The Islands lack any significant mineral or metal deposits
and their primary resource is their unique variety of limestone. Today the Islands generally consist of packed and parcelled blocks of flat roofed stone houses – with fortified walls, soft domes and the elegant steeples of Baroque parish churches vying for space in each and every town or village. These built-up blocks are combined with scattered patches of characteristically green Mediterranean flora. In Gozo in particular, every plot of arable land is carefully nursed and shielded by freestone terracing stretching extensively at every level.