Malta (island) 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 in 1530. 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
North Stradbroke Island North Stradbroke Island North Stradbroke Island (Jandai: Minjerribah), colloquially "Straddie" or "North Straddie", is an island that lies within Moreton Bay in the Australian state of Queensland, southeast of the capital Brisbane. Before 1896 the island was part of the Stradbroke Island. In that year a storm separated it from South Stradbroke Island, forming the Jumpinpin Channel. The Quandamooka people are the traditional owners of North Stradbroke island. At , it is the second largest sand island in the world. On the island there are three small towns, a number of lakes and beaches along most of the seaward coastline