Valletta, << vahl LEHT tah >> (pop. 9,239), is the capital and chief seaport of Malta It lies on a narrow peninsula between two deep harbors on Malta’s northeast coast. Valletta is the administrative, cultural, and commercial center of Malta. It is the home of the Royal Malta Library. The University of Malta is in Msida, just outside Valletta. The Cathedral of Saint John and the Palace of the Grand Masters (now the governor general’s residence) are among the city’s sights.
Valletta became the capital of Malta in 1571. It had been founded about five years earlier. Valletta was named for Jean Parisot de la Valette, grand master of the Knights Hospitallers , also known as the Knights of Malta. The British maintained a naval base at Valletta from the early 1800’s until 1979.
