Biscay

Biscay (; ; ) is a province of Spain, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The name also refers to a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao. It is one of the most prosperous and important provinces of Spain as a result of the massive industrialization in the last years of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century. Since the deep deindustrialization of the 1970s, the economy has come to rely more on the services sector.
Etymology.
It is accepted in linguistics (Koldo Mitxelena, etc.) that "Bizkaia" is a cognate of "bizkar" (cf. Biscarrosse in Aquitaine), with both place-name variants well attested in the whole Basque Country and out meaning 'low ridge' or 'prominence' ("Iheldo bizchaya" attested in 1141 for the Monte Igueldo in San Sebastián).
Denominations.
"Bizkaia".
"Bizkaia" is the official name, and it is used on official documents. It is also the most used denomination by the media in Spanish in the Basque Country. It is also the denomination used in the Basque version of the Spanish constitution and in the Basque version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.
"Bizkaia" is the only official denomination in Spanish or Basque approved for the historical territory by the General Council of the province and the Spanish laws.
"Vizcaya".
"Vizcaya" is the denomination in Spanish, recommended by the Royal Spanish Academy. It is used in non-official documents. It is also the Spanish denomination used in the Spanish version of the Constitution and in the Spanish version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.
History.
Biscay has been inhabited since the Middle Paleolithic, as attested by the archaeological remains and cave paintings found in its many caves. The Roman presence had little impact in the region, and the Basque language and traditions have survived to this day.
Biscay was identified in records of the Middle Ages, as a dependency of the Kingdom of Pamplona (11th century) that became autonomous and finally a part of the Crown of Castile. The first mention of the name Biscay was recorded in a donation act to the "monastery of Bickaga", located on the ria of Mundaka. According to Anton Erkoreka, the Vikings had a commercial base there from which they were expelled by 825. The ria of Mundaka is the easiest route to the river Ebro and at the end of it, the Mediterranean Sea and trade.
In the modern age, the province became a major commercial and industrial area. Its prime harbour of Bilbao soon became the main Castilian gateway to Europe. Later, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the abundance of prime quality iron ore and the lack of feudal castes favored rapid industrialization.
Paleolithic.
Middle Paleolithic.
The first evidence of human dwellings (Neanderthal people) in Biscay happens in this period of prehistory. Mousterian artifacts have been found in three sites in Biscay: Benta Laperra (Karrantza), Kurtzia (Getxo) and Murua (Durangoaldea).
Late Paleolithic.
The most important settlements by modern humans (H. sapiens) can be considered the following:
Paleolithic art is also present. The Benta Laperra cave has the oldest paintings, maybe from the Aurignacian or Solutrean period. Bison and bear are the animals depicted, together with abstract signs. The murals of Arenaza (Galdames) and Santimamiñe were created in later periods (Magdalenian). In Arenaza female deer are the dominant motif; Santimamiñe features bison, horses, goats and deer.
Epi-paleolithic.
This period (also called "Mesolithic" sometimes) is dominated in Biscay by the Azilian culture. Tools become smaller and more refined and, while hunting remains, fishing and seafood gathering become more important; there is evidence of consumption of wild fruits as well. Santimamiñe is one of the most important sites of this period. Others are Arenaza, Atxeta (not far from Santimamiñe), Lumentxa and nearby Urtiaga and Santa Catalina, together with Bolinkoba and neighbour Silibranka.
Neolithic.
While the first evidences of Neolithic contact in the Basque Country can be dated to the 4th millennium BCE, it was not until the beginning of the 3rd that the area accepted, gradually and without radical changes, the advances of agricultural cultivation and domestication of sheep. Biscay was not particularly affected by this change and only three sites can be mentioned for this period: Arenaza, Santimamiñe and Kobeaga (Ea) and the advances adopted seem limited initially to sheep, domestic goats and very scarce pottery.
Together with Neolithic technologies, Megalithism also arrives. It will be the most common form of burial (simple dolmen) until c. 1500 BCE.
Chalcolithic and Bronze Age.
While open-air settlement started to become common as the population grew, they still used caves and natural shelters in Biscay in the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. Hunting game became a less important source of protein, as the people relied on sheep, goats and some bovine cattle. Metallic tools become more common but stone-made ones are also used.
Pottery types shows great continuity (not decorated) until the bell beaker makes its appearance.
The sites of this period now cover all the territory of Biscay, many being open air settlements, but the most important caves of the Paleolithic are still in use as well.
Iron Age.
Few sites have been identified for this period. Caves are abandoned for the most part but they still reveal some remains. The main caves of prehistory (Arenaza, Santimamiñe, Lumentxa) were still inhabited.
Roman period.
Roman geographers identified two tribes in the territory now known as Biscay: the "Caristii" and "Autrigones". The "Caristii" dwelt in nuclear Biscay, east of the firth of Bilbao, extending also into Northern Araba and some areas of Gipuzkoa, up to the river Deba. The "Autrigones" dwelt in the westernmost part of Biscay and Araba, extending also into the provinces of Cantabria, Burgos and La Rioja. Based in toponymy, historical and archaeological evidence, it is thought that these tribes spoke the Basque language. The borders of the Biscayan dialect of Basque seem to be those of the Caristian territory, with an exception of the areas that have lost the old language.
There is no indication to resistance to Roman occupation in all the Basque area (excepting Aquitaine) until the late feudalizing period. Roman sources mention several towns in the area, Flaviobriga and Portus Amanus, though they have not been located. The site of "Forua", near Gernika, has yielded archaeological evidence of Roman presence .
In the late Roman period, together with the rest of the Basque Country, Biscay seems to have revolted against Roman domination and the growing society organized by feudalism.
Middle Ages.
In the Early Middle Ages, the history of Biscay cannot be separated from that of the Basque Country as a whole. The area was "de facto" independent although Visigoths and Franks attempted to assert their domination from time to time. Encounters between the Visigoths and Basques usually led to defeat for the latter. The Visigoths established an outlying post at the later city of Vitoria to counter incursions and the migration of Basques from the coastal regions to the north.
In 905, Leonese chronicles define for the first time the Kingdom of Pamplona as including all the western Basque provinces, as well as the Rioja region. The territories that would later constitute Biscay were included in that state.
In the conflicts that the newly sovereign Kingdom of Castile and Pamplona/Navarre had in the 11th and 12th century, the Castilians were supported by many landowners from La Rioja, who sought to consolidate their holdings under Castilian feudal law. These pro-Castilian lords were led by the house of Haro, who were eventually granted the rule of newly created Biscay, initially made up of the valleys of Uribe, Busturia, Markina, Zornotza and Arratia, plus several towns and the city of Urduina. It is unclear when this happened, but tradition says that Iñigo López was the first Lord of Biscay in 1043.
The title to the lordship was inherited by Iñigo López's descendants until, by inheritance, in 1370 it passed to John I of Castile. It became one of the titles of the king of Castile. Since then it remained connected to the crown, first to that of Castile and then, from Charles I, to that of "Spain", as ruler of the Crown of Castile. It was conditioned on the lord swearing to defend and maintain the fuero (Biscayan laws, derived from Navarrese and Basque customary rights), which affirmed that the possessors of the sovereignty of the lordship were the Biscayans and that, at least in theory, they could refute the lord.
The lords and later the kings, came to swear the Statutes to the oak of Gernika, where the assembly of the Lordship sits.
Modern age.
In the modern ages commerce on took great importance, specially for the Port of Bilbao, to which the kings granted privileges in 1511 for trade with the ports of the Spanish Empire. Bilbao was already the main Castilian harbour, from where wool was shipped to Flanders, and other goods were imported.
In 1628, the separate territory of Durango was incorporated to Biscay. In the same century the so-called "chartered" municipalities west of Biscay were also incorporated in different dates, becoming another subdivision of Biscay: Encartaciones (Enkarterriak).
The coastal towns had a sizable fleet of their own, mostly dedicated to fishing and trade. Along with other Basque towns of Gipuzkoa and Labourd, they were largely responsible for the partial extinction of North Atlantic right whales in the Bay of Biscay and of the first unstable settlement by Europeans in Newfoundland. They signed separate treaties with other powers, particularly England.
After the Napoleonic wars, Biscay, along with the other Basque provinces, were threatened to have their self-rule cut by the now Liberal Spanish Cortes. Together with opposing factions that supported different parties for the throne, this desire to maintain foral rights contributed to the successive Carlist Wars. The Biscayan government and other Basque provinces supported Carlos V, who represented an autocratic monarch who would preserve tradition.
Many of the towns though, notably Bilbao, were aligned with the Liberal government of Madrid. In the end, with victory by anti-Carlists, the wars resulted in successive cuts of the wide autonomy held by Biscay and the other provinces.
In the 1850s extensive prime quality iron resources were discovered in Biscay. This brought much foreign investment mainly from England and France. Development of these resources led to greater industrialization, which made Biscay one of Spain's richest provinces. Together with the industrialisation, important bourgeois families, such as Ybarra, Chávarri and Lezama-Leguizamón, developed from the new sources of wealth. The great industrial (Iberdrola, Altos Hornos de Vizcaya) and financial (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria- BBVA) groups were created.
20th century.
During the Second Spanish Republic, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) governed the province. When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, Biscay supported the Republican side against Francisco Franco's army and fascist ideology. Soon after, the Republic acknowledged a statute of autonomy for the Basque Country. Due to fascist control of large parts of it, the first short-lived Basque Autonomous Community had power only over Biscay and a few nearby villages.
As the fascist army advanced westward from Navarre, defenses were planned and erected around Bilbao, called the Iron Belt. But the engineer in charge, José Goicoechea, defected to the fascists, causing the unfinished defenses to be of little value. In 1937, German airplanes under Franco's control destroyed the historic city of Gernika, after having bombed Durango with less severity a few weeks before. Some months later, Bilbao fell to the fascists. The Basque army (Eusko Gudarostea) retreated to Santoña, beyond the limits of Biscay. There they surrendered to the Italian forces (Santoña Agreement), but the Italians yielded to Franco. Other Republican forces considered the surrender a betrayal by the Basques.
Under the dictatorship of Franco, Biscay and Gipuzkoa (exclusively) were declared "traitor provinces" because of their opposition and stripped of any sort of self-rule. Only after Franco's death in 1975 was democracy restored in Spain. The 1978 constitution accepted the particular Basque laws (fueros) and in 1979 the Statute of Guernica was approved whereupon Biscay, Araba and Gipuzkoa formed the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country with its own parliament. During this recent democratic period, Basque Nationalist Party candidates have consistently won elections in Biscay. Recently the foral law was amended to extend it to the towns and the city of Urduina, which had previously always used the general Spanish Civil law.
Geography.
Biscay is bordered by the community of Cantabria and the province of Burgos (in the Castile and León community) to the west, the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa to the east, and Álava to the south, and by the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay) to the north. Orduña ("Urduña") is a Biscayan exclave located between Alava and Burgos provinces.
Climate.
The climate is oceanic, with high precipitation all year round and moderate temperatures, which allow the lush vegetation to grow. Temperatures are more extreme in the higher lands of inner Biscay, where snow is more common during winter. The average high temperatures in main city Bilbao is between in January and in August.
Features.
The main geographical features of the province are:
Administrative divisions.
Historical.
Historically, Biscay was divided into "merindades" (called "eskualdeak" in Basque), which were two, the Constituent ones and the ones incorporated later.
The constituent ones were ("the number indicates their position on the map):
Incorporated later:
Modern.
Currently, Biscay is divided into seven "comarcas" or regions, each one with its own capital city, subdivisions and municipalities.
These are:
Demographics.
According to the 2010 INE census, Biscay has a population of 1,155,772 and its population density of 519.9 inhabitants/km2, only surpassed by the one of Madrid and Barcelona. In 1981 Biscay was the fifth Spanish province in population, and despite the strong demographic crisis the province has been living since the Transition it is today the ninth province in population.
Government and foral institutions.
The government and foral institutions of Biscay, as a historical territory of the Basque Country are the "Juntas Generales de Vizcaya" and the Foral Diputation of Biscay.
Juntas Generales.
The Juntas Generales of Biscay are a unicameral assembly that has normative authority in the province. Its members, called "apoderados", are elected by universal suffrage. The elections are held every four years.
After the 2015 elections, the configuration of the Juntas is the following:
Foral Diputation.
The Foral Diputation has an executive function and reglamentary authority in Biscay. The Foral Diputation is configured by a General Deputy, who currently is Unai Rementeria (PNV) and who is chosen by the Juntas Generales and by the rest of deputies.
Transportation.
Roads.
Biscay is connected to the rest of provinces by two main highways, the Cantabric Highway, which connects Bilbao and Durango with the French border, with accesses in Eibar, Zarautz and Donostia (the three of them in the province of Gipuzkoa), and the Basque-Aragonese Highway, which connects Bilbao with Zaragoza via Tudela, Calahorra and Logroño.
As well, many secondary roads connect Bilbao with the different towns located in the province.
Air.
Biscay's main and only airport is Bilbao Airport, which is the most important hub in northern Spain, and the number of passengers using the new terminal continues to rise. It is located in the municipalities of Loiu and Sondika.
Commuter rail.
Biscay has different commuter rail services, operated by different companies. Cercanías Bilbao is the commuter rail service "cercanías" offered by Renfe, the national rail company. It connects Bilbao and its neighborhoods with other municipalities and regions inside Biscay, like Barakaldo, Santurtzi, Portugalete, Muskiz, Orduña and others.
EuskoTren has three commuter rail lines in the province; all of them start in Bilbao; one connects the city and Greater Bilbao with the "comarca" of Durangaldea and finished in Donostia (in the province of Gipuzkoa), other line connecting Greater Bilbao with Busturialdea and other serving the Txorierri region. FEVE also offers a commuter rail service connecting the regions of the Greater Bilbao with Enkarterri.
Long distance railways.
Bilbao-Abando is Biscay's main train station, with regular trains to other Spanish provinces like Burgos, Madrid and Barcelona offered by Renfe. FEVE also offers long distance trains to Cantabria and the Province of León in the Castile and León community.
The Basque Y is the name given to the future high-speed rail that will connect the three cities of the Basque Country; Bilbao (in Biscay), Donostia (in Gipuzkoa) and Vitoria-Gasteiz in Álava.
Metro.
Metro Bilbao is a metro system serving the city of Bilbao and its metropolitan area, the Greater Bilbao region. It connects the city with other municipalities like Basauri, Barakaldo, Santurtzi and Getxo, among others.
Tourism.
Biscay's capital city, Bilbao, is famous for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and for its estuary.
Monuments and places of general interest


Province of Alessandria

The Province of Alessandria (; ; in Piedmontese of Alessandria: "Provinsa ëd Lissändria") is an Italian province, with a population of some 425,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria.
With an area of it is the third largest province of Piedmont after the province of Cuneo and the Metropolitan City of Turin. To the north it borders on the province of Vercelli and to the west on the Metropolitan City of Turin and the province of Asti. It shares its southern border with Liguria (province of Savona and the Metropolitan City of Genoa). Its south-east corner touches the Province of Piacenza in Emilia Romagna, while to the east it borders on the Lombard Province of Pavia.
History.
The province was created by the Royal Decree n. 3702 of 23 October 1859, the Legge Rattazzi, as a union of five of the six provinces which had formed the Division of Alessandria (the provinces of Alessandria, Acqui, Asti, Casale and Tortona) plus the Province of Novi which had formed part of the Division of Genoa. In 1935 the area of Asti was established as the separate Province of Asti.
Communes.
There are 190 communes in the province
Main sights.
The Sacred Mountain of Crea (Italian: "Sacro Monte di Crea") is a Roman Catholic Devotional Complex in the "comune" of Serralunga di Crea (Montferrat), near Alessandria. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in UNESCO World Heritage list. Its construction was begun in 1589, around a former Sanctuary of St. Mary whose creation is traditionally attributed to Saint Eusebius of Vercelli around 350 AD.


Flags of provinces of the Netherlands

This list contains all twelve official flags of provinces of the Netherlands, including the pennons.


List of Czech regions by GDP

This is a list of Czech regions by GDP and GDP per capita by The Czech Statistical Office. The equivalent countries which are comparable to the Czech regions in GDP per capita are chosen by Worldbank data for the same year. All exchange rates are as of trading day end of Dec, 31, 2019. (USDCZK - 22.66)
List of Regions by GDP.
Regions by GDP in 2019 according to data by the Czech Statistical Office. Equivalent country by The World Bank.
List of Regions by GDP per capita.
Regions by GDP per capita in 2019 according to data by the Czech Statistical Office. When there are more countries for one equivalent country, the next one is chosen.


County Kildare

County Kildare () is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Leinster and is part of the Mid-East Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, which has a population of 222,504.
Geography and political subdivisions.
Kildare is the 24th-largest of Ireland's 32 counties in area and seventh largest in terms of population. It is the eighth largest of Leinster's twelve counties in size, and second largest in terms of population. It is bordered by the counties of Carlow, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Dublin and Wicklow. As an inland county, Kildare is a generally lowland region. The county's highest points are the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains bordering to the east. The highest point in Kildare is Cupidstown Hill on the border with Dublin, with the better known Hill of Allen in central Kildare.
Physical geography.
The county has three major rivers running through it: the Barrow, the Liffey and the Boyne. The Grand Canal crosses the county from Lyons on the east to Rathangan and Monasterevin on the west. A southern branch joins the Barrow navigation at Athy. The Royal Canal stretches across the north of the county along the border with Meath. Pollardstown Fen is the largest remaining calcareous fen in Ireland, covering an area of 220 hectares and is recognised as an internationally important fen ecosystem with unique and endangered plant communities, and declared a National Nature Reserve in 1986.
The Bog of Allen is a large bog that extends across and into County Kildare, County Meath, County Offaly, County Laois, and County Westmeath. Kildare has of bog (almost 14% of Kildare's land area) mostly located in the south-west and north-west, a majority of this being Raised Bog. It is habitat to over 185 plant and animal species.
There are of forested land in Kildare, accounting for roughly 5% of the county's total land area. of this is coniferous, while there is of broadleaf and the remaining area are unclassified species. Coillte and Dúchas currently own 47% of the forestry. Coillte run Donadea Forest Park which is in North-Central Kildare. The forest covers of mixed woodland (60% broadleaf, 40% conifer) and is the largest forest park in Kildare.
History.
Kildare was shired in 1297 and assumed its present borders in 1832, following amendments to remove a number of enclaves and exclaves.
The county was the home of the powerful Fitzgerald family. Parts of the county were also part of the Pale area around Dublin.
Local government and politics.
Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county. The Local Electoral Areas of Kildare are Athy (6 Seats), Celbridge – Leixlip (7 Seats), Maynooth (9 Seats), Kildare – Newbridge (9 Seats) and Naas (9 Seats). The Council has 40 members. The current council was elected in May 2019. Under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 the towns of Leixlip, Naas, Newbridge and Athy ceased to have separate town councils and were absorbed into their corresponding local electoral area.
For elections to Dáil Éireann, there are two constituencies in the area of the county; Kildare North, which returns four TDs and Kildare South which returns three TDs. In the 2016 Irish general election, Kildare North returned Catherine Murphy (SD), James Lawless (FF), Frank O'Rourke (FF) and Bernard Durkan (FG), while Martin Heydon (FG), Fiona O'Loughlin (FF) and Sean O Fearghail (FF) (elected Ceann Comhairle) were returned for Kildare South.
As part of the Mid-East Region, it is within the purview of the Mid-East Regional Authority.
For elections to the European Parliament, it is part of the Midlands North-West constituency which returns four MEPs.
Demographics.
The county's population has nearly doubled to some 186,000 in 1990–2005. The north eastern region of Kildare had the highest average per-capita income in Ireland outside County Dublin in 2003. East Kildare's population has increased rapidly, for example the amount of housing in the Naas suburb of Sallins has increased sixfold since the mid-1990s.
 the population of the county was 222,504. Ethnically, the 2016 census recorded County Kildare as 84% white Irish, 9% other white ethnicities, 2% black, 2% Asian, 1% of other ethnicity, and 2% not stated. For religion, the census recorded a population that was 80% Catholic, 9% of other stated religions, 10% with no religion and 2% not stated.
Health care.
County Kildare hospitals include Naas General Hospital and Clane General Hospital.
Transport.
Road.
County Kildare houses the hub of Ireland's network of major roads.
The N4 (M4) from Dublin to Sligo travels along the north of the county by-passing the towns of Leixlip, Maynooth and Kilcock.
The M7 from Dublin to Limerick runs through the county and by-passes the towns of Naas, Newbridge, Kildare and Monasterevin. This road is colloquially referred to as the "Naas Dual carriageway" because when it was originally up-graded in 1964 the road from Dublin to Naas was a double-lane carriageway, one of the first of its kind in Ireland.
The M9 is another motorway that commences at Kilcullen and ends at Waterford. It is motorway standard for its entire length.
Rail.
The county is also served by the trains connecting with Dublin, southern Leinster, Munster and Connacht, with daily connections to Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Galway. The principal Irish Rail InterCity train station in the county is Kildare, however, Newbridge, Sallins and Hazelhatch are also served by South Western Commuter services, while Maynooth, in northern County Kildare, is served by Western Commuter and Sligo InterCity services.
Waterway.
Kildare is the centre of Ireland's Grand Canal network built in the late 18th century. This connects Kildare with Waterford, Dublin, Limerick and Athlone. The Royal Canal runs west from Dublin and parts of it form the boundary with County Meath.
Irish language.
There are 4,491 Irish speakers in County Kildare; 2,451 attending the seven Gaelscoils (Irish language primary schools) and one Gaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary school). According to the Irish Census 2006, 2,040 people in the county identify themselves as being daily Irish speakers outside the education system.
Sport.
GAA.
The nickname for the Kildare GAA team is the "Lilywhites", This is as a result of early jerseys being made from the bags of the Lilywhite Bakery. The all-white jerseys they wear are in reference to this.
In 1928, Kildare became the first team to win the Sam Maguire trophy for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, defeating Cavan 2–6 to 2–5. However, since then Kildare have reached the All-Ireland Football Championship Final on four occasions, the last being in 1998, but have failed on all four attempts.
County Kildare is also known as the "Shortgrass County" which is a reference to how short the grass is on the commons of the Curragh.
Golf.
The Michael Smurfit owned K Club, situated on the River Liffey near Straffan played host to the 2006 Ryder Cup.
Carton House Golf Club is located in Maynooth. The Golfing Union of Ireland, the longest established golf union in the world, have their national headquarters on the estate. This facility also comprises the GUI National Academy, an teaching facility for up and coming golfers, as well as being a facility available to all golfers in Ireland.
Other prominent courses are located at Knockanally and Clane.
Horse racing.
Kildare is famous worldwide for its horse racing. The Curragh horse-racing course is the home to all five Irish Classic Flat races. Also located in County Kildare are two other courses, Punchestown Racecourse, home of the National Hunt Festival of Ireland, and Naas Racecourse, which runs both National Hunt and Flat meetings and is used by top race horse trainers as a test for horses preparing for the Cheltenham festival.
The county is famous for the quality of horses bred in the many stud farms to which it is home, including the Irish National Stud and many other top studs such as Gilltown, Moyglare and Kildangan Stud, and race horse training establishments, such as the Osborne Stables.
Motorsports.
Kildare is the home to Mondello Park, Ireland's only international motorsport venue. Established by Martin Birrane in 1968 on , and redeveloped in 1999/2000, the facility incorporates of race track, 24 race garages and 12 Hospitality Suites. The Circuit also has of extreme off-road driving trails and a off-road activities centre and the Museum of Motorsport. Mondello Park was awarded the FIA International race track status in 2001. It is host to National and International Race events, Motor Shows, Car & Bike Track days, Training Schools and Corporate Events.
Twinning.
County Kildare is twinned with the following places:
Both are major centres of the Thoroughbred breeding industry in their respective countries.
External links.


Pieria (regional unit)

Pieria () is one of the regional units of Greece located in the southern part of the Region of Central Macedonia, within the historical province of Macedonia. Its capital is the town of Katerini. Pieria is the smallest regional unit within Macedonia. The name Pieria originates from the ancient Pieres tribe. In Pieria, there are many sites of archeological interest, such as Dion, Pydna, Leivithra and Platamonas. Pieria contains Mount Pierus, from which Hermes takes flight in order to visit Calypso, and is the home of Orpheus, the Muses, and contains the Pierian Spring. Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and throne of the ancient Greek gods, is located in the southern part of Pieria. Other ancient cities included Leibethra and Pimpleia.
Geography.
The Pieria regional unit is bordered by Imathia to the north, Kozani to the west, and to the south and west by the region of Thessaly's regional unit Larissa. The Pierian Mountains lie to the west; the Thermaic Gulf lies to the east. It also has a valley by the GR-13. Most of the population live within the Olympian Riviera. The lowest point is the Thermiac Gulf and the highest point is Mount Olympus.
It combines extensive plains, high mountains and sandy beaches. The region's beauty gives it a great potential for further tourist development.
Climate.
Its climate is mainly of Mediterranean type with hot summers and cool winters. Severe winter weather is common in the central and western parts of Pieria, especially in the Pierian Mountains and on Mount Olympus.
On June 8, 2007, a low pressure weather system from Southern and Central Europe resulted in heavy rainfall that ravaged the prefecture and caused great damage in fruit and vegetable production. The worst hit area was Korinos.
Administration.
The regional unit Pieria is divided into 3 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
Prefecture.
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Pieria was created out of the former prefecture Pieria (). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganized, according to the table below.
History.
The region, known as Pieria or Pieris () in Antiquity, took its name from the Pieres (), a Thracian tribe that was expelled by the Macedonians in the 8th century BC from their original seats, and driven to the North beyond the Strymon river and Mount Pangaeus, where they formed a new settlement in Edonis. The name Pieria has been connected to Homeric ' "fat", ' "fertile land" in a metaphorical sense.
At some time before the archaic period Pieria was incorporated in the Kingdom of Macedon (808 BC, see below) when it became the second province of the ancient kingdom, following its fate through the rule of the Antipatrid dynasty (302 BC - 277 BC) and the Antigonid dynasty (306 BC - 168 BC). It became part of the Roman Republic after the Fourth Macedonian War, and remained part of the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine Empire.
It was later invaded and became a part of the Ottoman Empire. During the Greek War of Independence in 1821, Pieria took up arms along with the rest of Greece, but their struggle failed and Pieria did not join the rest of Greece until the Balkan Wars in 1913. Until 1947, Pieria was part of the Thessaloniki Prefecture (at that time the largest Greek prefecture), as a province. Pieria saw an economic boom in agriculture and business. During the Greco-Turkish War, it saw an influx of refugees from Asia Minor, now a part of Turkey, and several places were named after their former homelands including Nea Trapezounta from Trebizond (now Trabzon) and Nea Efesos from Ephesus (now Efes). The village of Elafos in the municipal unit Elafina, formerly a community in the Imathia prefecture, was united with Pieria in 1974.


Medzilaborce District

Medzilaborce District ("okres Medzilaborce") is a district in
the Prešov Region of northeastern Slovakia. It is the least populated of Slovakia's 79 districts. Until 1918, the district was part of the county of Kingdom of Hungary of Zemplín.
Economy and infrastructure.
Mainly glass and machinery industry have the largest tradition in small town Medzilaborce.
From 1970s it had been a branch of Jablonecke sklarne which had employ approximately 600 people in the glass industry. Since 1999 Glass LPS has been a follower of 45 years old tradition in glass industry in Medzilaborce and still manufacture crystal chandeliers, grind crystal trimmings and export them around the world.
It was Transporta, later Vihorlat which had 1200 employees in machinery industry in small town Medzilaborce. Privatization and global financial crises had destroyed the structure of the whole factory.
Nowadays companies Kovostroj and Labstroj continue in machinery industry.
Municipalities.
"Source":


List of Romanian counties by foreign trade

There are 42 first-level administrative divisions in Romania (41 counties and one municipality) that are listed below in order of their total international trade in 2008 (Ilfov County and Bucharest are listed together). The figures in the table are represented for exports and imports. The figures are given in millions of United States dollars. Romania's exports totalled US$41.67 billion and imports totalled US$66.78 billion in 2008.
The Ilfov County and the national capital Bucharest together are the country's top exporter and account for around 19% of the total exports. They are also the largest importer in the country accounting to nearly 40% of total imports. The next two important foreign trade counties are Argeș and Timiș which represent 16.7% of exports and 10.3% of imports, both counties having a production based economy. The economy of Timiș County is mostly based on automotive parts, telecommunications, electronics and consumer goods with large companies having production facilities in the region such as Continental AG, Dräxlmaier Group, Flextronics, Alcatel-Lucent, TRW, TT Electronics, American Superconductor, Philips, Delphi Corporation, Siemens, Smithfield Foods, Nestlé or Procter & Gamble. The economy of Argeș County is mostly based upon automobile manufacturing, oil processing and electrical equipment production with important companies like Automobile Dacia, Petrom (Arpechim Refinery) and Ana Imep. The Automobile Dacia company is the main exporter from Romania with a market share of 10% of total exports.
Constanța County represents an important part of the Romanian economy due to the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant which generates 18% of the total electricity output of the country and the Port of Constanţa, one of the largest ports in Europe, which is used for exporting and importing goods. Other important activities include oil and natural gas extraction (the county accounts for 10.3% of oil and 2% of natural gas production in Romania), oil processing (Petromidia Refinery), cement production (large cement factory operated by Lafarge), vegetable oil production and ship production and repair in the most important shipyards in Romania the Constanţa Shipyard and Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries. The Petromidia Refinery has a market share of 4% of total exports. The Galaţi County has an economy mostly based upon the ArcelorMittal steel mill with a capacity of 5 million tonnes and that represents 3.8% of Romania's exports. The Olt County is an important metallurgy region with the Alro Slatina company producing 288,000 tonnes of aluminium in 2008 making it the largest aluminium smelter in Central and Eastern Europe (excluding CIS). Other important manufacturing counties include Bihor, Mureș, Satu Mare, Hunedoara, Dolj, and Dâmbovița.
Development regions.
Romanian counties are grouped into development regions for the purpose of statistics:


Central Italy

Central Italy ( or just ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region, and a European Parliament constituency.
Regions.
Central Italy encompasses four of the country's 20 regions:
The southernmost and easternmost parts of Lazio (Sora, Cassino, Gaeta, Cittaducale, Formia, and Amatrice districts) are often included in Southern Italy (the so-called "Mezzogiorno") for cultural and historical reasons, since they were once part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and southern Italian dialects are spoken.
As a geographical region, however, central Italy may also include the regions of Abruzzo and Molise, which are otherwise considered part of Southern Italy for socio-cultural, linguistic and historical reasons.
Politics.
Marche, Tuscany and Umbria – together with Emilia-Romagna – are considered to be the most left-leaning regions in Italy, and together are also referred to as the "Red Belt".
Lazio, except for Rome, is more politically conservative, a trait which it shares with Southern Italy.
Economy.
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 380.9 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 21.6% of Italy's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 31,500 euros or 105% of the EU27 average in the same year.


Borough of Blackpool


List of UK cities by GVA

This is a list of cities and conurbations in the United Kingdom sorted by their Gross Value Added (GVA), a measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy. The Office for National Statistics produces Gross Value Added (GVA) data in terms of Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). The lowest spatial area for which they are made is NUTS 3. Most cities are NUTS 3 areas in their own right. Some NUTS 3 areas are made up of groups of authorities or metropolitan boroughs, such as the county of Greater Manchester and the conurbation of Tyneside, and tend to reflect high levels of economic coherence.
Lists.
The table below lists the largest NUTS 3 city regions by their Gross Value Added using data published by the Office for National Statistics published annually in December.


Province of Cagliari

Cagliari (; ) was a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy and its capital city was Cagliari.
It had an area of , and a total population of 543,310 (2001). There were 71 "comuni" (singular: "comune") in the province .
The historical province was suppressed by the 2016 Regional Decree Province of Cagliari and replaced by the Metropolitan City of Cagliari.
Geography.
The valley of Piscinamanna is in the province.
Major "comuni".
As of June 30, 2005, the major "comuni" by population was:
Government.
Provincial elections.
The Democratic Party (, PD) is a social-democratic political party in Italy, with The People of Freedom (, PdL), it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system.


Messenia

Messenia or Messinia (; , ) is a regional unit ("perifereiaki enotita") in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a prefecture ("nomos") covering the same territory. The capital and largest city of Messenia is Kalamata.
Geography.
Physical.
Messenia borders on Elis to the north, Arcadia to the northeast, and Laconia to the southeast. The Ionian Sea lies to the west, and the Gulf of Messinia to the south. The most important mountain ranges are the Taygetus in the east, the Kyparissia mountains in the northwest and the Lykodimo in the southwest. The main rivers are the Neda in the north and the Pamisos in central Messenia.
Off the south coast of the southwesternmost point of Messenia lie the Messinian Oinousses islands. The largest of these are Sapientza, Schiza and Venetiko. The small island Sphacteria closes off the bay of Pylos. All these islands are virtually uninhabited.
Climate may vary, in the lowlands, temperatures are a bit warmer than Athens. Snow is not common during winter months except for the mountains, especially the Taygetus. Rain and clouds are common inland.
Political.
Organization of Messenia.
Before the 2010 reorganization, Messenia was a "nomos" (prefecture) containing 29 "dimoi" (municipalities) and 2 "koinotites" (communities). Since 2010, Messenia has been a perifereiake enoteta (regional unit) containing only 6 municipalities, but with the same population, as it did not change area in the reorganization. Some 25 municipalities and communities were incorporated politically into the other 6 according to the table below, becoming municipal units.
Provinces.
The prefecture of Messenia was previously subdivided into four provinces (, "eparchies") :
Like all provinces of Greece, they were abolished after the 2006 local elections, in line with Law 2539/1997, as part of the "Kapodistrias reform". Some of the enlarged municipalities ("demoi") created in 2011 have a territory similar to the former provinces.
Population.
The main cities and towns of Messenia are (ranked by 2011 census population):
Economy.
The economy of Messenia is primarily based on agricultural production although in recent years efforts are being made toward the development of activities in other sectors such as tourism.
Main agricultural products are olive oil, Kalamata table olives, figs, and black raisins (sultanas). The variety of agricultural products is complemented by a small amount of stockbreeding products (beef, milk, sfela cheese, honey) and fish from the Gulf of Messenia.
The tourist development observed is mainly attributable to the promotion of important archaeological sites, such as the Palace of Nestor, Ancient Messene, and the Venetian castles of Pylos, Koroni, Methoni and Kalamata, as well as to the beauty of the landscape.
Another key factor for Messenia's economy is Costa Navarino a location on the border between Pylos and Trifylia, comprising several eco-friendly luxury resorts and golf courses, which is Greece’s biggest tourist development.
There are many small- and medium-size firms involved in the processing and standardization of agricultural products as well as a number of enterprises devoted to wood processing, furniture manufacturing, and metal construction. The Karelia tobacco company is based in Kalamata.
Transport.
The main airport in Messenia is Kalamata International Airport (KLX).
The main highways in Messenia are:
The main railways in Messenia (meter gauge) are:
History.
Ancient period.
Messenia is mentioned in the oldest work of European literature, the "Iliad". The name undoubtedly goes back to at least the Bronze Age, but its origins are lost in the world of mythology. The region was one of the largest that was conquered and enslaved as helots by ancient Sparta.
Medieval period.
In the Middle Ages, Messinia shared the fortunes of the rest of the Peloponnese. Striking reminders of these conflicts are afforded by the extant ruins of the medieval strongholds of Kalamata, Coron (anc. Asine, mod. Korone), Modon (Methone) and Pylos. Messenia was a part of the Byzantine Empire.
Ottoman and Venetian period.
Much of Messenia fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks, a part of the area remained with the Venetian Republic. In 1534 a group of families, known as the 'Coroni', settled in Piana degli Albanesi in Sicily. They were Arvanites and Greeks from Koroni.
During the 1680s, the whole of Messenia was regained by the Venetian Republic in the Morean War, and formed part of the "Kingdom of the Morea" until recovered by the Ottomans in 1715. The Mani Peninsula, a part of modern Messenia, was autonomous from Turkish rule due to the fact that it had no harbors.
Modern period.
Messenia became part of independent Greece as a result of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1832). The famous naval Battle of Navarino took place near present Pylos in 1827, and was a decisive victory for Greece and its allies. The population in the area of Kalamata and Messene increased from 30,000 before World War II up to nearly 80,000 in the present day.. Messenia suffered damage from the 2007 Greek forest fires.


Bombarral

Bombarral () is a municipality in Oeste region in the historical province of Estremadura, in the Centro of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 13,193, in an area of . It includes four civil parishes () that provide local services.
History.
It is known that the area of Bombarral was occupied during the geological period, and there exist vestiges of human settlement throughout the municipality, including pre-historic remnants in "Gruta Nova", "Lapa do Suão" and the Neolithic fortifications of "Columbeira" and the "Castro de São Mamede".
Most documented references to Bombarral begin in the 14th century, when the area was under the dominion of the Monastery of Alcobaça.
With the creation of Portugal, King Afonso Henriques donated the lands to Cistercian monks, around 1153. Before, the Battle of Aljubarrota King John of Portugal stayed in Bombarral with his Knight, Luís Henriques, in the strong-house that would later be converted into the municipality's council hall.
In the 18th century it was recognized as "Queens lands", and part of the municipality of Cadaval until 1852. During the Peninsular War, 15000 Anglo-Portuguese troops confronted a much smaller army of French infantry and cavalry (5000 total) in Roliça in the first engagement by British forces. The Battle of Roliça, along the northern frontier with Óbidos, was a confrontation between English General Arthur Wellesley and French General Henri François, Comte Delaborde, who were sent by General Jean-Andoche Junot, to harass and hold British forces until a much larger force could confront the English. The valleys and gullies of Roliça allowed the small French contingent to confront the much larger British force, yet they were unable to defeat them. Although successful, Wellesley did not press the fleeing French troops (who withdrew to Montachique near Torres Vedras), and instead went to support the landing of 4000 troops arriving from England along the coast.
The railway connecting Bombarral to Lisbon and Leiria came in 1887, starting a period of accelerated economic development.
Until 1914, Bombarral was a parish of the municipality of neighbouring Óbidos. The present-day municipality was created that year.
Geography.
Physical geography.
Bombarral is situated in a privileged geographic region in the extreme southern part of the District of Leiria, in the centre of Western Tourist Region (), 75 kilometres from Lisbon and 20 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean. The municipality is limited to the north by the municipalities of Óbidos, to the northeast by Caldas da Rainha, southeast by Cadaval and west by Lourinhã.
Bombarral is situated on an alluvial plain that is fertile, with a gentle topography of lowlands.
Human geography.
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 4 civil parishes ("freguesias"):
The A8 is the primary thoroughfare connecting Bombarral with its neighbours.
Twin towns — Sister cities.
Bombarral is twinned with:
Economy.
The base of economic activity is agriculture with vineyards predominating, although several crops are routinely rotated within the fields of the municipality.


South-West Region, Ireland

The South-West Region (coded IE053) is a NUTS Level III statistical region of Ireland. It consists of the territory of Cork City, the regional capital, as well as the counties of Cork and Kerry. The South-West region spans 12,161 km2, roughly 16% of the total area of the state and according to the 2016 census has a population of 689,750.
Prior to 2014, the region was governed by the South-West Regional Assembly. Statutory instrument No. 573/2014 abolished that assembly. Since that date, the association between Regional Assemblies and NUTS regions has ceased. The NUTS regions are used for statistical reporting to Eurostat, while the Regional Assemblies are responsible for planning at a local government level.
The South-West Region benefits from a mild climate and has a very scenic environment, which includes features such as MacGillycuddy's Reeks (the highest mountain range in Ireland), the Dingle Peninsula, Mizen Head and the Iveragh Peninsula along with numerous small islands.
South-West Regional Authority.
The South-West Region was administered by the South-West Regional Authority, which consisted of 24 elected representatives, including the region's representative on the EU Committee of the Regions. These representatives met once a month and were nominated from the three administrative councils of the region:
The Regional Authorities were dissolved in 2014 and were replaced by Regional Assemblies.
Demographics.
The South-West region has experienced a steady increase in its population with migration to the region due to its strong educational infrastructure, scenic beauty, mild climate, as well as its quality of life and work.
According to the 2016 census, the South-West region had a population of 689,750, which constitutes 14.5% of the national population. Its population density was 52.5 persons per km2. 78.6% of the south-west's population (542,196 people), reside in County Cork. The remaining 21.4% (147,554 people) live in County Kerry.
The southwest is the home of "Munster Irish", and contains a number of nationally significant Gaeltacht areas, such as Dingle, Cape Clear Island and Muskerry. 14% of Ireland's Gaeltacht population lives in Cork and Kerry. According to the 2016 Census, 43% of Kerry and 45% of Cork are able to speak Irish.
The population of the regional capital, Cork City, including its suburbs was 208,669.
Economy.
The region's economy consists of a range of multi-national companies that specialise in areas such as electronics and pharmaceuticals. The food industry also forms an important sector in the regional economy. Tourism is also a major industry in the region.
According to CSO figures for 2014, the region has a GDP of €33.745 bn and a GDP per capita of €50,544.
Eurostat figures for 2012 gave the region a GDP of €32.370 bn and a GDP per capita of €48,500 (second highest on the island of Ireland, second only to Dublin €57,200).
The workforce of the region in 2003 was 255,800, which equated to a 95.58% employment rate with services (59.9%), industrial employment (31.2%), and agriculture (8.9%) forming the key industries.
The 2016 unemployment rate for the South-West region, at 5.7%, is the lowest of any other Irish NUTS region.
Transport.
The South-West region contains two airports, Cork International Airport and Kerry International Airport, both of which provide a wide range of flights to locations across Europe. The region also has ferry services operating between Cork, the United Kingdom and France.
Geography.
Ireland's southernmost and westernmost points are located in the Southwest. Including islands Tearaght Island is the westernmost point located 12.5 km west of the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry. The southernmost point is Fastnet Rock which lies 11.3 km south of mainland County Cork. Only including mainland Ireland, Brow Head, County Cork is the southernmost point and Dunmore Head, County Kerry is the westernmost point. Ireland's twelve highest mountains are located in County Kerry. Killarney National Park in Kerry has Ireland's only native herd of Red Deer and the most extensive covering of native forest remaining in Ireland. The southwest has a total of 132,274 hectares (326,856 acres) of Forest and woodland area, larger than six different Irish counties. The area of the Southwest is 12,203 km2, roughly 14.5% of Ireland's land area which is large enough to fit the 10 smallest counties inside it and almost as large as Northern Ireland. The combined coastline of Cork and Kerry is 1,778 km including islands.
Major settlements.
A list of the ten largest settlements in the southwest County capitals are included and are shown in bold.
Sport.
The south west region is the base for several sporting teams such as professional association football teams, Cork City FC and Cobh Ramblers, who compete in the League of Ireland, Kerry GAA and Cork GAA, who compete in the All-Ireland and Munster Championship in traditional Irish sports, Gaelic Football and Hurling and American Football team, Cork Admirals. Teams also compete in rugby, cricket, hockey and various other sports.


Metropolitan Borough of Walsall

The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Darlaston, Pelsall and Willenhall. It also serves as the post town for nearby Cannock Chase District and Lichfield District respectively.
The borough had an estimated population of 254,500 in 2007.
The current boundaries were set as part of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, with a change to the north of the borough in 1994. It is bounded on the west by the City of Wolverhampton, the south by the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, to the south east by the City of Birmingham, and by the Staffordshire districts of Lichfield, Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire to the east, north and northwest respectively. Most of the borough is highly industrialised and densely populated, but areas around the north and east of the borough are open space.
In 1986 the borough became an effective unitary authority when the West Midlands County Council was abolished. However it remains part of the West Midlands for ceremonial purposes, and for functions such as policing, fire and public transport.
Governance.
Parliamentary constituencies.
The residents of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall are represented in the British Parliament by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three separate parliamentary constituencies. Since the 2017 General Election, Walsall North has been represented by Eddie Hughes MP (Conservative), Walsall South by Valerie Vaz MP (Labour) and Aldridge-Brownhills by Wendy Morton MP (Conservative). The borough is part of the West Midlands constituency in the European Parliament. Prior to Brexit in 2020, the West Midlands region elected seven MEPs.
Council.
In 1974, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council was created to administer the newly formed metropolitan borough. Elections to the council take place in three out of every four years, with one-third of the seats being contested at each election. Between its formation in 1974 and the 2003 election, the council varied between control by the Labour Party, and where no one party had an overall majority. From 2003 to 2011 the Conservative Party then held a majority of councillors. At the 2011 election the Conservative Party lost five seats, while Labour gained eight, and afterwards no party held a majority. At the 2019 election, the Conservative Party regained control of the council.
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is based on an amalgamation of two former local government districts, Walsall County Borough and Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District.
Demography.
At the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001, according to the Office for National Statistics, the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall had a total resident population of 253,499, of which 123,189 (48.6%) were male and 130,310 (51.4%) were female, with 101,333 households. The Borough occupied at the time of the 2001 census.
Its population density was 24.39 people per hectare compared with an average of 28.41 across the West Midlands metropolitan county. The median age of the population was 37, compared with 36 within the West Midlands metropolitan county and 37 across England and Wales.
The majority of the population of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall were born in England (91.77%); 1.42% were born elsewhere within the United Kingdom, 0.82% within the rest of the European Union, and 6.00% elsewhere in the world.
Data on religious beliefs across the borough in the 2001 census show that 72.1% declared themselves to be Christian, 10.0% said they held no religion, and 5.4% reported themselves as Muslim. Whereas in the 2011 Census 59% declared themselves to be Christian, 26% said they held no religion or did not state their religion, and 8.2% reported themselves as Muslim.
Within the Metropolitan Borough, 42.84% of households owned a single car or van, with 31.05% owning none. The average car ownership per household was 1.01, compared with 0.96 across the West Midlands metropolitan county.
Population change.
The table below details the population change in the area since 1801. Although the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall has existed as a metropolitan borough only since 1974, figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, and civil parishes that would later be constituent parts of the borough.
Economy.
At the time of the 2001 census, there were 105,590 people (41.7%) in employment who were resident within Walsall Metropolitan Borough. Of these, 18.60% worked within the wholesale and retail trade, including repair of motor vehicles; 26.44% worked within manufacturing industry; and 9.85% worked within the health and social work sector.
At the 2001 UK census, Walsall Metropolitan Borough had 180,623 residents aged 16 to 74. 2.3% of these people were students with jobs, 6.0% looking after home or family, 6.8% permanently sick or disabled and 2.4% economically inactive for other reasons. These figures are roughly in line with the averages for England, though Metropolitan Borough of Walsall has a higher rate of people who are permanently sick and disabled, where the national average is 5.3%.
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is split between several Travel to Work Areas (TTWA). The central and northern areas of the borough (including the towns of Walsall, Bloxwich and Brownhills) are within the Walsall and Cannock TTWA, whilst the majority of the area west of the M6 motorway (including the towns of Willenhall and Darlaston) is within the Wolverhampton TTWA. The southeast of the Metropolitan Borough (including Streetly) is within the Birmingham TTWA. The entire borough is within the Birmingham Larger Urban Zone.
Average house prices in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall were fourth out of the metropolitan boroughs in the West Midlands county, with the average house price within the borough being £131,131 during the period April – June 2009, compared with the average across the Metropolitan County of £128,142.
Transport.
The A34 trunk road runs directly through the middle of Walsall .
An elevated section of the M6 Motorway built in 1968 half circles around Walsall to the West of the town. There can be increased congestion on the local A roads whenever the motorway is temporarily closed or in a state of serious delay as road users try to bypass the problem. Junctions (North to South) 11, 10, 9 and 7 allow access to and from various parts of the town. The M6 and M5 join at junction 8.
The A454 runs through Walsall on its way to Sutton Coldfield from Bridgnorth.
Localities.
" See List of areas in Walsall"
Education.
45% of pupils in the Borough of Walsall achieved five GCSEs with grades of A*-C, below the national average of 56%.
The borough's education format is a traditional 5–7 infant, 7–11 junior and 11-16/18 secondary school system, with some infant and junior schools being combined single site primary schools, while others have infant and junior schools on separate sites. The towns of Walsall, Bloxwich, Darlaston and Willenhall have always used these age ranges, but the Aldridge, Brownhills and Streetly areas (which became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in 1974) adopted 5–9 first, 9–13 middle and 13-16/18 secondary schools in September 1972. However, this system was discontinued and replaced with the traditional age ranges in September 1986 to fit in with the other schools in the Walsall borough.


Fingal

Fingal ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Leinster and, within that, is part of the Dublin Region. Its name is derived from the medieval territory of Scandinavian foreigners () that settled in the area. Fingal County Council is the local authority for the county. In 2016 the population of the county was 296,214, making it the second-most populous county in the state.
Geography and political subdivisions.
Fingal is one of three counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. Swords is the county town. The other large urban centre is Blanchardstown. Smaller towns include Balbriggan and Malahide. Suburban villages with extensive housing include Baldoyle, Castleknock, Howth (and Sutton), Lusk, Portmarnock, Skerries. Small rural settlements exist in the northern and western parts of the county. The motto of the arms of Fingal reads meaning "Abundance of Land and Water". The motto reflects the strong farming and fishing ties historically associated with the area. It also features a Viking longboat, which represents the arrival of the Norse in Fingal, where they became integrated with the existing Irish.
Fingal is bordered by County Meath to the north, by Kildare to the west and by Dublin city to the south. At the Strawberry Beds, the River Liffey separates the county from South Dublin.
Towns and villages.
Fingal varies enormously in character, from densely populated suburban areas of the contiguous Dublin metropolitan to remote rural villages and lowly unpopulated agricultural townlands.
Fingal County Council is also responsible for the northernmost parts of Ballymun, Santry and Finglas. The part of Kilbarrack now known as Bayside, along with Sutton and Howth (the peninsula was historically distinct from the plains of Fingal), were transferred from the city of Dublin in a somewhat controversial move. Clonee, part of County Meath, has housing estates in its hinterland that merge into the estates of Ongar in western Fingal.
Baronies and Civil parishes.
The former county of Dublin was divided into nine baronies. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. The last boundary change of a barony in Dublin was in 1842 when the barony of Balrothery was divided into Balrothery East and Balrothery West. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units". The boundaries of Fingal do not respect the boundaries of the baronies. As a result, only three baronies are entirely contained in the county: Balrothery East, Balrothery West, and Nethercross. Parts of three baronies are also contained in the county: Castleknock, Coolock, and Newcastle.
In the case of Castleknock, most civil parishes of the barony are under the jurisdiction of Fingal County Council. Some of the eastern parishes are under the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. The core of the civil parish of Finglas lies within Dublin City. There are two substantial exclaves of the parish proper that are located in Fingal.
In the case of Coolock, most civil parishes of the barony are the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. The parishes listed in the table below are located in Fingal.
In the case of Newcastle, most of the barony is situated south of the River Liffey and so is under the jurisdiction of South Dublin County Council. Six townlands are located north of the Liffey in the civil parish of Leixlip. Listed in the table below, they are part of Fingal.
History.
Terminology and etymology.
The name "Fingal" derives from the medieval territory of "Fine Gall" (tribe or territory of foreigners), the Viking settlement north of Dublin. The Vikings referred to the hinterland of Dublin as "Dyflinarskiri".
In Ireland, the usage of the word "county" nearly always comes before rather than after the county name; thus ""County" Clare" in Ireland as opposed to "Clare "County"" in Michigan, US. In the case of those counties created after 1994, they often drop the word "county" entirely, or use it after the name; internet search engines show many more uses (on Irish sites) of "Fingal" than of either "County Fingal" or "Fingal County". The local authority uses all three forms.
Fingallian is an extinct language, a hybrid of Old and Middle English and Old Norse, with Gaelic influences. It was spoken by the people of Fingal until the mid-19th century.
Legal history.
Not until the Norman invasion of Ireland did the settlement and its hinterland become an administrative area. In 1208 the Lordship of Fingal was granted to Walter de Lacy by King John of England. The modern county of Fingal was established on 1 January 1994 with the division of the administrative county of Dublin under the Local Government (Dublin) Act, 1993. The Act provided for the legal establishment of the following local government administrative areas:
and also recognised the local government administrative area under the jurisdiction of the extant Dublin Corporation, vesting its powers in a renamed entity – Dublin City Council.
The statutory instrument giving effect to the Act provided for the abolition of Dublin County Council – the entity that previously had responsibility for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. The four entities collectively comprise the former entity known as County Dublin. The former County Dublin, which had been created as a feudal entity in the 12th century, was abolished under the Acts.
Fingal is within the remit of the Eastern and Midland Region, established in 2015, one of three such regional authorities in the state.
Early Gaelic history.
In the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy identified Eblana (Dublin) as the capital of a people called the Eblani. In later centuries the territory north of the river Liffey was known as Mide or Midhe, i.e. "the Kingdom of Meath" (that to the south was known as "Coigh Cuolan" or "Cualan"). The west of this area was known as Teffia, and the east as Bregia (Latinised from Gaelic Magh Breagh, "the great plain of Meath"). Bregia comprised five Gaelic triocha-cheds (equivalent to cantreds) or the later baronies, and was ruled by the king at Tara. These princes, and various Gaelic chieftains, held sway over the area until the coming of the Vikings in the 8th century.
Vikings and Hiberno-Norse.
By 841 AD a Scandinavian settlement had been established at Dublin; this was abandoned in 902, re-established in 917, and developed thereafter. It was so established by the 11th century that it was regarded even amongst the surrounding native Gaelic population as a minor kingdom ruled by Hiberno-Norse kings. The Norse Kingdom of Dublin stretched, at its greatest, from Drogheda to Arklow, and while mostly a thin strip of coastal land, from the Irish Sea westwards as far as Leixlip in the central part.
After the Battle of Clontarf, when High King Brian Boru curtailed the power of the Vikings in Ireland, the Norse-Irish Kingdom of Dublin continued, with its own bishop, part of the Westminster hierarchy rather than the Irish, though it gradually came under the influence of the Kings of Leinster. Diarmait Mac Murchada established himself there before his expulsion by the High King in 1166, a series of events which led to the area being invaded in the late 12th century, by the Cambro-Normans. This was to form part of the heartland of the area known as The Pale during the successive periods of rule by Anglo-Norman and the later kings of England.
After the Anglo-Norman invasion.
Early Anglo-Norman grants.
With the arrival of the Anglo/Cambro-Normans in 1169, the territory of the old Gaelic Kingdom of Meath was promised in around 1172 to Hugh de Lacy by King Henry II of England. At that time, Meath extended to most of the current county of Fingal (including as far as Clontarf, Santry and the barony of Castleknock), County Westmeath and part of County Kildare. Fingal was therefore implicitly included in the grant of "Meath" either as part of Meath proper or under the additional element of that grant "and for increase to the gift, all fees which he has or shall acquire about Dublin". This element of the grant related to his role as Bailiff and was copied into the Gormanston Register.
Strongbow was probably also assigned some fees within the royal demesne of Dublin, as in the case of Hugh de Lacy's custodianship of Dublin, in payment of his services. This appears evidenced by several grants which he made in his own name within the city to St. Mary's Abbey, and his foundation of a hospital of St. John of Jerusalem at Kilmainham. Therefore, both Strongbow and Hugh de Lacy exercised lordships within the royal demesne of Dublin.
In addition to Dublin city, the royal demesne itself also consisted of the royal manors of Crumlin, Esker, Newcastle, and Saggart, in the south-west of the county, and the royal demesnes of O Thee (O'Teig), O Brun (O'Broin), and O Kelly (O'Ceallaigh) in the south-east of the county, which were rented from the Crown by Irish-speaking tenants. Over half of the land in the county of Dublin was granted to religious houses and priories, as well as archbishops and monasteries, and minor lay lords. In such way too, an estate was given to the Irish chieftain MacGillamocholmog, who held sway over the territory of Cualann (Wicklow) when the Anglo-Normans arrived.
De Lacy parcelled out most of this land to his vassals, who were to hold these lands from him, as he had held the Lordship of Meath from King Henry, by military tenure. D'Alton also provides a reference to the enumeration of these grants given in Hibernica, by Harris (pp. 42–43). Hugh de Lacy was appointed Viceroy in 1178, and again in 1181 after a brief period of royal disfavour.
By virtue of his grant of Meath, Hugh de Lacy was appointed a Palatine Count in that territory and divided it amongst his various vassals who were commonly called "De Lacy's Barons". These were: Hugh Tyrell, Baron of Castleknock; Jocelyn de Angulo, Baron of Navan and Ardbraccan; De Misset, Baron of Lune; Adam de Feypo, Baron Skryne; Fitz-Thomas, Baron of Kells; Hussey, Baron of Galtrim; Richard de Fleming, Baron Slane; Adam Dullard or Dollard, of Dullenvarty; Gilbert de Nugent, Baron Delvin and later Earl of Westmeath;Risteárd de Tiúit, Baron of Moyashell; Robert de Lacy's descendants, Barons of Rathwire; De Constantine, Baron of Kilbixey Petit, Baron of Mullingar; Meyler FitzHenry of Maghernan, Rathkenin, and Ardnocker. As Burke points out, to some of these there descended the De Genevilles, Lords of Meath; Mortimer, Earl of March (and later Lord of Trim, from De Geneville); the Plunkets, of Danish descent, Baron of Dunsany and of Killeen, and later Earl of Louth and Earl of Fingall (by letters patent); the Prestons, Viscounts Gormanston and Viscount Tara, the Barnewalls, Baron Trimlestown and Viscount Barnewall; the Nettervilles, Barons of Dowth; the Bellews, Barons of Duleek; the Darcys of Platten, Barons of Navan; the Cusacks, Barons of Culmullin; the FitzEustaces, Baron Portlester. Some of these again were succeeded by the De Baths of Athcarn, the Dowdalls of Athlumny, the Cruises, the Drakes of Drake Rath, and others.
John of England.
In 1184, Prince John, then Lord of Ireland and Earl of Mortain gave half the tithes of Fingal to the episcopal see of Dublin, which grant was confirmed in 1337 by King Edward, and in 1395 by King Richard II when in Dublin.
This John was none other than the same who featured so prominently in the tales of Robin Hood during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart (Coeur de Lion) absent on the Third Crusade. In 1189, on the breaking up of Robin Hood's company, Robin Hood's great companion Little John, is said to have exhibited his feats of archery on Oxmanstown Green in Dublin, until having been detected in a robbery, he was hanged on Arbour Hill nearby. Another Robin Hood-type, known as McIerlagh Gedy, is recorded as a notorious felon responsible for many thefts and incendiary acts in Meath, Leinster, and Fingal, and was taken prisoner, brought to Trim Castle and hanged.
Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath, son of Hugh, gained seisin of the Lordship of Meath by charter in 1194 during Richard I's exercise of the Lordship of Ireland, having previously been a minor when his father Hugh de Lacy died in 1186. Walter succeeded to all Hugh's lordships, including of Fingal, which by grant of King John in 1208 was subsequently confirmed in perpetuity under the same terms as the palatine Lordship of Meath, and no longer limited by the original conditions linked to service as bailiff of Dublin.
Feudal administration.
Prescriptive Barony, 1208.
The first known administrative provision related to the original name was a palatine grant of the Paramount "Lordship of Fingal", confirmed by letters patent from King John. This feudal barony or Prescriptive barony was granted to Walter de Lacy and his heirs in perpetuity in 1208. The grant was based on Hugh de Lacy, Walter's father, having held the same on a basis of grand serjeanty for his services as bailiff to the King. The grant describes the scope of administrative responsibility, and the limits of powers delegated. The gist of the grant is recounted as follows:
Other derivative or related grants and titles.
As mentioned above, by the time King John granted Finegal as part of his inheritance to Walter, Walter's father Hugh had already sub-infeudated parts thereof to his vassals (e.g. the Castleknock barony, granted by Hugh de Lacy to Hugh Tyrell, etc.). Therefore, Finegal was already a superior lordship (or paramount barony) when originally granted, consisting of lesser baronies (and their several manors), even though some of these may have been granted by Hugh in his capacities as Bailiff or as Viceroy, and later confirmed as held of the Crown "in capite", and in perpetuity. The lordship of Fingal was, therefore, a paramount superiority over several sub-infeudated smaller baronies (such as Castleknock, Santry, Balrothery), and thus eventually accrued vicecomital attributes.
In addition, several other baronies existed as feudal holdings or were created within the geographical territory of Fingal (such as Finglas; Swerdes Swords; Santry, Feltrim), and in other parts of Dublin: Howth and Senkylle (Shankill in southern Dublin).
A later, related, development was the granting of the first viscountcy in Ireland in 1478 to a Preston, Lord Gormanston, the Premier Viscount of Ireland, who at the time was a major landowner in the Fingal area, and a direct descendant of Walter de Lacy. That viscountcy was called after Gormanston as the latter was the principal seat and Manor of the Prestons at the time, having been acquired upon their relinquishment of occupancy of the Manor of Fyngallestoun. The Viscounts Gormanston continued to retain the Lordship of the latter under reversion., and the prescriptive barony of Fingal was also retained by the Viscount Gormanston as an incorporeal hereditament "in gross", until passed to the late Patrick Denis O'Donnell.
Medieval taxation, and the Pale.
Geographically, Fingal became a core area of the Pale, and that part of Ireland most intensively settled by the Normans and in due course the English. Records during the period 1285–92, of rolls of receipts for taxes to the King indicate Fingal as a distinct area, listed along with the baronies or lordships of Duleek, Kells, and Loxuedy, as well as Valley (Liffey), and sometimes under, sometimes separate from Dublin. Later records of rolls of receipts e.g. ""granted to the King in Ireland of the term of Trinity a.r.21 (1293)" for the period 1293–1301 also include references to Fingal listed as a lordship, again along with the baronies of Duleek and Kells, and Dublin City, and Valley, all listed under Dublin County. Several other references also exist in the chancery records of the 14th century.
Abolition of feudal system.
The feudal system was finally completely abolished in the Republic of Ireland under the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act (No. 27 of 2009) passed by the Oireachtas on 21 July 2009. The Act accordingly abolished feudal tenure, but preserved estates in land, including customary rights and incorporeal hereditaments.
Earldom of Fingall.
A peerage title as Earl of Fingall was created in 1628, by King Charles I of England, and granted to Luke Plunkett, 1st Earl of Fingall, Baron Killeen, whose first wife, Elizabeth Plunkett "née" FitzGerald, thus became Lady Killeen The Plunketts also intermarried with the Prestons, Viscounts Gormanston. The Fingall Estate Papers, acquired by the Fingal County Archives, do not however relate to any properties in Fingal, but rather to lands in Meath. That Fingall title became extinct upon the death of the 12th and last Earl in 1984, along with a peerage barony of the same name, not to be confused with the titular prescriptive barony of Fingal previously mentioned.
County Dublin.
In the 1208 grant, the bulk of Fingal, considered to be "in the vale of Dublin"", was part of the County Dublin, when the latter was established as one of the first twelve counties created by King John during his visit to Ireland in 1210. Its history forms part of that of Co. Dublin for the following eight centuries.
The part of Fingal within County Dublin was in later centuries subdivided into the following administrative baronies: Balrothery West, Balrothery East, Nethercross, Castleknock and Coolock.
In 1985, County Dublin was divided into three "electoral counties", with "Dublin–Fingal" as the northern one. In 1994, the administrative county of Dublin was abolished, and three new administrative counties similar to the electoral counties replaced it, with "Fingal" in place of "Dublin–Fingal". It encompasses that part of the area anciently known as Fingal which lay within the former County of Dublin, excluding the areas north of the Tolka but within city boundaries. With the enactment of the Local Government Act 2001, Fingal is determined and listed as a county.
Local government.
Fingal County Council is the local authority for the county. It was established at the same time that Dublin County Council and the Corporation of Dún Laoghaire were abolished in 1994, by an Act of the Oireachtas, the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993. It is one of four councils in the Dublin Region. The County Hall is in Swords, with another major office in Blanchardstown. The county administration is headed by a County Manager, leading a team of functional heads and directors of services. The county council is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council has 24 elected members who are elected are by single transferable vote in elections held every 5 years.
For elections to Dáil Éireann, the county is divided into Dublin North and Dublin West, with Malahide and Howth situated in the constituency of Dublin North-East and small parts of Mulhuddart being located in Dublin North-West.
Economy.
Fingal is Ireland's primary horticultural region, producing 50% of the national vegetable output and 75% of all glasshouse crops grown in the country. However, the areas of production are coming under severe pressure from other development and the rural towns are increasingly becoming dormitories for the city. Howth harbour is the biggest fishing harbour on the east coast, and the fifth largest in the country.
Dublin Airport is located within the county, along with the headquarters of Aer Lingus and Ryanair. The Dublin Airport Authority has its head office on the grounds of the airport. In addition Swords has the headquarters of ASL Airlines, CityJet, and Ingersoll Rand.
In 2006 Fingal County Council was lauded by prominent Irish construction industry figures, politicians and EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs for becoming the first local authority in Ireland to introduce mandatory sustainable building requirements. The policy, which relates to all construction in 8 parts of the county—including roughly 13,000 new homes—stipulates that the amount of energy and CO2 emissions associated with the heating and hot water of all buildings must be reduced by at least 60% compared to Irish Building Regulations, with at least 30% of the energy used for heating and hot water coming from renewable sources such as solar, geothermal or biomass.
Education.
The Technological University Dublin formerly known as the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown is the largest third-level education facility in Fingal.
Sport.
Fingal is home to Morton Stadium, Ireland's national athletics stadium and 2003 Special Olympics venue.
Between 2007 and 2011 Morton Stadium hosted the home matches of the former soccer team Sporting Fingal FC.
The county has many GAA teams which are still organised under the County Dublin GAA since the political county changes have not affected the GAA Counties (see Gaelic Athletic Association county). However, a team representing Fingal as county has competed against GAA counties as a sub-region of the GAA county of Dublin in the Kehoe Cup, Division 2B (as of 2014) of the Allianz National Hurling League and (in the past) the Nicky Rackard Cup.
References.
From
From other sources:


Malta (island)

Malta is the largest of the three major islands that constitute the Maltese archipelago. It is sometimes referred to as Valletta for statistical purposes to distinguish the main island from the entire country. Malta is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea directly south of Italy and north of Libya. The island is long and wide, with a total area of . The capital is Valletta, while the largest locality is Saint Paul's Bay. The island is made up of many small towns, which together form one larger urban zone with a population of 409,259. The landscape is characterised by low hills with terraced fields.
History.
Humans have inhabited Malta since about 5200 BC, when stone age hunters or farmers arrived from Sicily. Early Neolithic settlements were discovered in open areas and also in caves, such as Għar Dalam. Around 3500 BC, a culture of megalithic temple builders then either supplanted or arose. They built some of the oldest existing, free-standing structures in the world in the form of megalithic temples such as those at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra. After 2500 BC, Malta was depopulated but soon became the home of Bronze Age settlers, who settled in sites such as Borġ in-Nadur. They built first fortifications in Malta.
Malta was later ruled by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs before it was occupied by the County of Sicily in 1091. The island then became part of the Kingdom of Sicily until it was given to the Order of Saint John along with Gozo and Tripoli (North Africa) in 1530. In 1192 Tancred, King of Sicily created Margaritus of Brindisi the first Count of Malta. In 1565, the Order and the Maltese withstood a major Ottoman invasion which became known as the Great Siege of Malta. The Order ruled Malta for over 250 years and built many great pieces of architecture, including the capital city Valletta. In 1798, the French under Napoleon occupied Malta and ruled from 1798–1800. Napoleon's stay lasted from 12–18 June when he resided at Palazzo Parisio in Valletta. The French remained until the Maltese rebelled against their rule. In 1800, the British took control over Malta and the island initially became a British protectorate, and a colony a couple of years later. The British ruled for about 150 years and Malta became independent in 1964. Ten years later the State of Malta became the Republic of Malta. Malta joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the Euro four years later.
Geography.
Malta is the largest island in an archipelago in the central Mediterranean, some south of the Italian island of Sicily across the Malta Channel. Malta is located east of its sister islands of Gozo and Comino. It lies on the Malta plateau, a shallow shelf formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa that became isolated as sea levels rose after the last Ice Age. Malta is therefore situated in the zone between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates.
Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide good harbours. The landscape consists of low hills with terraced fields. The highest point in Malta is Ta' Dmejrek, at , near Dingli. Although there are some small rivers at times of high rainfall, there are no permanent rivers or lakes on Malta. However, some watercourses have fresh water running all year round, such as those at Ras ir-Raħeb near Baħrija and at l-Imtaħleb.
Phytogeographically, Malta belongs to the Liguro-Tyrrhenian province of the Mediterranean Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Malta belongs to the ecoregion of "Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub".
Some minor islands off the main island of Malta include:
Climate.
Malta has a Subtropical–Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification "Csa"), with very mild winters and hot summers. Rain occurs mainly in winter, with summer being generally dry. According to the International Living, Malta is the country with the best climate in the world.
The average yearly temperature is around during the day and at night. In the coldest month – January – the typically maximum temperature ranges from during the day and minimum at night. In the warmest month – August – the typically maximum temperature ranges from during the day and minimum at night. Generally – summers/holiday season lasts to 8 months, starting from around mid-April with temperatures during the day and at night, ending in November with temperatures during the day and at night, although also in the remaining 4 months temperatures sometimes reach . Amongst all capitals in the continent of Europe, Valletta – the capital of Malta has the warmest winters, with average temperatures of around during the day and at night in the period January–February. In March and December average temperatures is around during the day and at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare. Also, Malta is one of the few places in Europe which are "green" all year round.
Average annual temperature of the sea is (the highest in the continent of Europe), from in February to in August. In the 6 months – from June to November – the average sea temperature exceeds .
Sunshine duration hours total around 3,000 per year (one of the highest results in Europe), from an average above five hours of sunshine per day in December to an average above 12 hours in July. This is about double that of cities in the northern half of Europe, for comparison: London – 1,461; however, in winter it has up to several times more sunshine; for comparison: in December, London has 37 hours of sunshine whereas Malta has about 160.
Urbanization.
According to Eurostat, Malta Island is a single Larger Urban Zone nominally referred to as "Valletta". According to Demographia, the whole country is identified as urban area. According to European Spatial Planning Observation Network, Malta is identified as Functional Urban Area (FUA). According to United Nations, about 95% area of Malta is urban area and the number grows every year. Also, according to the results of ESPON and EU Commission studies, "the whole territory of Malta constitutes a single urban region".
Economy.
The main island of Malta contributes significantly to the country's overall economy, which itself is classified as an advanced economy according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Until 1800 Malta depended on cotton, tobacco and its shipyards for exports. Once under British control, they came to depend on Malta Dockyard for support of the Royal Navy, especially during the Crimean war of 1854. Malta's economy was boosted by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, as there was a massive increase of civilian shipping which entered the port. Ships stopping at Malta's docks for refuelling helped the Entrepôt trade, which brought additional benefits to the island. Towards the end of the 19th century the economy began declining, and by the 1940s Malta's economy was in serious crisis. One factor was the longer range of newer merchant ships that required less frequent refuelling stops. The economy was boosted again after World War II when the island needed to be rebuilt.
Currently, Malta's major resources are limestone, a favourable geographic location and a productive labour force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies because of the drought in the summer and has no domestic energy sources, aside from the potential for solar energy from its plentiful sunlight. The economy is dependent on foreign trade (serving as a freight trans-shipment point), manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles) and tourism.
Film production is a growing contributor to the Maltese economy. Despite its size, Malta continues to attract international film productions from around the world and this is the best sign of confidence that a small country can get from foreign producers. The first film shot in Malta was "Sons of the Sea" in 1925. Since then, over 100 other films were partially or fully shot in Malta, including "Malta Story" (1953), "Midnight Express" (1978), "Popeye" (1980), "Gladiator" (2000), "Munich" (2005), "World War Z" (2013) and "Captain Phillips" (2013).
In preparation for Malta's membership in the European Union, which it joined on 1 May 2004, it privatised some state-controlled firms and liberalised markets. For example, the government announced on 8 January 2007 that it was selling its 40% stake in MaltaPost, to complete a privatisation process which has been ongoing for the past five years. By 2010, Malta had privatised telecommunications, postal services, shipyards and shipbuilding.
Banking and finance.
The two largest commercial banks are Bank of Valletta and HSBC Bank Malta, both of which can trace their origins back to the 19th century.
The Central Bank of Malta (Bank Ċentrali ta' Malta) has two key areas of responsibility: the formulation and implementation of monetary policy and the promotion of a sound and efficient financial system. It was established by the Central Bank of Malta Act on 17 April 1968. The Maltese government entered ERM II on 4 May 2005, and adopted the euro as the country's currency on 1 January 2008.
FinanceMalta is the quasi-governmental organisation tasked with marketing and educating business leaders in coming to Malta and runs seminars and events around the world highlighting the emerging strength of Malta as a jurisdiction for banking and finance and insurance.
Transport.
Traffic in Malta drives on the left. Car ownership in Malta is exceedingly high, given the very small size of the island.
The main roads of Malta from the southernmost point to the northernmost point are these: Triq Birżebbuġa in Birżebbuġa, Għar Dalam Road and Tal-Barrani Road in Żejtun, Santa Luċija Avenue in Paola, Aldo Moro Street (Trunk Road), 13 December Street and Ħamrun-Marsa Bypass in Marsa, Regional Road in Santa Venera/Msida/Gżira/San Ġwann, St Andrew's Road in Swieqi/Pembroke, Malta, Coast Road in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Salina Road, Kennedy Drive, St. Paul's Bypass and Xemxija Hill in San Pawl il-Baħar, Mistra Hill, Wettinger Street (Mellieħa Bypass) and Marfa Road in Mellieħa.
Buses ("xarabank" or "karozza tal-linja") are the primary method of public transport. Established in 1905, the service underwent an extensive reform in July 2011. The management structure changed from having self-employed drivers driving their own vehicles to a service being offered by a single company through a public tender. The public tender was won by Arriva Malta, a member of the Arriva group, but the company ceased operations on 1 January 2014 having been nationalised as "Malta Public Transport" by the Maltese government, with a new bus operator to take over their operations in the near future.
Malta has three large natural harbours:
There is also a man-made harbour at Ċirkewwa. This is connected with Mġarr Harbour on Gozo by the Gozo ferry which makes numerous trips each day.
The only airport on Malta is Malta International Airport. It is built on the land formerly occupied by the RAF Luqa air base. Two further airfields at Ta' Qali and Ħal Far were operated during World War II and into the 1960s but are now closed. Today, Ta' Qali houses a national park, stadium, the Crafts Village visitor attraction and the Malta Aviation Museum. This museum preserves several aircraft, including Hurricane and Spitfire fighters that defended the island in World War II. The national airline is Air Malta.
Tourism.
Malta is a popular tourist destination, with 1.2 million tourists per year. Three times more tourists visit than there are residents. Tourism infrastructure has increased dramatically over the years and a number of good-quality hotels are present on the island, although overdevelopment and the destruction of traditional housing is of growing concern. An increasing number of Maltese now travel abroad on holiday.
In recent years, Malta has advertised itself as a medical tourism destination, and a number of health tourism providers are developing the industry. However, no Maltese hospital has undergone independent international healthcare accreditation. Malta is popular with British medical tourists, pointing Maltese hospitals towards seeking UK-sourced accreditation, such as with the Trent Accreditation Scheme. Dual accreditation with the American-oriented Joint Commission is necessary if hospitals in Malta wish to compete with the Far East and Latin America for medical tourists from the United States.
Demographics.
Native Maltese people make up the majority of the island. However, there are minorities, the largest of which are British, many of whom have retired to Malta. According to the government's estimate of 2013, the population of Malta stood at 409,259 people which is about 91.6% of the country's total population. The largest city is Birkirkara with a population of 22,319. The capital Valletta has a relatively small population of 6675 people.
The main language spoken on Malta is the Maltese language, a Semitic language descended from the now defunct Siculo-Arabic dialect of southern Italy. The language has substantial borrowing from Sicilian, Italian, a little French, and more recently and increasingly, English. The hybrid character of Maltese was established by a long period of Maltese-Sicilian urban bilingualism gradually transforming rural speech and which ended in the early 19th century with Maltese emerging as the vernacular of the entire native population. The language includes different dialects that can vary greatly from one town to another or from one island to another.
The Eurobarometer states that 100% of the population speak Maltese. Also, 88% of the population speak English, 66% speak Italian, and 17% speak French. This widespread knowledge of second languages makes Malta one of the most multilingual countries in the European Union. A study collecting public opinion on what language was "preferred" discovered that 86% of the population express a preference for Maltese, 12% for English, and 2% for Italian. Still, Italian television channels from Italy-based broadcasters, such as Mediaset and RAI, reach Malta and remain popular.
Administrative divisions.
Malta has had a system of local government since 1993, based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The main island is divided into four regions, each having its own Regional Committee:
Each region is further divided into local councils. Some hamlets have administrative committees, which are part of larger local councils. Currently there are 54 local councils and 13 administrative committees in Malta.
The island is also divided into five districts, but these serve primarily for statistical purposes: