| Pembroke Pembroke |
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| — Local council — | |||
| Pembroke | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Malta | ||
| Island | Malta | ||
| District | |||
| Borders | Swieqi, Naxxar, St. Julian's | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Joseph Zammit (MLP) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi) | ||
| Elevationfrom sea level to 64m above sea level | 64 m (210 ft) | ||
| Population (December 2008 -Demographic Review 2008) | |||
| • Total | 3,036 | ||
| • Density | 1,320/km2 (3,418.8/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Pembrokjan (m), Pembrokjana (f), Pembrokjani (pl) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | PBK | ||
| Dialing code | 356 | ||
| Patron saint | The Resurrection of Christ | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Pembroke, Malta's newest town, is on the northern coast of Malta. To the east is Paceville, the nightlife district of Malta. The coastal town and tourist hub of St. Julian's lies to the southeast, and the residential area of Swieqi lies to the south. The hilltop village of Madliena is to its west, and Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq lies some distance to the northwest.
Pembroke has an area of 2.3 km². The area hugs a coastal zone with a rocky beach. The highest point lies at 65 meters (210 feet) above sea level (at Suffolk Road).
The town population stood at 3,036 as at December 2008 (NSO Demographic Review 2008).
Pembroke is named after Robert Henry Herbert, the 12th Earl of Pembroke and British Secretary at War in 1859.
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The first known buildings in the area of the town date back to the time of the Knights of the Order of Saint John who built two Watch Towers on its coast, and these served as a means of defence for the Grand Harbour, situated approximately 6 km to the East. However, it was the British who were instrumental in the development and fortification of Pembroke by building a military base with training grounds. At this time, Pembroke formed part of Għargħur. The first barracks were constructed between 1859 and 1862 and were named after England's patron saint, St. George. Other barracks were built later and named after Ireland and Scotland's patron saints, St. Patrick and St. Andrew. Fort Pembroke was built between 1875 and 1878 to safeguard the seaward approach towards the Grand Harbour and to defend the right flank of the Victoria Lines. It is now the site of an international school offering the IGCSE and IB programmes. Later, Pembroke Battery was built between 1897 and 1899 to serve the same purposes but housing newer guns protected by reinforced concrete emplacements. Only one gun emplacement survives today.
The military heritage of Pembroke is still evident as several buildings from the British era survive to this day. The Pembroke Military Cemetery marks the repose of 593 casualties including 315 from the second world war. The cemetery also houses the Pembroke Memorial which commemorates 52 servicemen of the Second World War whose graves are in other parts of Malta not falling under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves. Their names appear on marble plaques let into the plinth of the Cross of Sacrifice. The cemetery is open Mondays to Friday.
During the Second World War, German prisoners of war were held in Pembroke's forts and during their stay, built a small chapel which served the religious needs of the troops. The British military base at Pembroke was run down in 1977 and the last British soldiers left Pembroke in 1979. Since then, all the land which had been acquired by the British during their period in Malta has been relinquished to the Maltese Government.
Pembroke remained neglected between 1979 and the mid-1980s. By the mid 1980s some of the former barracks were converted into housing projects, there was also an unsuccessful large holiday complex which only lasted a few years (Medisle Village complex). From 1985, the Government commenced to issue plots of land for sale for the purpose of building residential houses. The first residents settled in 1986. Pembroke has since become a pleasant residential town and a rather green town by Maltese standards. It is popular with visiting language students particularly during the summer months.
The Archbishop of Malta declared Pembroke as a parish on 8 December 2004. Formerly, Pembroke fell within the parish of St. Julians and later under Swieqi. The parish is dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. Unlike most towns and villages in Malta, Pembroke does not hold a village festa.
The town is well known for hosting a high concentration of schools and educational institutions including the St Clare Primary and Secondary State Schools; Verdala International School; Framingham State College; Sprachcaffe; St.Catherine's High School; Institute of Tourism Studies; St. Michael's Foundation; STC Training; Sir Adrian Dingli Junior Lyceum/St. Clare College Girls' Junior Lyceum Pembroke; Institute of Management(MIM) and San Miguel School.
Pembroke has the last large expanse of Karstland left in Malta. Endangered plants are still found in the area, the most important of these is the thorny salad-burnet (Tursin il-ghawl xewwieki). Aleppo pines (Pinus Halepensis - Znuber) dominate the forested areas.[1]
A geological feature unique in the Maltese archepelago is the large natural cavern at the 'Harq Hammiem' valley which separates Pembroke from St. Julians. The large cavern tops a closed lake having a surface area of 300 square meters and is very deep. An underwater survey commissioned by the Maltese government in 2001 discovered the lake's depths were even deeper than previously assumed. The underwater formation consists of two large chambers interconnected by a corridor. The lower chamber is fully submerged. This unique feature is not well known as access to the cavern is blocked by a private enterprise and this irregular claim does not seem to be challenged by the authorities . MEPA has declared Ħarq Ħammiem cave and the full extent of the remnant valley system as an Area of Ecological Importance and Site of Scientific Importance as per Government Notice No. 370/08 in the Government Gazette dated April 23, 2008.
The Town of Pembroke, Malta is twinned with the following 3 towns:
-Pembroke Dock, Wales, UK -since 2002
-Pembroke, Wales, UK -since 2002
-Roccalumera, Sicily, Italia -since 2006
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