Melita (Superpowers)

The Melita Archipelago, commonly referred to as the Foedereta Melitae or Federation of Malta is one of the only two Municipal Provinces of the Roman Empire, the other being Rome, and is also the most densely populated of the provincialities.

The province consists of all islands, big and small of the Maltese Archipelago. It is located 93 km south of Sicilia and 288 km north-east of Phoenicia.

The islands were added to the Roman Empire, then a republic, in 218 BC. Although at the time it was part of the Roman Province of Sicilia, the island chain itself was given the title Foederata Civitas, making it equal in position to the province of Italia itself, as far as tributary payments were concerned.

As the central most island of the Mediterranean Sea, the island has always played a vital role in European commerce. Not only that, but it is a major religious center, being one of the few existing Apostolic Sees in the Empire. It was these traits that led to its foundation as its own province in 435 AD. The Roman Emperor Scipio I, having realized the island's potential, put huge funding into building up the islands into the naval center of the Empire, making it a commercial capital rivaling the mighty banks of Constantinopolis.

Etymology
The name "Melita" derives from the ancient Greek name for the island, Μελίτη (Melite) meaning "honey-sweet". This is due to a unique species of honey bee endemic to the island.

Demographics
Melita is the Roman province with the highest population density and is 8th most populated city in the Empire, as well as the 29th most populated city in the world.

The entire primary island, also known as Melita, consists of one continuous city that covers virtually every inch of the island. It is even the first location in the world to feature artificial land extensions, of the modern kind anyway. The peninsula at the east end of the island has been built into a port and has become the largest port in the world by traffic volume as well as surface area.

The smallest of the three main islands (OTL Comino) consists entirely of a handful of buildings among vast fields of farmland. This provides approximately 20% of the cities main agricultural needs, brought over by one of the two massive bridges connecting the island chain.

The second largest of the islands (OTL Gozo) is the location of several hundred villas, owned by some of the richest men of the Empire, including one of the Emperor himself and that of the province's viceroy, Luke Paulus. The stunning attraction of the island's beaches also draws thousands of visitors every year who stay at the numerous diversoria along the coast.

Religion
The province has a rather large percentage of Christians, even for a Roman province. This is because of the unusual segregation laws of the islands which do not allow non-christians within most of its districts and which do not allow non-christians to become citizens of the province. While this provides certain disadvantage from a lack of diversity, the provincial government has always defended these laws by stating that they are a distinguishing feature of the province and are not to be put up for debate.

The precise figures are : 98.7% Roman Catholic; 0.6% Islamic; 0.3% Jewish and 0.4% other Christian.

Languages
Although the religious laws are rather strict, the island has no limitations on its citizens race and is in fact rather progressive with its views in this area. Melita is currently one of only three provinces in the Empire to have a ban on the ownership of slaves and there is even a government funded diversorium so that the personal slaves of visiting citizens can have a place to stay whilst their masters remain on the island. This ethnic diversity means that the province has a more diverse palette of languages, reflecting the citizenry of the empire as a whole.

Though virtually everyone living on or visiting the island has some grasp of Latin, the majority of Melita's inhabitants speak at least two languages, 10% of the population being able to speak four or more.