Victoria (also called Ir-Rabat) is the capital of Gozo, an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The town has a total population of 6,414 (Nov 2005), by population is the largest locality in Gozo.
Victoria is the name given in 1887 by the British government on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, at the request of the Bishop of Malta, Mons. Sir Pietro Pace. However it is often still referred to by Gozitans by its old name, Rabat. The area around Victoria, situated on a hill near the centre of the island, has been settled since Neolithic times. (more...)