The great story of a small island nation told in 100 objects

From before the arrival of man, to the Neolithic culture and the Phoenicians, to the Hospitaller Order of St John and the eventual colonization by the British on to Malta's independence and the accession to the EU, Malta's rich and cultural history can now be seen through a walk-through of 100 objects exhibited in Valletta.

Organised by Heritage Malta, the exhibition is being held at the Grand Salon at the National Museum of Archeology to mark Malta's national anniversaries: the 35th anniversary since Freedom Day, the 50th anniversary of Independence Day, the 40th anniversary (next year) of Malta as a Republic and 10 years since becoming a member state of the European Union.

The storyline is fashioned in 12 phases, represented by a corresponding number of varying objects or groups of artifacts.

The exhibition was officially launched this morning by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who urged viewers to look at the exhibition from a "worldwide perspective".

"It's easy to view this heritage from a sense of national perspective but we should not forget that it represents an island that was never isolated. On the contrary, we were also part of the global network, forged through the commerce we had with others," Muscat said.

The PM said Malta stood out because it always sought to find what tied it to the rest of the world.