▁or ▁small ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁Northern ▁Region ▁of ▁Mal ta . ▁It ▁has ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 0 , 0 8 7 ▁as ▁of ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁tour ist ▁resort , ▁popular ▁for ▁its ▁sand y ▁be aches ▁and ▁natural ▁environment . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁name ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Sem it ic ▁root ▁m - l - ħ , ▁which ▁means ▁salt . ▁This ▁is ▁probably ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁ancient ▁P unic - R oman ▁salt ▁p ans ▁which ▁existed ▁at ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁Bay . ▁The ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁salt ▁p ans ▁is ▁now ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁G ħ ad ira ▁Nature ▁Reserve . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre history ▁to ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁M ell ie ħ a ▁was ▁first ▁inhab ited ▁in ▁around ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁BC , ▁during ▁the ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁period . ▁Several ▁meg al ith ic ▁remains ▁have ▁been ▁found , ▁including ▁the ▁temple ▁of ▁G ħ ajn ▁Ż ej t una , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁several ▁c aves ▁and ▁tomb s , ▁in ▁which ▁tools ▁and ▁pot tery ▁fragments ▁were ▁found . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Roman ▁period , ▁tro gl ody tes ▁began ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁c aves ▁of ▁M ell ie ħ a ' s ▁valle ys . ▁The ▁cave ▁settlement s ▁continued ▁to ▁exist ▁during ▁By z antine ▁rule , ▁but ▁were ▁abandoned ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁medieval