WikiPedia Information About Malta
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Export/Malta
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{{Distinguish2
the separate nation, Sovereign Military Order of Malta}}
{{About
the Mediterranean country}}
{{Infobox Country
native_name = ''Repubblika ta' Malta''
conventional_long_name = Republic of Malta
common_name = Malta
image_flag = Flag of Malta.svg
image_coat = Coat_of_arms_of_Malta.svg
image_map = EU-Malta.svg
map_caption = {{map_caption
location_color=dark green
region=Europe
region_color=dark gray
subregion=the European Union
subregion_color=light green
legend=EU-Malta.svg}}
national_motto =
national_anthem = ''L-Innu Malti''
("The Maltese Hymn")
national_language = Maltese language
Maltese,
official_languages = Maltese language
Maltese, English language
English
demonym = Maltese
ethnic_groups = Maltese people
Maltese 95Ǐ%, British people
British 1ǒ%, other 3Ǎ% [[htt p://www.populstat.info/Europe/maltag.htm Populstat.info]]
capital = Valletta (''de facto'')
latd=35
latm=53
lats=42
latNS=N
longd=14
longm=30
longs=36
longEW=E
largest_city = Birkirkara
other_cities = Sliema Floriana Qormi Mellieha Paola
government_type = Parliamentary republic
Parliamentary Republic
leader_title1 = President of Malta
President
leader_title2 = Prime Minister of Malta
Prime Minister
leader_name1 = George Abela
leader_name2 = Lawrence Gonzi
accessionEUdate = 1 May 2004
area_rank = 200
area_magnitude = 1_E8
area_km2 = 316
area_sq_mi = 121
percent_water = 0뎱
population_estimate_year = 2008
population_estimate = 413,609
population_estimate_rank = 174th
population_census = 404,9621
population_census_year = 2005
population_density_km2 = 1,298
population_density_sq_mi = 3,391
population_density_rank = 6th
GDP_PPP_year = 2008
GDP_PPP = $9뜭 billion[{{cite web]
url=http://www.imf.o rg/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/02/weodata/weorept&# 46aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country& ds=.&br=1&c=181&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr1.x=18&pr1.y=14
title=Malta
publisher=International Monetary Fund
accessdate=1 October 2009}}
GDP_PPP_rank = 142nd
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $23,971[
]
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 37th
GDP_nominal_year = 2008
GDP_nominal = $8딂 billion
GDP_nominal_rank = 128th
GDP_nominal_per_capita = $20,281
GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 36th
HDI_year = 2007
HDI = {{increase}}0뜶
HDI_rank = 38th
HDI_category = very high
sovereignty_type = Independence
established_event1 = from the United Kingdom
established_date1 = 21 September 1964
established_event2 = Republic
established_date2 = 13 December 1974
currency = Euro (Euro sign
€)2
currency_code = EUR
country_code = MLT
time_zone = Central European Time
CET
utc_offset = +1
time_zone_DST = Central European Summer Time
CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
drives_on = left
cctld = .mt 3
calling_code = Telephone numbers in Malta
356
GDP_nominal_year = 2008
GDP_nominal = $8딢 billion[
]
GDP_nominal_rank =
GDP_nominal_per_capita = $20,280[
]
GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
religion = Roman Catholicism
percent_religion = 98
national_bird = Blue rock thrush
national_plant = Maltese rock centaury
national_tree = Tetraclinis
Tetraclinis Articulata
national_poet = Dun Karm
footnotes = 1 Total population includes foreign residents.
Maltese residents population estimate at end 2004 was 389,769.
All official population data provided by the NSO.[http://www.n so.gov.mt/statdoc/document_file.aspx?id=1653]
2Before 2008: Maltese lira
3 Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states.
}}
'''Malta''' {{Audio-IPA
en-us-Malta.ogg
/'m??lt?/}}, officially the '''Republic of Malta''' ({{lang-mt
Repubblika ta' Malta}}), is a developed country
developed Southern Europe
southern European country and consists of an archipelago situated centrally in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north-east of Tunisia, with Gibraltar 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria 1,510 km to the east.[http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/islands/location.asp]
Malta covers just over 300 km² in land area, making it one of Europe's European microstates
smallest and List of countries by population density
one of Europe's most population density
densely populated countries.[{{cite web]
url =http://www.traveltips24.com/European_Microstates.htm
title=European Microstates hotels, youth hostels, nightlife.
European Microstates culture, tourist attractions, souvenirs.
European Microstates travel tips, flights
publisher=Traveltips24.com
date=22 December 2008
accessdate=31 March 2009}}[{{cite web]
url=http://w ww.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/adco/1998/00000020/00000001/00135717#aff_1
title=IngentaConnect Career guidance in Malta: A Mediterranean microstate in transitio
publisher=Ingentaconnect.com
date=16 June 2006
accessdate=31 March 2009}}[{{cite web]
ur l=http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offb eat-news/the-microstate-environmental-world-cup-malta-vs-san-marino/613
title=The Microstate Environmental World Cup: Malta vs.
San Marino
publisher=Environmentalgraffiti.com
date=15 December 2007
accessdate=31 March 2009}} Its ''de facto'' capital is Valletta and the largest city is Birkirkara.
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language and a co-official language, alongside English language
English.
Throughout history, Malta's location has given it great strategic importance[{{cite news]
url=http://home.wanadoo.nl/bezver/introduc.html
publisher=A History of Malta
title=Situation
date=6 February 2008}} and a sequence of powers including the Phoenicians, Ancient Greece
Greeks, Roman Empire
Romans, Fatimids, Kingdom of Sicily
Sicilians, Knights of St John, France
French and United Kingdom
British have all ruled the islands.
Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and became a Republic in 1974, whilst retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.
It is a List of United Nations member states
member of the United Nations (since 1964) and a Member State of the European Union
member of the European Union (since 2004).
Malta is also party to the Schengen Agreement (since 2007)[{{cite web]
url=http:// ec.europa.eu/snapshot2007/travel/travel_en.htm
title=Europe and you in 2007, Passport-free travel extended
author=European Commission
accessdate=21 December 2007}} and member of the eurozone (since 2008).
Malta has a long Christian legacy and is an Apostolic See.
According to the Acts of the Apostles,[({{bibleref]
Acts
27:39-42}}; {{bibleref
Acts
28:1-11}}) Paul of Tarsus
St.
Paul was shipwrecked on the island and ministered there.[http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/islands/dates.asp] Roman Catholic Church
Catholicism continues to be the official and dominant religion in Malta.[{{cite web ]
author = Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
title= Malta
work=The World Factbook
url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mt.html
accessdate=September 6, 2006}}[[http://www .catholic-hierarchy.org/country/scmt1.html Catholic hierarchy.org], [http://www.adherents.com/adh_predom.html#Catholic Adherents.com]] Malta is known for its world heritage sites,[{{cite web ]
title= Megalithic Temples of Malta
url= http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/132
accessdate=16 September 2008}} most prominently the Megalithic Temples of Malta
Megalithic Temples which are the oldest free-standing structures in Europe.[{{cite web]
url=http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/malta/
title=The Prehistoric Archaeology of the Temples of Malta
publisher=Bradshawfoundation.com
date=
accessdate=31 March 2009}}[{{cite web]
url=http://www.otsf.org/
title=Malta Temples and The OTS Foundation
publisher=Otsf.org
date=
accessdate=31 March 2009}}[David Trump et al., Malta Before History (2004: Miranda Publishers)]
Etymology
The origin of the term "Malta" is uncertain, and the modern-day variation derives from the Maltese language.
The most common etymology derives from the Ancient Greek language
Greek word µ??? (''meli''), 'honey'.
The Greeks called the island ?e??t? (''Melite'') meaning "honey-sweet," possibly due to Malta's unique production of honey; an Endemism
endemic species of apis mellifera ruttneri
bee lives on the island, giving it the popular nickname the "land of honey."[{{cite news]
url=http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2003/06/29/l7.html
publisher=Malta Today
title=Controversy over unique Maltese bee population
date=6 February 2008}} The Romans went on to call the island ''Melita.''
Phoenician word ?????????? ''Maleth'', the Phoenician name for the islands, meaning "a haven"[{{cite book ]
last=Pickles
first=Tim
title = Malta 1565: Last Battle of the Crusades
publisher=Osprey Publishing
url=http://books.google.com/bo oks?id=0LuvbRQ78sIC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=Maleth+Ma lta+haven&source=web&ots=PGO2OF9Y9I&sig=rcodiMbexlDy5YwMXhelH7zEYyw
isbn=978-1855326033}} in reference to Malta's many bays and coves.
History
{{Main
History of Malta
Timeline of Maltese history}}
Prehistory
{{See also
Megalithic Temples of Malta
Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni
Ghar Dalam
Heritage Malta}}
File:Éléphant nain maltais.jpg
thumb
right
Prehistoric dwarf elephant
pygmy elephant, discovered in Ghar Dalam
Pottery found by archeologists at Skorba resembles that found in Italy, and suggests that the Maltese islands were first settled in 5200 BC mainly by stone age hunters or farmers who had arrived from the larger island of Sicily, possibly the Sicani.
The extinction of the Maltese Hippopotamus
dwarf hippos and Elephas falconeri
dwarf elephants has been linked to the earliest arrival of humans on Malta.[[http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/3096/palaeol.html Palaeolithic Man in the Maltese Islands], A.]
Mifsud, C.
Savona-Ventura, S.
Mifsud The most probable means by which people came to Malta was by using rafts.
When they came to Malta they first settled in caves, such as Ghar Dalam, and later built huts.{{Citation needed
date=August 2009}}
The Sicani were the only tribe known to have inhabited the island at this time[{{cite news]
url=http://www.islandofgozo.org/history.htm
publisher=IslandofGozo.org
title=Gozo
date=7 October 2007}}[{{cite news]
url=http://www.localhistories.org/malta.html
publisher=LocalHistories.org
title=Brief History of Malta
date=7 October 2007}} and are generally regarded as related to the Iberians.[{{cite book ]
last = Anthon
first =Charles
title =A Classical Dictionary: Containing an Account of the Principal Proper Names
publisher =New York Public Library
url =http://books. google.com/books?id=3iQQAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA1232&dq=sicani#PRA1-PA1231,M1}} The population on Malta grew cereals, raised livestock
domestic livestock and, in common with other ancient Mediterranean cultures, worshiped a mother goddess
fertility figure represented in Maltese prehistoric artifacts as exhibiting the large proportions seen in similar statuettes, including the Venus of Willendorf.
File:Ggantija Temples (1).jpg
thumb
left
Ggantija megalithic temple complex
File:Malta 16 Mnajdra.jpg
thumb
right
The temple complex of Mnajdra
Pottery from the Ghar Dalam phase is similar to pottery found in Agrigento, Sicily.
A culture of megalithic temple builders then either supplanted or arose from this early period.
During 3500 BC, these people built some of the oldest existing, free-standing structures in the world in the form of the megalithic Ggantija temples on Gozo;[{{cite web]
url=http://www.otsf.org/
title=Old Temples Study Foundation
publisher=OTSF
date=
accessdate=31 March 2009}} other early temples include those at Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.[{{cite book ]
last =Sheehan
first =Sean
title =Malta
publisher =Marshall Cavendish
url =http ://books.google.com/books?id=LRGrRy7S750C&p g=PA87&dq=%C4%A6a%C4%A1ar+Qim+and+Mnajdra&sig=ACfU3U1ozj76aQDaWbOpgv4EsJxWGi8jgg
isbn=0761409939}}[{{cite web]
url=http://users.aber.ac.uk/jpg/malta/arch.html
title=Aberystwyth, The University of Wales
publisher=Users.aber.ac.uk
date=
accessdate=31 March 2009}}[David Trump et al., ''Malta Before History'' (2004: Miranda Publishers)]
The temples have a distinctive architecture, typically a complex trefoil design, and were used from 4000–2500 BC.
Animal bones and a knife found behind a removable altar stone suggest that temple rituals included animal sacrifice.
Tentative information suggests that the sacrifices were made to the goddess of fertility, whose statue is now in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.< ref>http://www.visitmalta.com/museum-of-archaeology The culture apparently disappeared from the Maltese Islands around 2500 BC.
Archeologists speculate that the temple builders fell victim to famine or disease; war is an unlikely cause as archeology has yielded little or no evidence of weapons.{{Citation needed
date=August 2009}}.
Others have speculated on the links between this event and Plato's account of the disappearance of Location hypotheses of Atlantis#Malta
Atlantis.
Another interesting archeological feature of the Maltese islands often attributed to these ancient builders, are 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 an area of Malta named "Clapham Junction".
These may have been caused by wooden-wheeled carts eroding soft l imestone.[[http://www.port.ac.uk/ aboutus/newsandevents/news/archive2009/april2009/title,94480,en.html "Ancient mystery solved by geographers"]][Mottershead, Derek; Alastair Pearson & Martin Schaefer "The cart ruts of Malta: an applied geomorphology approach" ''Antiquity'' Vol 82:318, 2008 pp 1065-1079 [http://antiquity.ac.uk/Ant/082/1065/ant0821065.pdf] (pdf)]
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 cremation
cremated its dead and introduced smaller megalithic structures called dolmens to Malta.[Daniel Cilia, [http://web.inf inito.it/utenti/m/malta_mega_temples/linetime.html "Malta Before Common Era", in ''The Megalithic Temples of Malta''].]
Retrieved 28 January 2007.
Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans
{{See also
Magna Graecia
Phoenicia
Ancient Rome
Sicilia (Roman province)
Byzantine Empire}}
Around 700 BC, the Ancient Greece
Ancient Greeks settled on Malta, especially around the area where Valletta now stands.[{{cite news]
url=http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/islands/dates.asp
publisher=Department of Information - Maltese Government
title=Notable dates in Malta's history
date=6 February 2008}} A century later, Phoenician traders,
Mediterranean to Cornwall, joined the natives on the island.[{{cite book ]
last = Owen
first =Charles
title =The Maltese Islands
publisher =Praeger
url =http://books.google.com/books?id=OhRCAAAAI AAJ&q=malta+Phoenician++%22trading+post%22&dq=malta+Phoenician++%22trading+post%22&pgis=1}} The Phoenicians inhabited the area now known as Mdina, and its surrounding town of Rabat, which they called ''Maleth''.[{{cite web]
url=http://www.edrichton.com/MdinaHistory.htm
title=History of Mdina
publisher=Edrichton.com
date=
accessdate=31 March 2009}} The Ancient Rome
Romans, who also lived in Mdina, referred to it (and the island) as ''Melita''.[{{cite book ]
last = Castillo
first = Dennis Angelo
title =The Maltese Cross: A Strategic History of Malta
publisher =Greenwood Publishing Group
url =http://books.google.co. uk/books?id=i5ns5LNtoiUC&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=MALT A+sEMPRONIUS&source=web&ots=JHcfabryVa&sig=cXCtKu 3apl5Y2y7OEhaMvt1CMM0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA25,M1
isbn=0313323291}}
File:Roman Malta.jpg
thumb
left
180px
Ancient Rome
Roman mosaic from Rabat, Malta.
After the fall of Siege of Tyre
Phoenicia, in 400 BC the area came under the control of Carthage, a former Phoenician colony.[{{cite book ]
last = Terterov
first = Marat
title =Doing Business with Malta
publisher =GMB Publishing Ltd
url =http://books.google.c om/books?id=kc7DO3TZEYcC&pg=PA4&dq=malta+Phoenici an++%22trading+post%22&sig=ACfU3U2Sm0qNg7diIWAe4mLI4LUqiRKNgA#PPA4,M1
isbn=1905050631}} During this time the people on Malta mainly cultivated olives and carobs, and produced textiles.
Sempronius.
Foederata Civitas'', a designation that meant it was exempt from paying tribute or the rule of Roman law, although at this time it fell within the jurisdiction of Sicilia (Roman province)
Sicilia province.
Rabat testify to an early Christian community on the islands, and the Acts of the Apostles recount the shipwreck of Paul of Tarsus
St Paul and his ministry on the island (see Malta#Religion
Religion).
When the Roman Empire split into Eastern and Western divisions in the 4th century, Malta fell under the control of the Greek speaking Byzantine Empire from 395 to 870,[{{cite book ]
last = Borg
first = Victor Paul
title =The Rough Guide to Malta & Gozo
publisher =Rough Guides
url =http://books .google.com/books?id=o1QO1Tk-FsMC&pg=PA331& dq=byzantine+malta&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U38b0XhbN8wTPyxs2tPEX0RbyVg9w
isbn=1858286808}} Although Malta was under Byzantine rule for four centuries, not much is known from this period.
There is evidence that Germanic tribes, including the Goths and Vandals, briefly took control of the islands before the Byzantines launched a counter attack and retook Malta.
Middle Ages
{{See also
Byzantine-Arab Wars
Emirate of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
Crown of Aragon}}
File:Roger I of Sicily.jpg
thumb
left
150px
Roger I of Sicily returned Malta to Christian rule.
File:Bandiera del Regno di Sicilia.svg
thumb
right
150px
Flag of the Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily.
Malta was involved in the Byzantine-Arab Wars (780–1180)
Byzantine-Arab Wars, and the conquest of Malta is closely linked with that of Sicily due to admiral Euphemius (Sicily)
Euphemius' betrayal of his fellow Byzantines, requesting that the Aghlabid dynasty invade the area.[{{cite news]
url=http://archaeology.stanf ord.edu/MountPolizzo/handbookPDF/MPHandbook5.pdf
format=PDF
publisher=Archaeology.Stanford.edu
title=Brief history of Sicily
date=7 October 2007}} As part of the Emirate of Sicily, rule switched to the Fatimids in 909.[{{cite book ]
last = Bain
first =Carolyn
title =Malta & Gozo
publisher =Lonely Planet
url =http://books.google.com/books?id=lqHLlLsgi 1IC&pg=PA22&dq=malta+arab&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U3QDGMLZFGwiilmVB0bB-Nfsq8X9w
isbn=174059178X}} The Arabs introduced new irrigation, some fruits and cotton and the Siculo-Arabic language was adopted on the island from Sicily and Southern Italy: it would eventually evolve into the Maltese language.[{{cite book ]
last = Wilson
first =Andrew
title =Corpus Linguistics Around the World
publisher =Rodopi
url =http://books.google.com/books?id=jIP9 WiIOtKYC&pg=PA64&dq=Siculo-Arabic+Maltese&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U0ANaOtExtwNoXiIbN9koijAKe_9A
isbn=9042018364}}
The native Christians were allowed freedom of religion but had to pay jizya.
conquest of Sicily, took Malta in 1091.
Roger I and offered to fight for him; in response to this, Roger reportedly tore off a portion of his checkered red-and-white banner and presented it to the Maltese people
Maltese, forming the basis of the present-day Flag of Malta
Maltese flag.
thumb
right
150px
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman map of Malta, by Piri Reis
The Norman period was productive; Malta became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Sicily which also covered the island of Sicily and the southern half of the Italian Peninsula.
See of Palermo and much Norman architecture sprung up around Malta especially in its ancient capital Mdina.
feudal lordship or fief within the kingdom and a Count of Malta instated.
As the islands were much desired due to their strategic importance, it was during this time the men of Malta were Militarization
militarised to fend off capture attempts; the early counts were skilled Republic of Genoa
Genoese corsairs.
Malta was part of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation for 72 years.
Malta was declared a county and a marquisate, but its trade was totally ruined.
For a long time it remained solely a fortified garrison.[Montgomery Martin, Robert.]
[http://books.google.com/books? id=yDQGAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA568&dq=strabo+melita&lr= ''History of the colonies of the British Empire''], W.
H.
Allen, 1843, p 569 {{quote
Malta remained for 72 years subject of the emperors of Germany.
The island was after the period of Count Roger of the Normans afterwards given up to the Germans, on account of the marriage between Constance, heiress of Sicily, and Henry VI, son of the Emperor Friedrick Barbarossa.
Malta was elevated to a county and a marquisate, but its trade was now totally ruined, and for a considerable period of it remained solely a fortified garrison.}} It was in 1224 under Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II that all remaining Muslims were expelled from Malta[{{cite news]
url=http://www.aboutmalta.com/history/time-Line.htm
publisher=AboutMalta.com
title=Time-Line
date=7 October 2007}} or forced to convert[[http://books.google&# 46be/books?id=up9Fy-NBiLAC&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=Lu ttrell+forced+conversions+Muslims+Malta&source=bl &ots=urB0g9uY39&sig=beDW0LBLdk0_viw5vPncPMvlkyc&h l=nl&ei=BpMSS7nHDsKs4Qby4OWXBA&sa=X&oi=book_resul t&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q= Luttrell%20forced%20conversions%20Muslims%20Malta&f=false Google Books] Malta, Mediterranean bridge, Stefan Goodwin 2002.]
Page 31[http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080804/local/maltese-makeover] and the entire Christian male population of Celano in Abruzzo was deported to Malta.
thumb
left
150px
Jean Parisot de La Valette, the founder of Valletta
For a brief period the kingdom passed to the Capetian House of Anjou, however high taxes made the dynasty unpopular in Malta, due in part to Charles I of Naples
Charles of Anjou's war against the Republic of Genoa and the island of Gozo was sacked in 1275.
Aragonese.{{Citation needed
date=February 2010}}
Relatives of the kings of Aragon ruled the island until 1409, when it passed to the Crown of Aragon.cn}} Early on in the Aragonese reign the sons of the monarchy received the title, "Count of Malta".
It was also during this time that much of the local nobility was created.
However by 1397 the bearing of the title "Count of Malta" reverted to a feudal basis with two families fighting over the distinction, which caused much distress.
This led the Martin I of Sicily
king to abolish the title.
Dispute over the title returned when the title was reinstated a few years later and the Maltese, led by the local nobility, rose up against Count Gonsalvo Monroy.
Alfonso IV that he did not punish the people for their rebellion but promised never to grant the title to a third party, instead incorporating it back into the Crown of Aragon
crown.
The city of Mdina was given the title of ''Città Notabile'' as a result of this sequence of events.
Knights of Malta and Napoleon
{{See also
Knights Hospitaller
Great Siege of Malta}}
File:Mdinakathedraal.jpg
thumb
150px
St.
Paul's Cathedral, Mdina built in the Baroque architecture
Baroque style.
In 1530 Charles I of Spain gave the islands to the Knights Hospitaller
Order of Knights of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in perpetual lease.
These knights, a military religious order now known as the Knights Hospitaller
Knights of Malta, had been driven out of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire in 1522.
In 1551, Barbary corsairs enslaved the entire population of the Maltese island Gozo, about 5,000, sending them to Libya.
The knights withstood a full-blown Siege of Malta (1565)
siege by the Ottoman Turks in 1565, at the time the greatest naval power in the Mediterranean.
The knights, fighting alongside the Maltese, were victorious and speaking of the battle Voltaire said, "Nothing is more well known than the siege of Malta".[Fernand Braudel, The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, vol.]
II ( University of California Press: Berkeley, 1995).
After the siege they decided to increase Malta's fortifications, particularly in the inner-harbour area, where the new city of Valletta, named in honour of Grand Master (order)
Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette
Jean de la Valette, was built.
They also established watchtowers along the coasts - the Wignacourt towers
Wignacourt, Lascaris towers
Lascaris, and de Redin towers - named after the Grand Masters who ordered the work.
The Knights' presence on the island saw the completion of many architectural and cultural projects, including the embellishment of Birgu
Città Vittoriosa, the construction of new cities including Zebbug, Malta
Città Rohan and Zabbar
Città Hompesch and the introduction of new academic and social resources.
Approximately 11,000 people out of a population of 70,000 died of plague (disease)
plague in 1675.[[http://www.emergency-management.net/malta_di.htm Malta Disaster].]
Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs.
File:Michelangelo Caravaggio 021.jpg
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left
250px
''The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (Caravaggio)
The Beheading of Saint John'', by Caravaggio.
Oil on canvas, {{convert
361
x
520
cm
0
abbr=on}}.
Oratory of the St John's Co-Cathedral
Co-Cathedral.
The Knights' reign ended when Napoleon I of France
Napoleon captured Malta on the way to Egypt during the French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1798
French Revolutionary Wars in 1798.
As a ruse, Napoleon asked for safe harbour to resupply his ships.
Once safely inside Valletta's harbour he turned his guns against his hosts.
Grand Master (order)
Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim capitulated and Napoleon stayed in Malta for a few days, during which time he systematically looted many movable assets of the island and established an administration controlled by his nominees.
He then sailed for Egypt, leaving behind a substantial garrison.
The occupying French forces were deeply unpopular with the Maltese,[http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2147071 The French in Malta, 1798-1800 / Carmel Testa] due particularly to the French forces' hostility towards Catholicism.
Great Britain, along with the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily, sent ammunition and aid to the Maltese and Britain also sent Royal Navy
her navy, which blockaded the islands.
General Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois surrendered his French forces in 1800.
Maltese leaders presented the island to Sir Alexander Ball, asking that the island become a British Dominion.
The Maltese people created a Declaration of Rights in which they agreed to come "under the protection and sovereignty of the King of the free people, His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland".
The Declaration also stated that "his Majesty has no right to cede these Islands to any power...if he chooses to withdraw his protection, and abandon his sovereignty, the right of electing another sovereign, or of the governing of these Islands, belongs to us, the inhabitants and aborigines alone, and without control."[{{cite book ]
last=Holland
first=James
title=Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940-1943
publisher=Miramax Books
year=2003
isbn=1-4013-5186-7}}
British Empire and World War II
{{Main
Siege of Malta (World War II)}}
File:BombDamageMalta.jpg
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The heavily bomb-damaged Republic Street in Valletta during the Siege of Malta (World War II)
Siege of Malta, 1942.
In 1814, as part of the Treaty of Paris (1814)
Treaty of Paris, Malta officially became a part of the British Empire and was used as a shipping way-station and fleet headquarters.
Malta's position half-way between Gibraltar and the Suez Canal proved to be its main asset during these years and it was considered an important stop on the way to India.
In 1919 British troops fired on a rally protesting against new taxes, killing four Maltese men.
This led to increased resistance and support for the Italy–Malta relations
pro-Italian parties that had challenged the British presence on the island{{Citation needed
date=October 2009}}.
The event, known as Sette Giugno (Italian for ''7 June''), is commemorated every year.
In the early 1930s the British Mediterranean Fleet (Royal Navy)
Mediterranean Fleet, which was at that time the main contributor to commerce on the island, moved to Alexandria as an economic measure.
During World War II, Malta played an important role owing to its proximity to Axis Powers
Axis shipping lanes.
The bravery of the Maltese people during the second Siege of Malta (World War II)
Siege of Malta moved George VI of the United Kingdom
HM King George VI to award the George Cross (Malta)
George Cross to Malta on a collective basis on 15 April 1942 "to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history".
Some historians argue that the award caused Britain to incur disproportionate losses in defending Malta, as British credibility would have suffered if Malta surrendered, as Singapore had.[{{cite web ]
title=The Siege of Malta in World War Two
url=http://www&# 46bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/siege_malta_06.shtml
accessdate=15 April 2007}} A replica of the George Cross now appears in the upper hoist corner of the Flag of Malta.
The collective award remained unique until April 1999, when the Royal Ulster Constabulary became the second{{ndash}} and, to date, the only other{{ndash}} recipient of a collective George Cross.
Independence and Republic
Malta achieved its independence on 21 September 1964 (Independence Day (Malta)
Independence Day).
Under its 1964 constitution, Malta initially retained Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta and thus Head of State, with a Governor-General exercising executive (government)
executive authority on her behalf.
On 13 December 1974 (Republic Day (Malta)
Republic Day) Malta became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth, with the President of Malta
President as head of state.
A defence agreement signed soon after independence (and re-negotiated in 1972) expired on 31 March 1979 (Freedom Day (Malta)
Freedom Day), under the prime minister Dom Mintoff.
On that day British military forces departed and Admiral Sir John Hamilton GBE, Commander in Chief of the Eastern Mediterranean fleet, lowered the Union Jack for the last time.
The Maltese then raised the Maltese flag over the Freedom Monument in Vittoriosa, to the sound of the first playing of Malta's national anthem.
Malta adopted a policy of Neutral country
neutrality in 1980 and was a member of the Non-Aligned Movement
Movement of Non-Aligned Countries until 2004.
In 1989, Malta was the venue of a Malta Summit
summit between US President George H.W.
Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, their first face-to-face encounter, which signaled the end of the Cold War.
Malta joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.[{{cite web]
url=ht tp://europa.eu/abc/history/2000_today/index_en.htm
title=The History of the European Union - 2000-today
accessdate=12 October 2007}} Following the European Council of 21 June to 22 June 2007 it joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2008.[{{cite web]
url=http://www.eur activ.com/en/euro/cyprus-malta-set-join-eurozone-2008/article-163836
title=Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone in 2008
date=16 May 2007
accessdate=12 October 2007}}
Government and politics
File:Courthouse Valletta.jpg
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The Courthouse, Valletta
{{Main
Politics of Malta
Government of Malta}}
Malta is a republic,[{{cite web]
url=http://www&# 46legal-malta.com/law/constitution-1.htm
title=Chapter 1 / The Republic of Malta / Maltese Constitution
work=Constitution of Malta Act, 1964
accessdate=12 October 2007}} whose parliamentary system and public administration is closely modeled on the Westminster system.
Malta had the second highest voter turnout in the world (and the highest for nations without mandatory voting), based on election turnout in national lower house elections from 1960 to 1995.[Mark N.]
Franklin.
"Electoral Participation." in ''Controversies in Voting Behavior'' The unicameral House of Representatives of Malta
House of Representatives, (Maltese: ''Il-Kamra tad- Deputati''), is elected by direct universal suffrage through single transferable vote every five years, unless the House is dissolved earlier by the President of Malta
President on advice of the Prime Minister of Malta
Prime Minister.
The House of Representatives is made up of sixty-five Member of Parliament
Members of Parliament.
However, where a party wins an absolute majority of votes, but does not have a majority of seats, that party is given additional seats to ensure a parliamentary majority.
The Constitution of Malta provides that the President appoint as Prime Minister the member of the House who is best able to command a (governing) majority in the House.
The President of Malta
President of the Republic is elected every five years by the House of Representatives.
The role of the president as head of state is largely ceremonial.
The main political parties are the Partit Nazzjonalista
Nationalist Party, which is a Christian democracy
Christian democratic party, and the Partit Laburista
Labour Party, with Joseph Muscat
Dr.
Joseph Muscat as its leader, which is a social democracy
social democratic party.
The Nationalist Party is currently at the helm of the government, the Prime Minister being Lawrence Gonzi
Dr.
Lawrence Gonzi.
The Labour Party is in opposition.
There are a number of smaller political parties in Malta that presently have no parliamentary representation.
Until World War II Maltese politics was dominated by the Languages of Malta
language question fought out by Pro-Italian Maltese
pro-Italian and Pro-British Maltese
pro-British parti es.[[http://www.maltavoyager.com/history_independence.html Maltavoyager.com - History - The Independence] at www.maltavoyager.com] Post-War politics dealt with constitutional questions on the relations with Britain (first with History of Malta#Attempted integration with the United Kingdom
integration then History of Malta#Independence (Indipendenza)
independence) and, eventually, relations with the History of Malta#EU membership (L-Unjoni Ewropea)
European Union.
File:Malta location map.svg
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Local councils of Malta
Administrative divisions of Malta
Local government
{{Main
Local councils of Malta}}
Since 1993 Malta has been divided into 68 elected Local councils of Malta
local councils, with each council responsible for the administration of cities or regions of varying sizes.
Administrative responsibility is distributed between the local councils and the central government in Valletta.
There are no intermediate levels between local government and national government and the levels of the six districts (five on the main island) and of the three regions (two on the main island) serve primarily statistical purposes.
The Local Councils Act, 1993 (Act XV of 1993) was published on 30 June 1993, subdividing Malta into 54 local councils in Malta and 14 in Gozo.
The inhabitants who are registered elect the council every three years, as voters in the Local Councils' Electoral Register.
Elections are held by means of the system of proportional representation using the single transferable vote.
The List of mayors of Malta
mayor is the head of the local council and the representative of the Council for all effects under the Act.
The Executive Secretary, who is appointed by the council, is the executive, administrative, and financial head of the council.
All decisions are taken collectively with the other members of the council.
Local councils are responsible for the general upkeep and embellishment of the locality, allocation of local wardens and refuse collection; they also carry out general administrative duties for the central government such as collection of government rents and funds and answer government-related public inquiries.
Geography
File:Satelite image of Malta.jpg
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Satellite image of Malta
{{Main
Geography of Malta}}
Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean Sea (in its eastern basin), some {{convert
93
km
mi
0
abbr=on}} south of the Italian island of Sicily across the Malta Channel.
Only the three largest islands — Malta Island (Malta), Gozo (Ghawdex), and Comino (Kemmuna) — are inhabited.
The smaller islands (see below) are uninhabited.
The islands of the archipelago were formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa that became isolated as sea levels rose after the last Ice Age.[{{cite web]
url=http://www&# 46reading.ac.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=12783&sID=48883
title=Island Landscape Dynamics: Examples from the Mediterranean
accessdate=13 December 2008}} The archipelago lies on the edge of the African tectonic plate where it meets the Eurasian plate.[{{cite web]
url=http://earth.geology.yale.edu/ RETREAT/maps/Mediterranean%20map2001sheet1%20tectonics&kinematics.jpg
title=Geodynamic Map of the Mediterranean
author=Commission for the Geological Map of the World
accessdate=28 November 2008}}
File:View of Nature Reserve from St.
Agatha's Tower.JPG
thumb
250px
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Maltese Landscape, Ghadira
Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide good harbours.
The landscape consists of low hills with terraced fields.
The highest point is Ta' Dmejrek on Malta Island at {{convert
253
m
ft
0
lk=out}} near Dingli.
Although there are some small rivers at times of high rainfall, there are no permanent rivers or lakes on Malta.
However, some watercourses have fresh water running all year round at Bahrija, l-Imtahleb and San Martin, and at Lunzjata Valley in Gozo.
Phytogeography
Phytogeographically, Malta belongs to the Liguro-Tyrrhenian province of the Mediterranean Region within the Boreal Kingdom.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature
WWF, the territory of Malta belongs to the ecoregion of "Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub".[{{cite web ]
url=http://www.panda .org/about_wwf/where_we_work/ecoregions/mediterranean_forests_scrub.cfm
title=Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub - A Global Ecoregion
publisher=Panda.org
accessdate=28 November 2008}}
The south of Malta is not Extreme points of Europe
Europe's most southern point; that distinction belongs to the Greek island of Gavdos.
The Maltese archipelago
The minor islands that form part of the archipelago are uninhabited and include:
{{col-start}}{{col-break}}
* Barbaganni Rock
* Cominotto, (''Kemmunett'')
* Delmarva Island
* Filfla
* Fessej Rock
* Fungus Rock, (''Il-Gebla tal-General'')
* Ghallis Rock
* Halfa Rock
* Large Blue Lagoon Rocks
{{col-break}}
* Islands of St.
Paul/Selmunett Island
* Manoel Island, which connects to the town of Gzira, on the mainland, via a bridge
* Mistra Rocks
* Tac-Cawl Rock
* Qawra Point/Ta` Fraben Island
* Small Blue Lagoon Rocks
* Sala Rock
* Xrob l-Ghagin Rock
{{col-end}}
Climate
The climate is Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean (Köppen climate classification Csa) / Subtropical [[https://www.cia.gov/li brary/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mt.html#Geo CIA Factbook] - Geographic location] [[http://www.doi.gov.mt/en/islands/location.asp The Maltese Islands], Department of Information - Malta.], with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
There is no real thermal dormant season for plants, although plant growth can be checked briefly by abnormal cold in winter (patches of ground frost may occur in inland locales), and summer heat and aridity m
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