Rabat (Gozo Island, Malta)

Victoria (Maltese: Il-Belt Victoria, meaning "the city Victoria"), also known among the native Maltese as Rabat (which is the name of the old town centre) or by its title Città Victoria, is an administrative unit of Malta, and the main town on Gozo. Victoria is the most populous settlement in Gozo. Its population was 7,491 in July 2024. This included 3,934 males and 3,557 females; 5,801 Maltese nationals and 1,690 foreign nationals. The area around the town, situated on a hill near the centre of the island, has been settled since Neolithic times. Victoria is the name given on 10 June 1887 by the British government on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, at the request of Pietro Monsignor Pace, Bishop of Gozo. Many Gozitans, mainly older ones, still often refer to it by the name Rabat. It is usually known as Rabat, Gozo to distinguish it from the town of Rabat on the main island of Malta.