Għawdex: Differenza bejn il-verżjonijiet
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Linja 11:
Hi 'l bogħod madwar 6 km fil-majjistral mill-eqreb art ta' Malta, b'14 km tul u 7.25 km wisgħa.
Gozo (Maltese: Għawdex) is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, the island is part of the Southern European country Malta and is the second largest after the island of Malta itself within the archipelago. Compared to its neighbour island, Gozo is more rural and known for its scenic hills, which feature on its coat of arms.[1]
A popular nickname of Gozo is the Isle of Calypso, derived from the location of Ogygia in Greek mythological poem Homer's Odyssey.[2] In the myth, the island was controlled by nymph Calypso who detained the hero of the story Odysseus there as prisoner of love for seven years; Gozo is thought to be modern day Ogygia.[3]
The island itself has a population of around 31,000 people (all of Malta combined has 402,000), and its inhabitants are known as Gozitans (Maltese: Għawdxin). It is rich in historical locations such as the Ġgantija temples, which are the world's oldest free-standing structures, as well as the world's oldest religious structures.[4]
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Demography
3 Geography
4 Connection to Malta Island
5 Ecclesiastical history
6 Notable features
7 References
8 External links
[edit] History
Gozo has been inhabited since 5000 BC, when farmers from nearby Sicily crossed the sea to the island.[5] Due to similar pottery found in both places from the Għar Dalam period, it has been suggested that the first colonists were specifically from the area of Agrigento; however, it is currently indeterminate exactly which part of Sicily the farmers came from. They are thought to have first lived in caves on the outskirts of what is now known as Saint Lawrence.[5]
Gozo was an important place for cultural evolution and during the neolithic period the Ġgantija temples were built; they are the world's oldest free-standing structures, as well as the world's oldest religious structures. The temples' name is Maltese for "belonging to the giants", because legend in Maltese and Gozitan folklore says the temples were built by giants. Another important Maltese archaeological site in Gozo, which dates back to the neolithic period, is the Xagħra Stone Circle. Also, native tradition and certain ancient Greek historians (notably Euhemerus and Callimachus) maintain that Gozo is in fact the island Homer described as Ogygia, home of the nymph Calypso.
Gozo is almost certainly the island mentioned under the name "Cauda" in Acts 27:16 in the New Testament. According to the text, the ship taking the apostle Paul and his companions to Rome under Roman custody sailed along the sheltered side of the island to avoid a shipwreck.This mention in the book of Acts helps explain the rich ecclesiastical history (see below) of Gozo.
In July 1551 Ottomans under Turgut Reis and Sinan Pasha invaded and ravaged Gozo and enslaved most of its inhabitants, about 5000, bringing them to Tarhuna Wa Msalata in Libya, their departure port in Gozo was Mġarr ix-Xini. The island of Gozo was repopulated between 1565 and 1580 by people from mainland Malta, undertaken by the Knights of Malta.[1]
The history of Gozo is strongly coupled with the history of Malta, since Gozo has been governed by Malta throughout history, with the brief exception of a period of autonomy granted to Gozo by Napoleon after his conquest of Malta, between 28 October 1798 and 5 September 1800.
[edit] Demography
In 2005, the island had a population of 31,053, of whom 6,414 live in its capital Victoria, also known as Rabat. The crude birth rate was 7.93, considerably lower than that of 9.59 for Malta. The town with the highest birth rate is San Lawrenz (15.93) and that with the lowest is Xewkija (4.89).
== Storja ==
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