Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Ġgantija temples date to the Neolithic period and are among the world's oldest free-standing structures, as well as the world's oldest religious structures. Gozo has been inhabited since 5000 BC, when the first settlers arrived from Sicily.
In July 1551, Ottoman forces under Sinan Pasha and Dragut invaded Gozo and enslaved most of its population of around 5,000 people, transporting them to Tarhuna Wa Msalata in Libya. The island was subsequently repopulated between 1565 and 1580 by settlers from mainland Malta under the direction of the Knights of Malta.
The Azure Window, a natural limestone arch located at Dwejra in San Lawrenz, collapsed on the 8th of March 2017. It had been one of Gozo's most recognised geological features.
The Gozo Channel Line runs regular crossings between Ċirkewwa on the northwest coast of Malta and the port of Mġarr on Gozo every 45 minutes in summer. A return journey costs €4.65 and takes around 25 minutes each way. A separate fast ferry service connects Valletta's Grand Harbour to Mġarr in approximately 45 minutes, carrying up to 300 passengers at a top speed of 32 knots.
As of 2021, Gozo has a population of 39,287, representing a 25% increase since the 2011 census. Of that total, 7,242 people live in the capital city Victoria.
Gozo has hosted numerous productions, including the 1953 film Single-Handed, the 1981 series Brideshead Revisited, the 1997 Hallmark miniseries The Odyssey, the 2011 HBO series Game of Thrones, and the 2014 film By the Sea starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The British series The Madame Blanc Mysteries has filmed on the island since 2021.