta)
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Malta
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Comino Cominotto Filfla Fungus Rock Gozo Malta St. Pauls
Islands Manoel Island
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316km 2 Land Area of the Maltese Islands 416,055 Population of
the Maltese Islands Population Density: 1316persons/km 2 Highest in
the European Union 4 th Highest in the World Many People = Built
Up!
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As we can see through these aerial photographs, the Maltese
Islands are extremely dense with buildings due to a large
population for its small size!
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However, we still have a number of natural and untouched places
which are home to many wild plants and animals.
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NATURAL HISTORY OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS Filfla Xrobb l-Gain
Il-Buskett Wied Gollieqa Gajn Tuffiea St. Pauls Islands Comino
Fungus Rock Ramla l-amra Dingli Cliffs Majjistral Ta en Gadira
Inland Sea Simar Wied Faam Pembroke Wied Babu Il-Maqluba Il-Ballut
Wied Qliega Girgenti
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Comino Inhabited by only one family Nature Reserve Bird
Sanctuary
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Comino stars in many films
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Filfla Area: 0.06km 2 Uninhabited 5km South of Malta Name
derived from filfel (peppercorn) Limestone plateau with 60m high
cliffs
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Did You Know? Filfla acts as breeding grounds for three rare
birds (from top: European Storm Petrel, Corys Shearwater, Yellow
Legged Gull) Filfla is also home to an endemic species of lizard:
What does endemic mean? This means that this species can only be
found in this area and nowhere else in the world.
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St. Pauls Island Largest uninhabited island in the Maltese
archipelago Sometimes split into two islands when sea is rough
Statue of St. Paul present on the island closest to mainland
Malta
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Extinct, or not extinct? The St. Pauls Island lizard is endemic
to this island. Unfortunately, scientists have not seen it for a
long time! If it is not found any more it is extinct since its only
home was at St. Pauls Island and nowhere else in the world!
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Fungus Rock (Il-ebla tal-eneral) The Malta Fungus grew in large
numbers on this islet. The Knights of St. John believed that it had
medicinal properties and used to give this plant to nobles as
gifts. Grand Master Pinto made the island out of bounds in 1746
with trespassers risking a 3 year spell as oarsmen in galleys. He
also posted a guard, smoothened the cliffs and built a cable car
connecting the rock to the mainland. Another lizard is endemic to
this islet
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Il-Maqluba Il-Maqluba was a huge cave whose ceiling fell down
leaving a hole in the ground. It is home to Malta's national bird,
the blue rock thrush and Maltas national tree, the Sandarac Gum
Tree. This Sandarac Gum Tree is only found in Malta, the Atlas
Mountains of Morocco and in a region of Spain (Cartagena)
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Sandarac Gum Tree (Is-Sira ta l-Gargar)
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Blue Rock Thrush
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The Legend of Il-Maqluba Many years ago, a group of bad people
were living together in Maqluba Village. God warned the village,
through a good woman living close by, against their bad ways.
However, the bad people did not bother about these warnings and God
decided that the hamlet should be removed, sparing no-one except
the good woman. Angels were sent to dispose of the hamlet by
dumping it at sea... and Filfla was thus formed. The woman then
built the chapel we see near the place.
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Beaches and Sand Dunes Gajn Tuffiea & Ramla l-amra Malta
has quite a large amount of sandy beaches, some of which have sand
dunes. These are home to very unique animals and plants, such as
the Sea Daffodil which is only found growing on sand dunes.
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Woodland: Il-Buskett Malta was completely covered by trees till
the arrival of man! Today only four places still have remnants of
this time: 1. Wardija (St. Pauls Bay) 2. Mieba (Melliea) 3. Il-Bosk
(Rabat) 4. Wied arun ta Baldu (Dingli) The largest woodland is
Buskett but this is semi-natural since most of the trees present
were planted by the Knights of St. John. This place was designed as
a hunting ground for the Knights Two trees are characteristic of
woodland areas: the Aleppo Pine and the Evergreen Oak
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Il-Majjistral Nature & History Park
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Gadira Nature Reserve Declared a bird sanctuary in 1978 Home to
many birds and other species Habitat: wetland, marshland
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Simar Nature Reserve Home to many birds and other species
Habitats: woodland, wetland, reeds, etc
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Maltese Rock Centaury Widnet il-Baar - Cheirolophus
crassifolius The Maltese Rock Centaury is the National Plant of the
Maltese Islands. Interesting Facts Endemic to Malta and Gozo
Habitat: Cliffs and coastal valleys Found: west cliffs of Malta,
south cliffs of Gozo Flowers: Pink, appear between May and July
Protected by Law It was discovered by the Maltese botanist Stefano
Zerafa in 1830. Critically Endangered Flowers and Leaves of the
Maltese Rock Centaury