[12] The Azure Window in Dwejra, San Lawrenz, a natural limestone arch, was a remarkable geological feature until its collapse on March 8, 2017.

[13] The name of the island in Maltese is Għawdex, itself descended from Arabic غَوْدَش‎ (ḡawdaš), ultimately from the Phoenician root 𐤂-𐤅-𐤋‎ (g-w-l).

[16] Due to the discovery of similar pottery found in both places from the Għar Dalam phase, it has been suggested that the first colonists were specifically from the area of Agrigento; however, it is currently unknown exactly where in Sicily the farmers came from.

[11] Another important Maltese archaeological site in Gozo, which dates back to the Neolithic period, is the Xagħra Stone Circle.

Also, native tradition and certain ancient Greek historians (notably Euhemerus and Callimachus) maintain that Gozo is the island Homer described as Ogygia, home of the nymph Calypso.

These feature Astarte's head with a crescent obverse and a warrior, a star, and the legend Gaulitōn (Ancient Greek: ΓΑΥΛΙΤΩΝ) reverse.

In July 1551, the Ottomans under Sinan Pasha and Dragut invaded and ravaged Gozo, enslaving most of its 5,000 inhabitants, taking them to Tarhuna Wa Msalata in Libya.

As its support in Gozo was weak and it favoured a more centralised administration, it proposed a referendum on the abolition of the council, putting emphasis on the unpopular possibility of its raising taxes.

[24] The island has its own Latin bishopric, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gozo, the only suffragan of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta.

The church bells are rung daily for the canonical hours Matins, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None and vespers.

The service is used by tourists and commuters (including Gozitan students who study at the University of Malta), and is also used to transport goods between the islands.

In 1972[28] the newly elected Labour Party administration carried out a feasibility study that concluded building a bridge between the two islands was possible, but would have negative environmental effects.

[32] In June 2013 a "mega Chinese state-owned company [China Communications Construction Corporation Limited] will finance a €4 million study to assess the feasibility of a bridge between Malta and Gozo."

"Depending on the feasibility of the tunnel and bridge projects, popular consultation will take place giving particular weight to what Gozitans have to say.

[35][36] The idea of building a bridge is opposed by environmentalists and NGOs such as Din l-Art Ħelwa and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar.

The Gozo Business Chamber is organising a presentation by economist Gordon Cordina, of the detailed report about the feasibility of a 'Gozo-Malta Subsea Tunnel.

[40] In December 2015, a group of students joined forces to create 'Front Favur il-Mina' to support a permanently-connected, tunnel project between Malta and its sister island.

[42] Addressing a conference in Gozo organised by the pro-tunnel movement, Joseph Muscat said "The government intends to move forward with a project linking the two islands."

Furthermore, former opposition leader Simon Busuttil confirmed during the same conference, that the Nationalist Party was in favour of the project and willing to cooperate with the government.

[31] In June 2013 the government announced a plan "to issue a call for expressions of interest for the operation of a scheduled air service between Malta and Gozo".

[47] Although Arriva ceased to operate in Gozo and Malta in January 2014, their old vehicles are still being utilised and most routes remain the same, although there have been some amendments and additions.

The open top bus tour of Gozo starts from the harbour of Mġarr and there are stops located along the route.

Some of these include the Calypso's Cave (from Homer's Odyssey, where the island is called Ogygia) and the Ġgantija Neolithic temples which are amongst the oldest surviving man-made structures.

[51] Gozo covers 67 square kilometres (26 sq mi), approximately the same area as New York City's Manhattan island.

The celebrations include religious ceremonies, fireworks and live band music, some feature horse racing, concerts, and a greasy pole competition over the water.

For example, the naturalist Andrew Leith Adams writing in 1870 reported "the common lizard (Podarcis mura/is)" as occurring on the islands.

For much of the film, the German raider Essen (depicted by HMS Manxman) is holed up in the semi-circular Dwejra Bay, behind Fungus Rock on the west coast of Gozo, and there are several scenes set amongst the desolate limestone cliffs above the bay as Able Seaman Brown single-handedly detains the German ship until her pursuers can catch up with her.

[65] In 1969, Anthony Newley directed the beach scenes of Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?

[67] Two days of shooting in Gozo's strong Mediterranean light provided shots used to represent the desolate surface of the alien planet in the 1981 British horror film Inseminoid.

[citation needed] Gozo was the location for Calypso's island in the 1997 Hallmark miniseries The Odyssey based on Homer's epic poem.