[57][58], After 2500 BC, the Maltese Islands were depopulated for several decades until the arrival of a new influx of Bronze Age immigrants, a culture that cremated its dead and introduced smaller megalithic structures called dolmens to Malta. [citation needed], Magri's work also inspired a series of comic books (released by Klabb Kotba Maltin in 1984): the titles included Bin is-Sultan Jiźźewweġ x-Xebba tat-Tronġiet Mewwija and Ir-Rjieħ. [240] The Maltese alphabet consists of 30 letters based on the Latin alphabet, including the diacritically altered letters ż, ċ and ġ, as well as the letters għ, ħ, and ie. However, no Maltese hospital has undergone independent international healthcare accreditation. And the county Malta is located in, Phillips County, is hardly bursting with people either (total county population of 5100 people). [116][117] He then sailed for Egypt leaving a substantial garrison in Malta. [82] [261], This 'golden passport' citizenship scheme has been criticized on multiple occasions as a fraudulent act by the Maltese Government since it has come under scrutiny for selling citizenship to a number of dubious and/or criminal individuals from non-European nation countries. [183] Until 1800, Malta depended on cotton, tobacco and its shipyards for exports. Malta has had Christians since the time of Early Christianity, though was predominantly Muslim while under Arab rule, at which time Christians were tolerated. [179] Malta, with area of 316 km2 (122 sq mi) and population of 0.4 million, is one of the most densely populated countries worldwide. [259][260], In January 2014, Malta started granting citizenship for a €650,000 contribution plus investments, contingent on residence and criminal background checks. [130] Upon its expiry, the British base closed down and all lands formerly controlled by the British on the island were given up to the Maltese government. Malta was considered an island of North Africa for centuries.[152]. The depiction of aspects of the Punic religion, together with the use of the Greek alphabet, testifies to the resilience of Punic and Greek culture in Malta long after the arrival of the Romans. The extinction of the dwarf hippos , giant swans and dwarf elephants has been linked to the earliest arrival of humans on Malta. Another archaeological feature of the Maltese Islands often attributed to these ancient builders is equidistant uniform grooves dubbed "cart tracks" or "cart ruts" which can be found in several locations throughout the islands, with the most prominent being those found in Misraħ Għar il-Kbir, which is informally known as "Clapham Junction". [citation needed], It is said that under the Knights, this was the one day in the year when the Maltese were allowed to hunt and eat wild rabbit, which was otherwise reserved for the hunting pleasures of the Knights. [128] A depiction of the George Cross now appears in the upper hoist corner of the Flag of Malta and on the country's arms. In 2016, following the abolishment of blasphemy law, Malta was shifted to the category of "systematic discrimination" (which is the same category as most EU countries). The latter, in particular, were frescoed between 1200 and 1480, although invading Turks defaced many of them in the 1550s. After the war, the movement for self-governance became stronger. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [66] Paul the Apostle remained on the islands three months, preaching the Christian faith. Only 1km by 600m, with every street leading to the sea, the walled fortress city contains a harmonious ensemble of 16th- and 17th-century townhouses fronted by traditional Maltese balconies. The executive secretary, who is appointed by the council, is the executive, administrative and financial head of the council. 251). These may include a hard-boiled egg, a Bible, crucifix or rosary beads, a book, and so on. The official and national language is Maltese, which is descended from Sicilian Arabic that developed during the Emirate of Sicily, while English serves as the second official language. Phytogeographically, Malta belongs to the Liguro-Tyrrhenian province of the Mediterranean Region within the Boreal Kingdom. Later coins were issued with just the Latin legend ‘MELITAS’. See Tripadvisor's Malta, Europe hotel deals and special prices on 30+ hotels all in one spot. Ħarruba, or carob tree, in Xemxija, probably older than 1000 years. [citation needed], Traditional Maltese weddings featured the bridal party walking in procession beneath an ornate canopy, from the home of the bride's family to the parish church, with singers trailing behind serenading the bride and groom. The country is divided into five regions (one of them being Gozo), with each region having its own Regional Committee, serving as the intermediate level between local government and national government. It also has a codeshare agreement with Qantas covering three routes. The second article of the Constitution of Malta establishes Catholicism as the state religion and it is also reflected in various elements of Maltese culture, although entrenched provisions for the freedom of religion are made.[25]. [74], In the 1st century BC, Roman Senator and orator Cicero commented on the importance of the Temple of Juno, and on the extravagant behaviour of the Roman governor of Sicily, Verres. There is a strong wine industry in Malta, with significant production of wines using these native grapes, as well as locally grown grapes of other more common varietals, such as Chardonnay and Syrah. Malta's population density of 1,282 per square km (3,322/sq mi) is by far the highest in the EU and one of the highest in the world. Malta's temples such as Imnajdra are full of history and have a story behind them. The archipelago is located on the African tectonic plate. The total shoreline of Malta is about 136 miles (219 km). p. 518; Sil. Malta is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea directly south of Italy and north of Libya. The management structure changed from having self-employed drivers driving their own vehicles to a service being offered by a single company through a public tender (in Gozo, being considered as a small network, the service was given through direct order). [22][23] The British parliament passed the Malta Independence Act in 1964, giving Malta independence from the United Kingdom as the State of Malta, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and queen. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. On 1 January 2014 Arriva ceased operations in Malta due to financial difficulties, having been nationalised as Malta Public Transport by the Maltese government, with a new bus operator planned to take over their operations in the near future. Malta followed a Romantic literary tradition, culminating in the works of Dun Karm Psaila, Malta's National Poet. Romanticism, tempered by the naturalism introduced to Malta by Giuseppe Calì, informed the "salon" artists of the early 20th century, including Edward and Robert Caruana Dingli. Carnival (Maltese: il-karnival ta' Malta) has had an important place on the cultural calendar after Grand Master Piero de Ponte introduced it to the islands in 1535. [16] With a population of about 515,000[6] over an area of 316 km2 (122 sq mi),[5] Malta is the world's tenth smallest country in area[17][18] and fourth most densely populated sovereign country. During this period, local sculptor Melchior Gafà (1639–1667) emerged as one of the top Baroque sculptors of the Roman School. [253] According to a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2019, 83% of the population identified as Catholic. [citation needed], New wives would wear the għonnella, a traditional item of Maltese clothing. With 300 sq. The Labour Party has been the governing party since 2013 and is currently led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, who has been in office since 13 January 2020. The island is 27 kilometres long and 14.5 kilometres wide, with a total area of 246 square kilometres. The shipwreck is said to have occurred in the place today known as St Paul's Bay. Originally, Mnarja was celebrated outside St. Paul's Grotto, in the north of Malta. While giants, witches, and dragons feature in many of the stories, some contain entirely Maltese creatures like the Kaw kaw, Il-Belliegħa and L-Imħalla among others. [194] From 2000 to 2010, Malta privatised telecommunications,[195] postal services, shipyards[196] and Malta International Airport. These may have been caused by wooden-wheeled carts eroding soft limestone. [220], The number of pay-TV subscribers fell as customers switched to Internet Protocol television (IPTV): the number of IPTV subscribers doubled in the six months to June 2012. Malta wa… In March and December average temperatures are around 17 °C (63 °F) during the day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night. [46] The islands were part of the Kingdom of Sicily until 1530 and were briefly controlled by the Capetian House of Anjou. The pound replaced the Maltese scudo in 1825. The economy is dependent on foreign trade (serving as a freight trans-shipment point), manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism. Malta is classified as an advanced economy together with 32 other countries according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). [252] [280], Maltese architecture has been influenced by many different Mediterranean cultures and British architecture over its history. According to Eurostat, Malta is composed of two larger urban zones nominally referred to as "Valletta" (the main island of Malta) and "Gozo". Occasionally, couples will try to incorporate elements of the traditional Maltese wedding in their celebration. [213] The company took over the bus service on 8 January 2015, while retaining the name Malta Public Transport. [citation needed], During the 17th and 18th century, Neapolitan and Rococo influences emerged in the works of the Italian painters Luca Giordano (1632–1705) and Francesco Solimena (1657–1747), and these developments can be seen in the work of their Maltese contemporaries such as Gio Nicola Buhagiar (1698–1752) and Francesco Zahra (1710–1773). Some living trees date back to the 1st century A.D. Maltese sand crocus, commonly encountered on the Maltese steppe, which is endemic. Muslim rule ended with the Norman invasion of Malta by Roger I in 1091. [citation needed], Traditionally, Maltese newborns were baptised as promptly as possible, should the child die in infancy without receiving this vital Sacrament; and partly because according to Maltese (and Sicilian) folklore an unbaptised child is not yet a Christian, but "still a Turk". [14] It lies 80 km (50 mi) south of Italy, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia,[15] and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya. Malta has 2,254 kilometres (1,401 miles) of road, 1,972 km (1,225 mi) (87.5 per cent) of which are paved and 282 km (175 mi) were unpaved (as of December 2003). As a result of the Norman and Spanish periods, and the rule of the Knights, Malta became the devout Catholic nation that it is today. Malta has served as a "double" for a wide variety of locations and historic periods including Ancient Greece, Ancient and modern Rome, Iraq, the Middle East and many more. [264], In the 19th century, most emigration from Malta was to North Africa and the Middle East, although rates of return migration to Malta were high. MIME, the Maltese Institute for Medical Education, is an institute set up recently to provide CME to physicians in Malta as well as medical students. According to the WWF, the territory of Malta belongs to the terrestrial ecoregion of Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests[153]. Malta is located in the middle of the enchanting Mediterranean sea. [238] The life expectancy in 2018 was estimated at 83. Other choices include German, Russian, Spanish, Latin, Chinese and Arabic. In recent years, Malta has advertised itself as a medical tourism destination,[225] and a number of health tourism providers are developing the industry. [284], Neo-classicism made some inroads among local Maltese artists in the late-18th century, but this trend was reversed in the early 19th century, as the local Church authorities – perhaps in an effort to strengthen Catholic resolve against the perceived threat of Protestantism during the early days of British rule in Malta – favoured and avidly promoted the religious themes embraced by the Nazarene movement of artists. Numerous religious traditions, most of them inherited from one generation to the next, are part of the paschal celebrations in the Maltese Islands, honouring the death and resurrection of Jesus. [19] Its location in the centre of the Mediterranean[20] has historically given it great strategic importance as a naval base, with a succession of powers having contested and ruled the islands, including the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of St. John, French, and British. The islands of Malta are dominated by limestone formations, and much of their coastlines consist of steep or vertical limestone cliffs indented by bays, inlets, and coves. The Maltese Ministry of Health advises foreign residents to take out private medical insurance.[277]. [232], All censuses since 1842 have shown a slight excess of females over males. President, Fondation de Malte. The 80th article of the Constitution of Malta provides that the president appoint as prime minister "... the member of the House of Representatives who, in his judgment, is best able to command the support of a majority of the members of that House".[25]. The Muslim chronicler and geographer al-Himyari recounts that in 870, following a violent struggle against the defending Byzantines, the Arab invaders, first led by Halaf al-Hadim, and later by Sawada ibn Muhammad,[81] looted and pillaged the island, destroying the most important buildings, and leaving it practically uninhabited until it was recolonised by the Arabs from Sicily in 1048–1049. [33] The notion that Count Roger I reportedly tore off a portion of his checkered red-and-white banner and presented it to the Maltese in gratitude for having fought on his behalf, forming the basis of the modern flag of Malta, is founded in myth. [217] At the height of the bombing of Malta during the Second World War, Mussolini announced that his forces had destroyed the railway system, but by the time war broke out, the railway had been mothballed for more than nine years. The military base benefited craftsmen and all those who served the military. Additionally, a number of individual towns and villages in the Republic of Malta have sister cities. The impermeable blue clays provide two distinct water tables between the limestone formations—the perched and the mean sea-level aquifer. The absence of permanent streams or lakes and a considerable runoff into the sea, however, have made water supply a problem, which has been addressed with an intensive reverse-osmosis desalination program. The capital city of Malta really deserves a paragraph of its … [121] In 1919 British troops fired into a crowd protesting against new taxes, killing four. It was heavily bombarded by German and Italian aircraft, and by the end of the war Malta was devastated. The main roads of Malta from the southernmost point to the northernmost point are these: Triq Birżebbuġa in Birżebbuġa, Għar Dalam Road and Tal-Barrani Road in Żejtun, Santa Luċija Avenue in Paola, Aldo Moro Street (Trunk Road), 13 December Street and Ħamrun-Marsa Bypass in Marsa, Regional Road in Santa Venera/Msida/Gżira/San Ġwann, St Andrew's Road in Swieqi/Pembroke, Malta, Coast Road in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Salina Road, Kennedy Drive, St. Paul's Bypass and Xemxija Hill in San Pawl il-Baħar, Mistra Hill, Wettinger Street (Mellieħa Bypass) and Marfa Road in Mellieħa. [76], In 395, when the Roman Empire was divided for the last time at the death of Theodosius I, Malta, following Sicily, fell under the control of the Western Roman Empire. The Maltese archipelago lies virtually at the centre of the Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north of Africa. [150][151] [200], As of 2015, Malta did not have a property tax. One of the three principal islands of the Maltese archipelago, the island of Malta is the largest of the chain. Pupils sit for SEC O-level examinations at the age of 16, with passes obligatory in certain subjects such as Mathematics, a minimum of one science subject (Physics, Biology or Chemistry), English and Maltese. [citation needed], In early 2012, the government called for a national Fibre to the Home (FttH) network to be built, with a minimum broadband service being upgraded from 4Mbit/s to 100Mbit/s. Its capital is Valletta, which is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area at 0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi). Many of these stories have been popularly re-written as Children's literature by authors writing in Maltese, such as Trevor Żahra. Then follows a blank period lasting until about 1000 b.c., when the Phoenicians colonized the island, drawn by its favorable location for trade. September 1964 ( Independence Day ) it became a republic [ 25 ] whose system... 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