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Malta
*** Shopping-Tip: Malta
{{dablink|This article is about the European country. For other meanings, see
Malta (disambiguation).}}
{{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.png |
image_map = LocationMalta.png |
national_motto = Virtute et Constantia |
national_anthem = ''
L-Innu Malti'' |
official_languages =
Maltese language Maltese,
English language English |
capital =
Valletta |
latd=35|latm=48|lats=39|latNS=N|longd=14|longm=28|longs=45|longEW=E|
largest_city =
Birkirkara|
other_cities =
Sliema |
government_type =
Representative democracy Democratic republic |
leader_titles =
President of MaltaPrime Minister of Malta Prime Minister |
leader_names =
Eddie Fenech Adami Edward Fenech AdamiLawrence Gonzi |
area_rank = 185th |
area_magnitude = 1 E8 |
area = 316 |
areami²= 122 |
percent_water = 0.001 |
population_estimate_year = December 2004 |
population_estimate = 402,668 ¹ |
population_estimate_rank = 165th |
population_census = 378,404 |
population_census_year = 1995 |
population_density = 1,274 |
population_densitymi² =3,301 |
population_density_rank = 4th |
GDP_PPP_year = 2005 |
GDP_PPP = $7.574 billion |
GDP_PPP_rank = 144th |
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $19,302 |
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 37th |
HDI_year = 2005 |
HDI = 0.867 ² |
HDI_rank = 32nd |
HDI_category=
high |
sovereignty_type =
Independence |
established_events = from the
United Kingdom UK|
established_dates =
September 21,
1964 |
currency =
Maltese lira (Lm) |
currency_code = MTL |
country_code = MLT |
time_zone =
Central European Time CET |
utc_offset = +1 |
time_zone_DST =
Central European Summer Time CEST |
utc_offset_DST = +2 |
cctld=
.mt |
calling_code = 356 |
<--
These codes do no work, but may be useful:
*For calculating GDP in PPP*
|
GDP_nominal_year = 2005 |
GDP_nominal = US$5.369 billion (Lm1.936 billion) |
GDP_nominal_rank = 120th |
GDP_nominal_per_capita = $13,683 (Lm4,927) |
GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 35th |
*Other*
religion = Roman Catholicism |
percent_religion = 96.7 |
national_bird =
Blue rock thrush |
national_plant =
Maltese rock centaury |
national_tree =
Tetraclinis Tetraclinis Articulata |
national_poet =
Dun Karm |
--> |
footnotes =
1 Estimated total population (including foreign residents). Maltese residents population estimate at end 2004 was 389,769. All official population data provided by the Maltese
Office for National Statistics National Statistical Office [http://www.nso.gov.mt/statdoc/document_file.aspx?id=1542].
2 Official data by the United Nations Development Programme [http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/pdf/HDR05_complete.pdf]. |
}}
The '''Republic of Malta''' is a small and densely populated
island nation consisting of an
archipelago of
Maltese islands seven islands in the middle of the
Mediterranean Sea. Malta lies directly south of
Sicily, east of
Tunisia and north of
Libya, and the country's official languages are
Maltese language Maltese and
English language English. The strategically located islands constituting the Maltese nation have been ruled by various powers and fought over for centuries. Malta is currently the smallest
European Union country in both population and area. Malta is the only nation in the world whose
Flags and symbols of Malta flags bear a decoration awarded by a foreign country.
History
{{Main|History of Malta}}
Malta has been inhabited since around
5200 BC. A significant prehistoric culture, that predates the
Pyramids of Giza by a millennium, is believed to have existed on the islands.
Phoenicians colonized the islands around
1000 BC, using them as an outpost from which they expanded sea explorations and trade in the Mediterranean. In
736 BC, they were occupied by the
Greeks who called the colony "Melita".
Image:Maltatemples.JPG Hagar_Qim.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|200px|left|[[Hagar Qim Temples, Qrendi, Malta.html" title="Meaning of 200px|left|[[Hagar Qim">thumb|200px|left|[[Hagar Qim Temples, Qrendi, Malta">200px|left|[[Hagar Qim">thumb|200px|left|[[Hagar Qim Temples, Qrendi, Malta
The islands later came under the control of
Carthage (
400 BC) and then of
Roman Republic Rome (
218 BC). The islands prospered under Roman rule, during which time they were considered a
Municipium and a Foederata
Civitas. Many Roman antiquities still exist, testifying to the close link between the Maltese inhabitants and the people of Rome. In
Anno Domini AD 60, the islands were visited by
Paul of Tarsus Saint Paul, who is said to have been shipwrecked on the shores of the aptly-named "
St. Paul's Bay Saint Paul's Bay".
After a period of
Byzantine empire Byzantine rule (
4th century 4th to
9th century) and a probable sack by the
Vandals, the islands were conquered by the
Arabs in AD 870. The Arabs, who generally tolerated the population's Christianity, introduced the cultivation of citrus fruits and cotton, irrigation systems, and most notably, the
Arabic language Arabic language, which the majority of the population adopted as their mother tongue. Its influence can be seen most prominently in the modern
Maltese language, which has also been heavily influenced by
Romance languages and is written in a variety of the
Latin alphabet.
The period of Arab rule lasted until 1090, when the islands were taken by the
Sicily Sicilian Normans. Subsequent rulers included the
Anjou Angevine, the
Hohenstaufen, and the
Kingdom of Aragon Aragonese (1287). The
Maltese nobility was established during this period; some of it dating back to 1090. About 32 noble titles remain in use today, of which the oldest is "Barons of Djar il Bniet and Buqana".
In 1530, the islands were given by
Spain to the
Knights Hospitaller Order of Knights of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in perpetual lease. (The
Kingdom of Aragon had owned the islands as part of their Mediterranean empire for some time.) These knights, a militant monastic order now known as the "
Knights Hospitaller Knights of Malta", had been driven out of
Rhodes by the
Ottoman Empire in 1522. They withstood a full-blown
Siege of Malta (1565) siege by the Ottoman Turks in 1565. The Turks, at that time, were considered to be the greatest non-European military power. After this they decided to increase the
fortifications, particularly in the inner-harbour area, where the new city of
Valletta, named after
Jean Parisot de la Valette, was built.
Their reign ended when Malta was captured by
Napoleon I of France Napoleon en route to his expedition of
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, and then turned his guns against his hosts once safely inside Valetta.
Grand Master (order) Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim capitulated, and Napoleon stayed in Malta for a few days, during which he systematically looted the movable assets of the Order, and established an administration controlled by his nominees. He then sailed for Egypt, leaving a substantial garrison in Malta. The occupying French forces were unpopular, however, due particularly to their negative attitude towards religion. The Maltese rebelled against them, and the French were forced behind the fortifications. Great Britain, along with the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, sent munitions and aid to the rebels. Britain also sent
Royal Navy her navy, which instigated a blockade of the islands. The isolated French forces, under General
Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois, surrendered in 1800, and the island became a British
protectorate, being presented by several Maltese leaders to Sir
Alexander Ball.
Image:Malta04.jpg thumb|200px|Fortifications of Malta harbor.
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 proximity to the
Suez Canal proved to be its main asset during these years, and it was considered to be a most important stop on the way to
India. In the 1930s, due to Malta's cultural and geographical proximity to Italy, the British Mediterranean Fleet was moved to Alexandria. Malta played an important role during
World War II, owing to its vicinity to
Axis Powers Axis shipping lanes, and its people's bravery led to the awarding of the
George Cross now seen on the
Flag of Malta.
After the war, and after a short period of political instability due to the
Malta Labour Party's unsuccessful attempt at
History of Malta#Attempted Integration with Britain 'Integration with Britain', Malta was granted independence on
September 21,
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, with a
Governor-General exercising
executive (government) executive authority on her behalf. On
December 13,
1974 (
Republic Day (Malta) Republic Day), however, it 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
March 31,
1979 (
Freedom Day (Malta) Freedom Day) when the British military forces were withdrawn. Malta joined the
European Union on
May 1,
2004.
Politics
Image:maltapolitics.jpg Edward Fenech Adami.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|220px|Dr. [[Edward Fenech Adami has been the President of Malta since 2004..html" title="Meaning of 220px|Dr. [[Edward Fenech Adami">thumb|220px|Dr. [[Edward Fenech Adami has been the President of Malta since 2004.">220px|Dr. [[Edward Fenech Adami">thumb|220px|Dr. [[Edward Fenech Adami has been the President of Malta since 2004.
{{Main|Politics of Malta}}
Malta is a
republic enjoying
representative democracy, whose
parliamentary system and
public administration is closely modeled on the
Westminster system. The
unicameral House of Representatives, known in Maltese as ''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 on advice of the
Prime Minister. The party who wins the majority forms the
cabinet. The House of Representatives is made up of 65
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 (the cabinet) is given additional seats to ensure a parliamentary majority. By the
Constitution of Malta, the President appoints the Prime Minister, who in general is the leader of the party forming the cabinet.
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 highly ceremonial.
The main political parties are the
Partit Nazzjonalista Nationalist Party, which is a
Christian democracy Christian democratic party, and the
Malta Labour Party, 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 Malta Labour Party, led by
Alfred Sant Dr. Alfred Sant, is in the opposition.
Other parties are :-
*
Democratic Alternative (Malta) Alternattiva Demokratika (a
Green Party), which, at the moment, has no parliamentary seats.
* Alpha Liberal Democratic Party, which is led by
Emmy Bezzina Dr. Emmy Bezzina and Dr.
John Zammit.
*
Imperium Europa, led by
Norman Lowell, which promotes
Pan-europeanism Pan-European /
libertarianism Libertarian ideologies.
Geography
Image:Mt-map.png 200px|right|Map of Malta
{{Main|Geography of Malta}}
Malta is an
archipelago in the central
Mediterranean Sea, some 93 km south of
Sicily. Only the three largest islands
Malta Island (Malta),
Gozo (Għawdex), and
Comino (Kemmuna) are inhabited. Numerous bays along the indented coastline of the islands provide good harbours. The landscape is characterised by low hills with terraced fields. The highest point, which even many locals have no idea how to locate, is the
Ta' Dmejrek on Malta Island at 253 metres (830
foot (unit of length) ft) near
Dingli.
The
Malta Channel to the north separates Malta from the island of
Sicily, the largest
Italy Italian isle.
The local
climate is Mediterranean
temperate climate temperate climate 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 may cause vegetation to wilt. Effectively there are only two seasons, which makes the islands attractive for tourists especially during the drier months. Water supply poses a problem on Malta, as the summer is both rainless and also the time of greatest water use, and the winter rainfall often falls as heavy showers and runs off to the sea rather than soaking into the ground.
Contrary to popular belief, the south of Malta is not
Extreme points of Europe Europe's most southern point: Malta is Europe's 4th southernmost country;
Spain (Punta de Tarifa),
Cyprus and
Greece (island of
Gavdos), rank 3rd, 2nd, and 1st respectively.
Since 1993, Malta has been subdivided into 68 local councils or localities. These form the most basic form of local government. There are no intermediate levels between local government and national government.
{{See|Local councils of Malta}}
{{Malta-LocalCouncils}}
Economy
Image:Economymalta.jpg thumb|200px|A Maltese worker producing system components for wireless communication
{{Main|Economy of Malta}}
Until 1800, Malta had very few industries except the
cotton,
tobacco, and shipyards industry. The
dockyard was later used by the British for military purposes. At times of war, Malta's economy prospered due to its strategic location.
In 1869, the opening of the
Suez Canal benefited Malta's economy greatly as there was a massive increase in the shipping which entered in the port.
By the end of the 19th century, the economy began declining and by the 1940s, Malta's economy was in serious crisis. This was due to invention of large ships which did not require refuelling.
Nowadays, Malta’s major resources are
limestone, a favourable geographic location, and a productive labour force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade (serving as a freight trans-shipment point), manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism. Tourism infrastructure has increased dramatically over the years and a number of quality hotels are present on the island.
Malta has recently
privatization privatised some state-controlled firms and liberalised markets in order to prepare for membership in the
European Union, which it joined on
May 1 2004. Malta and
Tunisia are currently discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for petroleum exploration.
The Maltese government entered
ERM II in May 2005, and is intending to adopt the
euro as the country's currency on
1 January 2008.
Although Malta is now a member of the European Union, it is not a member of the
Schengen Treaty yet. It is currently adopting Schengen regulations with the goal to be finished by 2007.
Demographics
Image:demographicsmalta.jpg thumb|200px|The Maltese at their local fish market
{{Main|Demographics of Malta}}
According to the last demographic survey (December 2004), the estimated population of the Malta at the end of that year (including foreign residents) was 402,668 of whom 199,580 (49.6%) were males and 203,008 (50.4%) were females. The Maltese-resident population was of 389,769, 193,917 (49.6%) male and 196,752 (50.4%) female. Malta's population density of 1,274 per
square kilometre (3,301/
square mile sq mi) is one of the
List of countries by population density highest in the World.
In the same year there was a net natural increase of 888 persons (783 Maltese residents) and an estimated (using data of the previous three years) net inflow of 1,913 persons in the total population. Though the fertility rate continues to decrease, with a crude birth rate of 9.46 compared to last year's 10.06 and 1995's 12.44, Malta still remains one of the "youngest" European populations (the 0-14 age group represents 17.8% of the total population).
Through all the censuses since 1842 except two, there was always a slightly higher female-to-male ratio. Over the last decade this ratio was of 95 males to 100 females.
The national language of Malta is
Maltese language Maltese. The
Maltese alphabet is based on the
Latin alphabet, but uses the
diacritically altered letters ''
ż'', also found in
Polish language Polish, as well as the letters ''
Ä‹'', ''
Ä¡'' and ''
ħ'', which are unique to Maltese. The official languages are
English language English and Maltese.
Italian language Italian and
French language French are also widely spoken and taught in secondary schools, though the latter less so.
Education
Image:educationmalta.jpg thumb|200px|Students during the Graduation Ceremony at the University of Malta
Education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16 years. Whilst the state provides education free of charge, the
Roman Catholic Church Church and the private sector run a number of schools in Malta and
Gozo. Most of the teachers' salary in Church schools is paid by the state.
Education in Malta is based on the
Education in the United Kingdom British Model. The first years of education in Malta are done in
kindergarten. Attendance is up to 5 years and not compulsory. Compulsory education starts at the age of 6 with primary education. Primary education lasts for 6 years. Following public examinations, students enter secondary education. Following a five-year course preparing for the "Secondary Education Certificate" (SEC), equivalent to the British ordinary level
General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), students sit for final examinations (results are used in the school-leaving certificate), and in general also sit for the SEC examinations. SEC examinations require students to be aged 16 and over, or to have a school-leaving certificate. Students who have repeated years are therefore able to apportion their SEC examinations over the last two years at school.
Once compulsory secondary education ends, students may enter either in a vocational college such as
MCAST or a
Sixth Form.
Sixth Form Sixth forms provide a two-year course leading to the "Matriculation Certificate", which is the equivalent of the UK Advanced Level Examinations and Advanced Subsidiary Examinations. For students unsuccessful in their SEC examinations, there is the option of attending a Higher Secondary school, a sort of safety net to give students the possibility to catch up, where any core subjects (mathematics, english language, maltese, and a natural science) previously failed are again taught at ordinary in preparation for SEC examinations, while also teaching intermediate and advanced level subjects. Students may also choose to attend specialised private institutions leading to diplomas and degrees of foreign examination bodies in careers such as IT (
London University), Networking (
CISCO), Accountancy (
ACCA) and Banking.
Tertiary education at diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate level is mainly provided by the
University of Malta (UoM). Qualifications from the UoM are fully recognised internationally after its conversion to using the European ECTS credits system. Admission requires a minimum overall C grade in the
Matriculation Certificate and passes at ordinary level of the core subjects. Special course requirements are mostly based on single-subject results in the Matriculation Certificate. Some of the qualifications obtained from private institutions are also recognised. Full-time attendance by Maltese citizens is free-of-charge, while part-time (evening) attendance is not.
The Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) satisfies one of its dual roles by offering training for adults of any age and experience. The University of Malta offers similar courses and also gives the option of entering normal full-/part-time courses as a ''mature student'' - persons aged 23 and over are exempted from satisfying the University entry requirements, though they still have to satisfy any special cource requirements.
The adult
literacy rate is 92%.
Culture
Image:culturemalta.jpg thumb|200px|A typical village feast
{{Main|Culture of Malta}}
*
Maltese language
*
List of Maltese People
*
Music of Malta
*
Maltese cuisine
*
Maltese nobility
*
Holidays in Malta
See also
*
Flags and symbols of Malta
*
Coat of Arms of Malta
*
Flag of Malta
*
Communications in Malta
*
Foreign relations of Malta
*
Economy of Malta
*
List of cities in Malta
*
Armed Forces of Malta
*
The Scout Association of Malta
*
Transportation in Malta
*
Siege of Malta (1565) The Great Siege of Malta
*
History of Malta
External links
{{sisterlinks|Malta}}
-
Gov.mt – Maltese Government official site.
-
Laws of Malta – A summary of principal laws and glossary of terms.
-
Malta An independent guide to Malta
-
Malta Forums – Discussion forums about Malta, in English.
-
Map of Malta – Scalable map of the Maltese islands and towns.
-
VR Malta Virtual Tour of Malta with panoramic photography published in 2006
-
Only in Malta! – Collection of user-submitted images of the Maltese Islands.
-
SearchMalta – A Maltese Directory and Search Engine with an advanced section about Maltese surnames.
-
Di-ve – A Maltese News Portal with TV and radio live feeds.
-
Büttni-Malta – A private website about Malta with facts, stories and pictures.
References
This article has been created by making reference to the following:
* {{cite web | title= Malta | work=
CIA World Factbook | url=http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mt.html| accessdate=November 1 | accessyear=2005}}
* {{cite web | title= Gov.mt | work=Government of Malta | url=http://www.gov.mt| accessdate=November 1 | accessyear=2005}}
* {{cite web | title=Malta | work=MSN Encarta | url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761555566/Malta.html| accessdate=November 1 | accessyear=2005}}
* {{cite book | first = H. Bowen | last = Jones | coauthors = ''et al'' | title=Malta Background for Development | publisher= Dhurham College | year=1962 | id=ASIN B0006C34U0 }}
* {{cite book | author=Carolyn Bain| title = Malta | publisher = Lonely Planet Publication | year=2004 | id=ISBN 174059178X }}
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