Small island sustainability and a case study for Malta

Abstract

Although not strictly part of the Italian “Isole Minori”, The Maltese islands (Fig. 1) are variously identified as “the Italian Islands”, the “Isole Inglesi” or “Italia inglese”, a feature that was particularly prevalent in the Fascist 1930s. In addition, they have close geological links with south-east Sicily, resting on the same continental shelf, as well as connections with the geology of North Africa. Their location, at the so called “crossroads” of the Mediterranean, makes the Maltese archipelago significant and strategic, although there is much debate about the degree of connectivity according to the technological, economic and political context and the relationship to creativity and identity.