Sicilian is a Romance language. Its dialects comprise the Italiano Meridionale-estremo language group, which are spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands; in southern and central Calabria ; in the southern parts of Apulia, the Salento Sicilian ' onMouseout='HidePop("33854")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Italian_language">Italian
Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
, a little
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
, and more recently, and increasingly,
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
. The language includes different dialects that can vary strongly from one town to another or from one island to the other.
The
EurobarometerEurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973. It produces reports of public opinion of certain issues relating to the European Union across the member states...
states that 100% of the population speaks Maltese. Also, 88% of the population speaks English, 66% speaks Italian, and 17% speaks French. This widespread knowledge of
second languageA second language is any language learned after the first language or mother tongue . Some languages, often called auxiliary languages, are used primarily as second languages or lingua francas....
s makes Malta one of the most multi-lingual countries in the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
. A study collecting public opinion on what language was "preferred" discovered that 86% of the population express a preference for Maltese, 12% for English, and 2% for Italian. Still, Italian television channels from Italy-based broadcasters, such as
MediasetMediaset S.p.A. is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country. Founded in the 1970s by Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and still controlled today with a 38.6% stake by his family holding company Fininvest, the group competes primarily against...
and
RAIRai , known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by parliament. RAI is the biggest television company in Italy...
, reach Malta and remain popular.
Religion
The Constitution of Malta provides for freedom of religion but establishes
Roman CatholicismIn the small Mediterranean island nation of Malta the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism.-Saint Paul:The Church in Malta is described in the Book of Acts to have been founded by its patrons Saint Paul the Apostle and Saint Publius, who was its first bishop. The Islands of St. Paul In the...
as the state religion. Freedom House and the World Factbook report that 98 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, making the nation one of the most Catholic countries in the world.
There are more than 360 churches in Malta, Gozo, and Comino, or one church for every 1,000 residents. The parish church (Maltese:
"il-parroċċa", or
"il-knisja parrokjali") is the architectural and geographic focal point of every Maltese town and village, and its main source of civic pride. This civic pride manifests itself in spectacular fashion during the local village
festas, which mark the day of the patron saint of each parish with marching bands, religious processions, special Masses,
fireworksA firework is a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
(especially petards), and other festivities.
Making allowances for a possible break in the appointment of bishops to Malta during the period of Arab rule (869 to 1127 AD), the Maltese Church is frequently referred to today as the only extant
Apostolic SeeAn Apostolic See is any episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the Apostles.Out of the many such sees, five acquired special importance in Chalcedonian Christianity and became classified as the Pentarchy...
, other than
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
itself. According to tradition, and as recorded in the
Acts of the ApostlesThe Acts of the Apostles is the fifth book of the New Testament. It is commonly referred to as Acts and outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
,
St. PaulPaul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, ...
founded the Church in Malta before 65 AD, following his shipwreck on these Islands. The earliest Christian place of worship in Malta is therefore said to be the cavern on the north-east of Malta, now known as St. Paul's Grotto, where the Romans reputedly imprisoned St. Paul during his stay on Malta. There is evidence dating to the 3rd century AD of Christian burials and rituals having taken place in the general vicinity of the Grotto.
Further evidence of Christian practices and beliefs during the period of Roman persecution appears in the many
catacombsCatacombs are ancient, human-made underground passageways or subterranean cemeteries composed thereof. Many are under cities and have served during historic times as a refuge for safety during wars or as a meeting place for cults. The first burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie...
that lie beneath various parts of Malta, including St Paul’s Catacombs and St Agatha’s Catacombs in
Rabat----Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Semitic word for 'suburb', as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the...
, just outside the walls of
MdinaMdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...
. The latter, in particular, were beautifully frescoed between 1200 and 1480, although marauding
TurksThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
defaced them in the 1550s. There are also a number of cave churches, including the grotto at Mellieħa, which is a Shrine of the Nativity of Our Lady where, according to legend, St. Luke painted a picture of the Madonna. It has been a place of pilgrimage since medieval times.
The Acts of the
Council of ChalcedonThe Council of Chalcedon is considered by the Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, the Old Catholics, and various other Western Christian groups to have been the Fourth Ecumenical Council . It was held from 8 October to 1 November 451 at Chalcedon...
record that in 451 AD, a certain Acacius was Bishop of Malta (
Melitenus Episcopus). It is also known that in 501 AD, a certain Constantinus,
Episcopus Melitenensis, was present at the
Fifth General CouncilThe Fifth general council may designate, in Catholic history:#the fifth ecumenical council, i.e. the Second Council of Constantinople#a council held in 1512 in Rome, at the Pope's Lateran Palace....
. In 588 AD,
Pope Gregory IPope St. Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
deposed Tucillus,
Miletinae civitatis episcopus, and the clergy and people of Malta elected his successor Trajan in 599 AD. The last recorded Bishop of Malta before the invasion of the Islands was a Greek by the name of Manas, who was subsequently incarcerated at
PalermoPalermo is a historic city in Southern Italy, the capital of the autonomous region Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily.
Classic Maltese historian,
Gian. Francesco Abela, states that following their conversion to Christianity at the hand of St. Paul, the Maltese retained their Christian religion, despite the
FatimidThe Fatimid Caliphate or al-Fātimiyyūn was an Arab Shi'a dynasty that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Egypt, Sicily, Malta and the Levant from 5 January 909 to 1171. The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the Egyptian city of Cairo as their capital. The term Fatimite is...
invasion. It is possible that Abela's writings assisted the Knights of Malta in their efforts to win the hearts and minds of the Maltese by describing Malta as a divinely ordained "bulwark of Christian, European civilization against the spread of Mediterranean Islam". The native Christian community that welcomed
Roger I of SicilyRoger I , called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was the last great leader of the Norman conquest of southern Italy.-Conquest of Calabria and Sicily:...
was further bolstered by immigration to Malta from Italy, in the 12th and 13th centuries.
For centuries, the Church in Malta was subordinate to the Diocese of Palermo, except when it was under Charles of Anjou, who appointed bishops for Malta, as did - on rare occasions - the Spanish and later, the Knights. Since 1808 all bishops of Malta have been Maltese. 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. It is worth noting that the Office of the
Inquisitor of MaltaThe Roman Inquisition was a system of tribunals developed by the Holy See during the second half of the 16th century, responsible for prosecuting individuals accused of a wide array of crimes related to heresy, including sorcery, immorality, blasphemy, Judaizing and witchcraft, as well for...
had a very long tenure on the island following its establishment in 1530: the last Inquisitor departed from the Islands in 1798, after the Knights capitulated to the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte. During the period of the
Republic of VeniceThe Most Serene Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century AD until the year 1797...
, several Maltese families emigrated to
CorfuCorfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and its northern part lies off the coast of Sarandë, Albania from which it is separated by straits varying in breadth from 3 to 23 km , including one near ancient Butrint, while its southern part lies...
. Their descendants account for about two-thirds of the community of some 4000 Catholics that now live on that island.
The patron saints of Malta are Saint Paul,
Saint PubliusSaint Publius is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta. Publius' conversion led to Malta being the first Christian nation in the West, and one of the first in the world....
and Santa Agatha. Although not a patron saint,
St George PrecaSaint George Preca was a Maltese Roman Catholic priest who founded the Society of Christian Doctrine, a society of lay catechists. In Malta, he is affectionately known as "Dun Ġorġ" and is popularly referred to as the "Second Apostle of Malta", after Saint Paul of Tarsus...
(San Ġorġ Preca) is greatly revered as the first canonised Maltese saint.
Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI is the 265th and reigning Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the head of the Catholic Church and, as such, Sovereign of the Vatican City State...
canonised him on June 3, 2007. Also, a number of Maltese individuals are recognised as
BlessedBeatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's accession to Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
, including
Maria Adeodata PisaniBorn 29 December 1806 at Naples, Italy; Died 25 February 1855 at the Benedictine monastery at Mdina, MaltaVenerated: 24 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II Beatified: 9 May 2001 by Pope John Paul II...
and
Nazju FalzonBlessed Nazju Falzon was a Maltese priest; he was beatified in 2001....
, having
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
beatified them in 2001.
Various Roman Catholic religious orders are present in Malta, including the Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans and
Little Sisters of the PoorThe Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. It was founded in the 19th century by Saint Jeanne Jugan near Rennes, France. Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.This led her to welcome an...
.
Most congregants of the local
ProtestantProtestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the major divisions within Christianity, together with the Roman...
churches are not Maltese; their congregations draw on the many British retirees living in the country and vacationers from many other nations. There are approximately 500
Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenarian Christian denomination. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism; they report convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual Memorial attendance of over 17 million...
; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), the Bible Baptist Church, and the
Fellowship of Evangelical ChurchesThe Fellowship of Evangelical Churches is an evangelical body of Christians with a Mennonite heritage. Conference offices are located in Fort Wayne, IN....
have about 60 affiliates. There are also some churches of other denominations, such as
St. Andrew's Scots ChurchSt. Andrew's Scots Church, Malta, is a joint congregation of the Church of Scotland and the Methodist Church of Great Britain. For Church of Scotland purposes it is part of the Presbytery of Europe. It is the only Reformed Church in Malta...
in Valletta (a joint Presbyterian and
MethodistThe Methodist Church of Great Britain or British Methodist Church is the largest Wesleyan / Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 330,000 members and 6,000 churches...
congregation) and
St Paul's Anglican CathedralSt Paul's Pro-Cathedral is an Anglican pro-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, commissioned by Queen Adelaide during a visit to Malta in the 19th Century when she found out that there was no place of Anglican worship on the island. Building started in 1839 and was completed in 1844....
, as well as a
Seventh-day AdventistThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ. It is the eighth largest international body of...
church in
BirkirkaraBirkirkara or B'Kara is a city of 21,775 inhabitants in central Malta. It is the largest and most populous city on the island and consists of four autonomous parishes: St Helen, St Joseph, Our Lady of the Carmel and St Mary. It also houses one of the most famous colleges in Malta, St Aloysius'...
.
The
JewishJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
population of Malta reached its peak in the Middle Ages under Norman rule. In 1479, Malta and
SicilySicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. Several much smaller islands surrounding it are considered to be part of Sicily....
came under
AragoneseThe Kingdom of Aragon was an old kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon , in Spain...
rule and the
Alhambra DecreeThe Alhambra Decree was an edict issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain ordering the expulsion of Jews from the Kingdom of Spain and its territories and possessions by 31 July of that year.The edict was formally revoked on December 16, 1968.- Background :Beginning...
of 1492 forced all Jews to leave the country, permitting them to take with them only a few of their belongings. Several dozen Maltese Jews may have
convertedReligious conversion is the adoption of new religious beliefs that differ from the convert's previous beliefs. It involves a new religious identity, or a change from one religious identity to another. Conversion requires internalization of the new belief system...
to Christianity at the time in order to remain in the country. Today, there is one Jewish congregation.
Zen Buddhism and the
Bahá'í FaithThe Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.The Bahá'í Faith teaches a doctrine of...
claim some 40 members. There is one
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
mosque. A Muslim primary school recently opened; its existence remains a point of some controversy. Of the estimated 3,000
Muslims in MaltaIslam is believed to have been introduced to Malta when the Muslims captured Sicily from the Byzantines in 870. Malta returned to a Christian European power with the Norman Conquest in 1091. Muslims were allowed to practise their religion freely until the 13th century..The present-day Maltese...
, approximately 2,250 are foreigners, approximately 600 are naturalized citizens, and approximately 150 are native-born Maltese.
Migration
EU nationals require neither a
visaA visa is an indication that a person is authorized to enter the country which "issued" the visa, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
nor a passport (an ID card or an expired passport are enough) to enter the country. Citizens of a number of third world countries are not required to apply for a visa and require only a valid passport when residing in Malta for up to three months. Visas for other nationalities are valid for one month.
Immigrants, even those with EU citizenship, are required to apply for a work permit. This exception to EU law was agreed upon before accession to safeguard the Maltese
labour marketLabour economics seeks to understand the functioning and dynamics of the market for labour. Labour markets function through the interaction of workers and employers...
.
The estimated net inflow (using data for 2002 to 2004) was of 1,913 persons yearly. Over the last 10 years, Malta accepted back a yearly average of 425 returning emigrants.
During 2006, a total of 1,800 illegal immigrants reached Malta making the boat crossing from the North Africa coast. Most of them intended to reach mainland Europe and happened to come to Malta due to their sub-standard vessels breaking down, or being caught by Maltese and other EU officials. In the first half of 2006, 967 irregular immigrants arrived in Malta almost double the 473 who arrived in the same period in 2005. Many immigrants have perished in the journey across the Mediterranean, with one notable incident being the
May 2007 Malta migrant boat disasterOn Monday, 21 May 2007, a small and crowded migrant boat was spotted some 80 nautical miles south of Malta by the Maltese Air Force, and photographed while the 53 people on board were apparently trying to bail out water. Then the boat went missing...
.
Around 45% of immigrants landed in Malta have been granted
refugeeUnder the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality,...
(5%) or protected humanitarian status (40%). A
White PaperA White paper is an authoritative report or guide that often addresses issues and how to solve them. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions...
suggesting the grant of Maltese citizenship to refugees resident in Malta for over ten years was issued in 2005. Historically Malta gave refuge (and assisted in their resettlement) to eight hundred or so East African Asians who had been expelled from
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
by
Idi AminIdi Amin Dada , commonly known as Idi Amin, was the military dictator and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979....
and to just under a thousand
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
is fleeing
Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the President of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's regime.
Detention costs for the first half of 2006 alone cost € 746,385.
In 2005, Malta sought EU aid in relation to reception of irregular immigrants, repatriation of those denied refugee status, resettlement of refugees into EU countries, and maritime security. In December 2005, the European Council adopted
The Global Approach to Migration: Priority Actions focusing on Africa and the Mediterranean; but the deployment of said actions has been limited to the western Mediterranean, thus putting further pressure on the central Mediterranean route for irregular immigration of which Malta forms a part.
MALTESE MIGRATION PATTERNS (1946-1996)
| Country |
To |
From |
Net migration |
Return % |
| Australia |
86,787 |
17,847 |
68,940 |
21.56 |
| Canada |
19,792 |
4,798 |
14,997 |
24.24 |
| UK |
31,489 |
12,659 |
18,830 |
40.20 |
| U.S.A. |
11,601 |
2,580 |
9,021 |
22.24 |
| Other |
1,647 |
907 |
740 |
55.07 |
| Total |
155,060 |
39,087 |
115,973 |
25.21 |
Education
Primary schooling has been compulsory since 1946; secondary education up to the age of sixteen was made compulsory in 1971. The state provides education free of charge, and the
ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
and the private sector run a number of schools in Malta and
GozoGozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
, including De La Salle College in
CospicuaCospicua is a double-fortified harbour city on the Mediterranean island of Malta. It is the largest of the Three Cities. It was also given a title as Citta' Cottonera, but erroneously the title is now used to define the whole region. It is situated between the other two towns which make up...
, St. Aloysius' College in
BirkirkaraBirkirkara or B'Kara is a city of 21,775 inhabitants in central Malta. It is the largest and most populous city on the island and consists of four autonomous parishes: St Helen, St Joseph, Our Lady of the Carmel and St Mary. It also houses one of the most famous colleges in Malta, St Aloysius'...
,
San Anton SchoolSan Anton School, Malta is an independent, co-ed school, catering for over a thousand students of all abilities, from Kindergarten to the end of compulsory education ....
in the valley of L-Imselliet (near
MġarrMġarr or Imġarr formerly known as Mgiarro, is a small town in the northwest of the mainland of Malta. Mgarr is a typical rural village situated in an isolated region, west of Mosta. It is surrounded with rich farmland and vineyards...
) and
Saint Monica Girls' School in
MostaMosta is a town situated in the middle of the island of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. It has a population of 18,429 people . In fact a lot of traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mosta's main streets which connects the South to the North. Mosta celebrates the feast of Saint...
. As of 2008, there are two international schools, Verdala International School and QSI Malta. The state pays a portion of the teachers' salary in Church schools.
Education in Malta is based on the
British modelEducation in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for education in England, the Scottish Government is responsible for education in Scotland, the Welsh Assembly...
. Primary school lasts six years. At the age of 11 pupils sit for an examination to enter a
secondary schoolSecondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. It follows on from elementary or primary education....
, either a church school (the Common Entrance Examination) or a
state schoolState school is an expression used in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom to distinguish schools provided by the government from privately run schools.- United Kingdom :...
.
PupilThe pupil is an opening located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye. In humans the pupil is round, but other species, such as some cats, have slit pupils...
s sit for SEC O-level examinations at the age of 16, with passes obligatory in certain subjects such as
mathematicsMathematics is the science and study of quantity, structure, space, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns, formulate new conjectures, and establish truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions....
,
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and
MalteseMaltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
. Pupils may opt to continue studying at a
sixth form collegeA sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels...
such as Junior College, St Edward's College, St Aloysius' College or else at another post-secondary institution such as
MCASTMCAST is the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology. Its mission is "To provide universally accessible vocational and professional education and training with an international dimension, responsive to the needs of the individual and the economy"....
. The sixth form course lasts for two years, at the end of which students sit for the Matriculation examination. Subject to their performance, students may then apply for an undergraduate
degreeA degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing a program of study.- History :...
or
diplomaA diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study, or confers an academic degree...
.
The
University of MaltaThe University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, which last between three and five years, and postgraduate Master's Degrees that last two years full-time....
(U.o.M.) provides
TertiaryThe Tertiary is a term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.588 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
education at diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate level.
The adult
literacy rateIn economics, the literacy rate is the proportion of the population over age fifteen that can read and write.-See also:*Literacy*List of countries by literacy rate...
is 92.8%.
Languages in education
English and Maltese are both used to teach students at primary and secondary school level, and both languages are also compulsory subjects.
Public schoolsIn most of the world, excluding England and Wales and some Commonwealth countries, a public school is an educational institution that is funded with tax revenue and most commonly administered by a local government or government agency...
tend to use both Maltese and English in a balanced manner.
Private schoolPrivate schools, also known as independent schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public funds...
s prefer to use English for teaching, as is also the case with most departments of the
University of MaltaThe University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, which last between three and five years, and postgraduate Master's Degrees that last two years full-time....
; this has a limiting effect on the capacity and development of the Maltese language. Most university courses are in English.
Of the total number of students studying a first foreign language at secondary level, 51% take
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
whilst 38% take
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
. Other choices include
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
,
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
,
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
, and Arabic.
Culture
The culture of Malta reflects the various cultures that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighbouring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of time prior to its independence in 1964.
Music
While Maltese music today is largely
westernWestern music is the genres of music originating in the Western world including Western classical music, American Jazz, Country and Western, pop music and rock and roll...
, traditional Maltese music includes what is known as għana. This consists of background folk guitar music, while a few people, generally men, take it in turns to argue a point in a singsong voice. The aim of the lyrics, which are improvised, are to create a friendly yet challenging atmosphere, and it takes a number of years of practice to be able to combine the required artistic qualities with the ability to
debateDebate or debating is a formal method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examine the consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examine what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is technique of...
effectively.
Literature
Documented Maltese literature is over 200 years old. However a recently unearthed love ballad testifies to literary activity in the local tongue from the Medieval period. Malta followed a Romantic literary tradition, culminating in the works of Dun Karm, Malta's National Poet. Subsequent writers like
Ruzar BriffaRużar Briffa was a Maltese poet and dermatologist, and a major figure in Maltese literature.“I never thought of publishing these poems in a book. Some were written in hard times, others in moments of joy...
and Karmenu Vassallo tried to estrange themselves from the rigidity of formal themes and versification.
It was late in the 1960s that Maltese literature experienced its most radical transformation amongst poets, prose writers and dramatists. Names of significant poets that stand out from the last quarter of the 20th century include
Mario AzzopardiMario Philip Azzopardi , is a television and film director and writer. He has worked on such shows as The Outer Limits, Stargate SG-1 , and Stargate Atlantis...
, Victor Fenech, Oliver Friggieri,
Joe FriggieriJoe Friggieri is professor of philosophy at the University of Malta – the first not be a Catholic priest – succeeding Peter Serracino Inglott in 1996 upon the latter’s retirement. He holds degrees from the universities of Milan and Oxford. He has written two books on J.L. Austin and a history of...
, Charles Flores, Daniel Massa, Maria Ganado, Lillian Sciberras and Akille Mizzi. In prose,
Frans SammutFrans Sammut is considered to be one of Malta's foremost literary persons. He studied at the Zebbug Primary School, St Aloysius College, St Michael's Teacher Training College, the University of Malta Frans Sammut (Malta, 1945 - ) is considered to be one of Malta's foremost literary persons. He...
, Paul P. Borg and Joe J. Camilleri led the avantguard while in theatre the names that matter include
Francis EbejerFrancis Ebejer was a Maltese dramatist and novelist. Ebejer studied medicine at the University of Malta between 1942 and 1943 before abandoning the course to work as an English-Italian interpreter with the 8th Army of the British Forces in Tripolitania, North Africa...
,
Alfred SantAlfred Sant is a Maltese politician. He is a Rhodes scholar and led the Labour Party from 1992 to 2008 and served as Prime Minister of Malta between 1996 and 1998 and as Leader of the Opposition from 1992 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2008.-Education:Sant graduated from the University of Malta as...
, Doreen Micallef, Oreste Calleja, Joe Friggieri and Martin Gauci.
The next generation of writers widened the tracks further, especially in prose. Guze' Stagno,
Karl SchembriKarl Schembri is a Maltese writer and journalist. A sociology graduate from the University of Malta, he has written two novels, Taħt il-Kappa tax-Xemx in 2002 and the Il-manifest tal-killer in 2006...
and Clare Azzopardi are young writers fast establishing themselves while in poetry, significant names include Adrian Grima,
Immanuel MifsudImmanuel Mifsud is a writer of poetry and prose, born in Paola, Malta. He was for a time involved in research theatre. He wrote six collections of short stories, six poetry collections, and also children stories.- Prose work :...
, Norbet Bugeja and Simone Inguanez.
In literary criticism,
Peter Serracino InglottPeter Serracino Inglott is Emeritus Professor of philosophy at and former rector of the University of Malta . He studied at the then Royal University of Malta , the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar , the Institut Catholique de Paris and the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Peter...
, Oliver Friggieri and Charles Briffa introduced perceptive historical, philosophical and psycho-social themes into Maltese theory.
Other writers, born in Malta or of Maltese descent, have established careers abroad. These included the novelist
Trezza AzzopardiTrezza Azzopardi is a British writer.She was born in Cardiff to a Maltese father and a Welsh mother. She studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia, and currently works as a lecturer there...
, best-selling children's author
Saviour PirottaSaviour Pirotta is a best-selling children's author based in England. The second of five brothers, he grew up speaking both English and Maltese. He attended Naxxar Primary School and later won a scholarship to St Aloysius' College , one of the most prestigious schools on the island...
and comic-book artist/journalist
Joe SaccoJoe Sacco is a Maltese-American comics artist and journalist. He achieved international fame through the 1996 American Book Award-winning Palestine, and his graphic novel on the Bosnian War, Safe Area Goražde.- Biography :...
.
Art and architecture
Malta has a long history of architecture, influenced by many different mediterranean cultures over its history, and most recently, British architecture. The first settlers on the island constructed
ĠgantijaĠgantija is a Neolithic, megalithic temple complex on the Mediterranean island of Gozo. The Ġgantija temples are the earliest of a series of megalithic temples in Malta. Their makers erected the two Ġgantija temples during the Neolithic Age Ġgantija (English pronounciation [ɡæn'tiːə], Maltese...
, one of the oldest manmade freestanding structure in the world. Malta is currently undergoing large scale building projects that includes constructions such as
SmartCity MaltaSmartCity is a planned technology park to be constructed in Kalkara, Malta. The plan is to transform the Ricasoli Industrial Estate into a state-of-the-art information technology and media city on the models of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City. The project was unveiled on 10 September 2007...
, the
M-TowersThe M-towers are three towers currently under construction in Gzira, Malta. The tallest of the three, at 33 stories, is set to become the tallest building on the island, surpassing the 98m Portomaso tower. The towers form part of a massive project, Metropolis Plaza, which includes a large plaza,...
, and
PendergardensPendergardens is a self-contained pedestrian development being constructed in the last open space left in Paceville, St. Julian's, Malta. The megaproject, which will cover an area of 18,500.m2, and is to be completed in 2012.- General :...
, while areas such as the
Valletta WaterfrontThe Valletta Waterfront, in Valletta, Malta, is Grand Master Pinto's baroque wharf built in the 18th century. It has been thoroughly renovated by a private consortium who run the Waterfront and offer management overseeing for Malta's lucrative cruise liner business.The Waterfront is also currently...
and
Tigne Point-History:During the Great Siege of 1565, the Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral Dragut ar-Rais stationed a number of cannons at Tigné Point in a siege to capture Fort St Elmo from the Knights of Malta...
are receiving renovation.
The Neolithic temple builders
3800-Events:* The Sweet Track, an ancient causeway in the Somerset Levels, England, one of the oldest engineered roads discovered and the oldest timber trackway discovered in Northern Europe is built in 3807 BC or 3806 BC, tree-ring dating enabled very precise dating. It has been claimed to be the...
-2500 BC endowed the numerous temples of Malta and Gozo with intricate bas relief designs, including spirals evocative of the tree of life and animal portraits, designs painted in red ochre, ceramics, and a vast collection of human form sculptures, particularly the Venus of Malta. These can be viewed at the temples themselves (most notably, the
HypogeumHypogeum or Hypogaeum literally means "underground", from Greek hypo and gaia . It usually refers to an underground, pre-Christian temple or a tomb...
and Tarxien Temples), and at the National Museum of Archaeology in
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
.
The Roman period introduced highly decorative mosaic floors, marble colonnades and classical statuary, remnants of which are beautifully preserved and presented in the Roman Domus, a country villa just outside the walls of
MdinaMdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...
. The early Christian frescoes that decorate the
catacombsCatacombs are ancient, human-made underground passageways or subterranean cemeteries composed thereof. Many are under cities and have served during historic times as a refuge for safety during wars or as a meeting place for cults. The first burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie...
beneath Malta reveal a propensity for eastern,
ByzantineThe word Byzantine may refer to:Topics directly related to the Byzantine Empire* A citizen of The Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
tastes. These tastes continued to inform the endeavours of medieval Maltese artists, but they were increasingly influenced by the
RomanesqueRomanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
and
Southern GothicSouthern Gothic is a subgenre of the gothic novel, unique to American literature.Like its parent genre, it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot...
movements. Towards the end of the 15th century, Maltese artists, like their counterparts in neighbouring Sicily, came under the influence of the School of
Antonello da MessinaAntonello da Messina, properly Antonello di Giovanni di Antonio was a Sicilian painter active during the Italian Renaissance...
, which introduced
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
ideals and concepts to the decorative arts in Malta.
The artistic heritage of Malta blossomed under the
Knights of St. JohnThe Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta is a Roman Catholic order based in Rome, Italy...
, who brought Italian and Flemish Mannerist painters to decorate their palaces and the churches of these islands, most notably,
Matteo Perez d'AleccioMatteo Perez d'Aleccio was an Italian painter of devotional, historical and maritime subjects during the Mannerist period. He was also known as Matteo da Lecce or Leccio by virtue of his hometown of Lecce....
, whose works appear in the
Magisterial PalaceThe Grandmaster's Palace is a palace in Valletta, Malta, currently housing the House of Representatives of Malta and the office of the President of Malta.-History:...
and in the Conventual Church of St. John in Valetta, and Filippo Paladini, who was active in Malta from 1590 to 1595. For many years, Mannerism continued to inform the tastes and ideals of local Maltese artists.
The arrival in Malta of
CaravaggioMichelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610...
, who painted at least seven works during his 15-month stay on these islands, further revolutionized local art. Two of Caravaggio's most notable works,
The Beheading of Saint John the BaptistThe Beheading of Saint John the Baptist is a painting finished in 1608 by the Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio. It is housed in the St. John's Co-Cathedral of Valletta, Malta....
and
Saint Jerome Writing, are on display in the
OratoryOratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
of the Conventual Church of St. John. His legacy is evident in the works of local artists Giulio Cassarino (1582-1637) and Stefano Erardi (1630-1716). However, the
BaroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
movement that followed was destined to have the most enduring impact on Maltese art and architecture. The glorious vault paintings of the celebrated Calabrese artist,
Mattia PretiMattia Preti was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta.-Biography:Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was sometimes called Il Cavalier Calabrese...
transformed the severe, Mannerist interior of the Conventual Church St. John into a Baroque masterpiece. Preti spent the last 40 years of his life in Malta, where he created many of his finest works, now on display in the Museum of Fine Arts in
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
. During this period, local sculptor Melchior Gafà (1639-1667) emerged as one of the top Baroque sculptors of the Roman School.
Throughout the 18th century,
NeapolitanNeapolitan may refer to:* Neapolitan--of, or pertaining to the city of Naples, Italy and sometimes its wider Duchy or Province of Naples*Previously a nationality, during the time of the Kingdom of Naples or the Neapolitan Republics* Neapolitan cuisine...
and
RococoRococo is a style of 18th century French art and interior design. Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings...
influences emerged in the works of
Luca GiordanoLuca Giordano was an Italian late Baroque painter and printmaker in etching.-Early life and training:...
(1632-1705) and
Francesco SolimenaFrancesco Solimena was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen.-Biography:Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino, near Avellino....
(1657-1747), and local artists Gio. Nicola Buhagiar (1698-1752) and Francesco Zahra (1710-1773). The Rococo movement was greatly enhanced by the relocation to Malta of Antoine de Favray (1706-1798), who assumed the position of court painter to Grand Master Pinto in 1744. 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 movementThe name Nazarene was adopted by a group of early 19th century German Romantic painters who aimed to revive honesty and spirituality in Christian art...
of artists.
RomanticismRomanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution...
, tempered by the naturalism introduced to Malta by
Giuseppe CalìGiuseppe Calì was a Maltese painter, born in Valletta of Neapolitan parents and educated at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Naples under Giuseppe Mancinelli...
, informed the "salon" artists of the early 20th century, including Edward and Robert Caruana Dingli.
Parliament established the National School of Art in the 1920s. During the reconstruction period that followed the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the emergence of the "Modern Art Group", whose members included Josef Kalleya (1898-1998), George Preca (1909-1984), Anton Inglott (1915-1945), Emvin Cremona (1919-1986), Frank Portelli (b.1922), Antoine Camilleri (b.1922) and Esprit Barthet (b.1919) greatly enhanced the local art scene.
Cuisine
- This article refers exclusively to the traditional dishes of Malta and Gozo.
Maltese cuisine is typically Mediterranean, based on fresh seasonal locally available produce and seafood. It is decidedly Mediterranean in character, the result of a long relationship between the
islandersThe Maltese are an ethnic group associated with the Southern European nation of Malta, and with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the many foreigners who dominated Malta over the centuries. While many dishes are native to the island, some popular Maltese recipes reflect Sicilian and
Southern ItalianItalian cuisine as a national cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political changes, with its roots traced back to 4th century BC...
as well as traces of Tunisian, Spanish, Berber, French and British influences (such as
qassatat). Still, there are many unique, distinctive and popular local dishes such as
ftira biż-żejt,
ġbejniet,
pastizzi and
Ross il-Forn. Maltese cuisine is still popular in households and restaurants in Malta.
Influences from outside Malta continue to arrive. Alongside the traditional cuisine of the island one can find an eclectic mix of dishes offered in various restaurants, drawn from Asia, North America etc.
Customs
Maltese folktales include various stories about mysterious creatures and supernatural goings on. These were most comprehensively compiled by the scholar (and pioneer in Maltese archeology)
Manwel MagriFr Emmanuel Magri, S.J. 1907) was a Maltese ethnographer, archaeologist and writer....
in his core criticism "
Ħrejjef Missirijietna" ("Stories from our Forefathers"). This collection of material inspired subsequent researchers and academics to gather traditional tales,
fableA fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from a parable in that the...
s and
legendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s from all over the Archipelago.
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. Many of these stories have been popularly re-written as
Children's literatureChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve and is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes exclude young-adult fiction, comic books, or other genres. Books specifically for children existed by the 17th century...
by authors writing in
MalteseMaltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
, such as Trevor Żahra. While giants, witches and dragons feature in many of the stories, some contain entirely Maltese creatures like the
Kaw kawIn Maltese mythology the Kaw Kaw is a 'slimy greyish bogey man' who strolls the streets at night. He is able to smell a person's guilt and is capable of entering their homes by extending and contracting his snail-like body through any crack or fissure...
, Il-Belliegħa and L-Imħalla amongst others. The traditional Maltese obsession with maintaining spiritual (or ritual) purity means that many of these creatures have the role of guarding forbidden or restricted areas and attacking individuals who broke the strict codes of conduct that characterized the island's pre-industrial society.
Traditional life
Traditional Maltese proverbs reveal a cultural preoccupation with childbearing and fertility: "
iż-żwieġ mingħajr tarbija ma fihx tgawdija" (a childless marriage cannot be a happy one). This is a belief that Malta shares with many other Mediterranean cultures. In Maltese folktales the local variant of the classic closing formula, "and they all lived happily ever after" is "
u għammru u tgħammru, u spiċċat" (and they lived together, and they had children together, and the tale is finished).
Rural Malta shares in common with Mediterranean and traditional Jewish society a number of superstitions regarding fertility, menstruation, and pregnancy, including the avoidance of cemeteries during the months leading up to childbirth, and avoiding the preparation of certain foods during menses. Pregnant women are encouraged to satisfy their cravings for specific foods, out of fear that their unborn child will bear a representational birth mark (Maltese:
xewqa, literally "desire" or "craving"). Maltese and Sicilian women also share certain traditions that are believed to predict the sex of an unborn child, such as the cycle of the moon on the anticipated date of birth, whether the baby is carried "high" or "low" during pregnancy, and the movement of a wedding ring, dangled on a string above the abdomen (sideways denoting a girl, back and forth denoting a boy).
Traditionally, Maltese newborns were baptised as promptly as possible, partly out of fear of
limboIn Roman Catholic theology, Limbo is an idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church or any other...
should the child die in infancy, and partly because according to Maltese (and Sicilian) folklore an unbaptised child is not yet a Christian, but "still a Turk". Traditional Maltese delicacies served at a baptismal feast include
biskuttini tal-magħmudija (almond macaroons covered in white or pink icing),
it-torta tal-marmorata (a spicy, heart-shaped tart of chocolate-flavoured almond paste), and a liqueur known as
rożolin, made with rose petals, violets and almonds.
On a child's first birthday, in a tradition that still survives today, Maltese parents would organize a game known as
il-quċċija, where a variety of symbolic objects would be randomly placed around the seated child. These may include a hard-boiled egg, a
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
,
crucifixA crucifix is a cross with a representation of Jesus' body, or corpus. It is a principal symbol of the Christian religion...
or rosary beads, a book, and so on. Whichever object the child shows most interest in is said to reveal the child's path and fortunes in adulthood.
Money refers to a rich future while a book expresses intelligence and a possible career as a teacher. Infants who select a pencil or pen will be writers. Choosing bibles or rosary beads refers to a clerical or monastic life. If the child chooses a hard-boiled egg, it will have a long life and many children. More recent additions include calculators (refers to accounting), thread (fashion) and wooden spoons (cooking and a great appetite).
Weddings
Traditional Maltese weddingsA wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
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 Maltese word for this custom is
il-ġilwa. This custom along with many others has long since disappeared from the Islands, in the face of modern practices.
New wives would wear the għonnella, a traditional item of Maltese clothing. However, it is no longer worn in modern Malta. Today's couples are married in churches or chapels in the village or town of their choice. The nuptials are usually followed by a lavish wedding reception, often including several hundred guests. Occasionally, couples will try to incorporate elements of the traditional Maltese wedding in their celebration. A resurgent interest in the traditional wedding was evident in May 2007, when thousands of Maltese and tourists attended a traditional Maltese wedding in the style of the 16th century, in the Village of
ŻurrieqŻurrieq is one of the oldest towns in Malta, and has a population of 9,816 . Żurrieq is situated in the South of Malta. The first documentation about it being a parish dates back to 1436 dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria...
. This included
il-ġilwa, which led the bride and groom to a wedding ceremony that took place on the parvis of St. Andrew's Chapel. The reception that followed featured folklore music (
għana) and dancing.
Festivals
Local
festivalA festival is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community.Among many religions, a feast or festival is a set of celebrations in honour of God or gods. A feast and a festival are historically interchangeable...
s, similar to those in southern
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
, are commonplace in Malta and Gozo, celebrating
weddingA wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s,
christeningsIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
and, most prominently, saints' days, honouring the patron saint of the local parish. On saints' days, the
festa reaches its apex with a
High MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
featuring a sermon on the life and achievements of the patron saint, after which a
statueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of the religious patron is taken around the local streets in solemn procession, with the faithful following in respectful
prayerPrayer is the act of addressing a god or spirit for the purpose of worship or petition. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one's thoughts and emotions...
. The religious atmosphere quickly gives way to several days of revelry, band processions,
fireworksA firework is a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
, and late night parties. Lija is one villages with a notable firework display.
CarnivalCarnival has had an important place on the Maltese cultural calendar for just under five centuries, having been introduced to the Islands by Grand Master Piero de Ponte in 1535...
(Maltese:
il-karnival ta' Malta) has had an important place on the cultural calendar after
Grand MasterGrand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and sectarian orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
Piero de PontePiero del Ponte was a member of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller.He hailed from Piedmont and was a descendent of the ancient family of Casal-Gros and Lombriax...
introduced it to the Islands in 1535. It is held during the week leading up to
Ash WednesdayIn the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days before Easter. It is a moveable feast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
, and typically includes masked balls, fancy dress and grotesque mask competitions, lavish late-night parties, a colourful, ticker-tape parade of allegorical
floatsA float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, and the Tournament of Roses Parade...
presided over by King Carnival (Maltese:
ir-Re tal-Karnival), marching bands and costumed revellers.
Holy WeekNumerous religious traditions, most of them inherited from one generation to the next, are part of the Paschal celebrations in the Maltese Islands.-Lent:Lent begins by Ash Wednesday , that is obligatory for fasting...
(Maltese:
il-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa) starts on
Palm SundayPalm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. The feast commemorates an event mentioned by all four Canonical Gospels , , , and : the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his Passion...
(
Ħadd il-Palm) and ends on Easter Sunday (
Ħadd il-Għid). Numerous religious traditions, most of them inherited from one generation to the next, are part of the
paschalEaster is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day from his crucifixion...
celebrations in the Maltese Islands, honouring the death and resurrection of
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
.
Mnarja, or l-Imnarja (pronounced
lim-nar-ya) is one of the most important dates on the Maltese cultural calendar. Officially, it is a national festival dedicated to the feast of
SaintSaints, individuals of exceptional holiness, are significant in many religions, particularly Christianity.-General characteristics :Though the term is mostly used for Christians considered holy or virtuous, many religions use similar concepts to elevate people worthy of respect, e.g. see Hindu...
s Peter and St. Paul. In fact, one can trace its roots back to the pagan
RomanThe Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, c...
feast of
Luminaria (literally, "the illumination"), when torches and bonfires lit up the early summer night of June 29.
A national feast since the rule of the Knights, Mnarja is a traditional Maltese festival of food, religion and music. The festivities still commence today with the reading of the
"bandu", an official governmental announcement, which has been read on this day in Malta since the 16th century. Originally, Mnarja was celebrated outside St. Paul's Grotto, in the north of Malta. However, by 1613 the focus of the festivities had shifted to the
CathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of
St. PaulPaul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, ...
, in
MdinaMdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...
, and featured torchlight processions, the firing of 100 petards, horseraces, and races for men, boys and slaves. Modern Mnarja festivals take place in and around the woodlands of
BuskettBuskett, in Rabat, Malta is the only woodland area in Malta and is overlooked by Verdala Palace.The Buskett Gardens are located in the fertile valley of Wied Il- Luq. They are located to the south of Rabat and just east of Dingli. The gardens are at their best in the spring but they offer shade...
, just outside the town of
RabatRabat , population 2 million , is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region....
.
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 rabbitHares and jackrabbits are leporidaes belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets.Hares are very fast-moving...
, which was otherwise reserved for the hunting pleasures of the Knights. The close connection between Mnarja and rabbit stew (Maltese:
"fenkata") remains strong today.
In 1854 British governor
William ReidWilliam Reid may refer to:*William Reid , basketball coach and administrator*William Reid , British soldier and Governor of Bermudas, Windward Islands, and Malta...
launched an agricultural show at Buskett which is still being held today. The farmers' exhibition is still a seminal part of the Mnarja festivities today.
Mnarja today is one of the few occasions when participants may hear traditional Maltese "għana". Traditionally, grooms would promise to take their brides to Mnarja during the first of year of marriage. For luck, many of the brides would attend in their wedding gown and veil, although this custom has long since disappeared from the Islands.
Sports
Malta has its own national football stadium, Ta' Qali Stadium. It is generally noted that the population tends to be split half and half with regards to supporting Italy or England in sports games, due to the cultural affinities of the island.
The
Maltese national football teamThe Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition and as of 12 October 2006 has won only four competitive matches...
won several matches over big opponents that reached the final phases in
World CupsThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
like
BelgiansThe Belgium national football team is the national football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association.-History:...
and
HungariansThe Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. It has a rich and proud pedigree in the game and a rightful place in football annals as one of the first original footballing nations in continental Europe and an...
and the
GreeksThe Greece national football team represents Greece in international football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation. Greece spent most of their history in relative obscurity, having participated only twice in the final tournaments of the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European...
.
Malta also hosts a
snookerSnooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regulation table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different ...
round, the
Malta CupThe Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 2004/05 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no events outside the...
, which as of 2008 became a non-ranking event.
In 2008 Malta's
Tony DragoTony Drago is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8-6 and also reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship...
was a member of a victorious European
Mosconi CupThe Mosconi Cup is an annual nine-ball pool tournament contested between teams representing Europe and the USA since 1994. The trophy is named after American player Willie Mosconi.-Famous players:...
team, which was played in Portomaso, Malta.
Boxer
Jeff FenechJeff Fenech is a retired Australian boxer and a three time world champion who is now a boxing trainer.-Boxing career:...
is of Maltese descent.
There are over 1200
rock climbingRock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route...
routes in Malta. The island offers a mixture of both trad climbing and
sport climbingSport climbing is a style of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, especially bolts, for protection. It contrasts with traditional climbing, in which the rock is typically devoid of fixed anchors, and climbers must place removable protection as they climb...
and also offers a good variety of
boulderingBouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practised on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
and deep water soloing . The geography and small size of the island makes the climbing easily accessible. The sport is growing in popularity with local communities, as well as tourists and visitors.
In the last decade the aviation sport of Microlight Flying was introduced to the island by the Island Microlight Club. There are now a total of twenty-two microlight aircraft that operate out of the
Malta International AirportMalta International Airport is the only airport in Malta, and it serves the whole Maltese Archipelago. It is located between Luqa and Gudja in Malta. It occupies the location of the former RAF Luqa and was completely re-furbished, becoming fully operational on 25 March 1992...
.
Boċċi is the Maltese version of the Italian game of
BocceBocce is a precision sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire...
, French
PétanquePétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing with the feet together in a small circle, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet . The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass or other...
and British
BowlsBowls is a sport in which the goal is to roll slightly asymmetric balls, called bowls, closest to a smaller—normally white—bowl called the "jack" or "kitty". Bowls, either flat- or crown-green, is usually played outdoors, on grass and synthetic surfaces. Flat-green bowls can also be...
. Other than certain differences in rules and the ground on which the game is played, one of the most obvious differences between Maltese Boċċi and foreign equivalents is the shape of the bowls themselves which tend to be cylindrical rather than spherical in shape. Many small clubs (usually called
Bocci Klabbs or
Klabbs tal-Bocci in
MalteseMaltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
) can be found in Maltese and Gozitan localities, and are usually well-frequented and are quite active on a local and European level.
Print
The most widely read and financially the strongest newspapers are published by Allied Newspapers Ltd., mainly the The Times (27%) and The Sunday Times (51.6%). Due to bilingualism half of the newspapers are published in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and the other half in
MalteseMaltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
. The Sunday newspaper It-Torċa (The Torch) published by the Union Press, a subsidiary of the
GWUThe General Workers' Union is a national trade union center in Malta.The GWU was founded in 1943 and has been politically identified with the Labour Party as the trade union is the major left-wing trade union in Malta...
, is the paper with the biggest circulation in the Maltese language. Its sister paper,
L-OrizzontL-Orizzont is a national newspaper published daily in Malta. It is published by the General Workers' Union and has been published since 1962....
, is the Maltese daily with biggest circulation. Newspapers are definitively losing out to
radioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
(and
radioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
is losing to
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
) as preferred source of
newsNews is the communication of information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
. There is a high number of daily or weekly newspapers, there is one paper for every 28,000 people.
AdvertisingAdvertising is a form of communication used to influence individuals to purchase products or services or support political candidates or ideas. Frequently it communicates a message that includes the name of the product or service and how that product or service could potentially benefit the consumer...
,
salesA sale is the pinnacle activity involved in selling products or services in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity.A sale is completed by the seller, the owner of the goods...
and subsidies are the three main methods of financing newspapers and magazines. However, most of the papers and magazines tied to institutions are subsidised by the same institutions, they depend on
advertisingAdvertising is a form of communication used to influence individuals to purchase products or services or support political candidates or ideas. Frequently it communicates a message that includes the name of the product or service and how that product or service could potentially benefit the consumer...
or subsidies from their owners.
Media
There is a great a presence of the institutions – church,
political partiesPolitical Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
, trade unions - in the print media, though not as in the broadcasting media. Trade Unions are not represented in the broadcasting media, but are in the print media, and only the
General Workers UnionThe General Workers' Union is a national trade union center in Malta.The GWU was founded in 1943 and has been politically identified with the Labour Party as the trade union is the major left-wing trade union in Malta...
owns a newspaper. The
UHMThe Malta Workers' Union is a national trade union center in Malta. It was founded on 29 September 1966, under the name Malta Government Clerical Union , and changed its name in 1978 to UHM. The union has members in both the private and public sectors, and emphasizes its political independence...
, the second biggest
unionA trade union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas, such as working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts with employers...
, has no newspaper, TV, or radio stations.
Broadcasting
There are 7 major nationwide television channels in Malta:
TVMTelevision Malta is the national television station of Malta. TVM is operated by Public Broadcasting Services Ltd . PBS Ltd is state owned....
,
One TelevisionONE Television was a Swedish television channel which broadcasts TV shows such as The Bill, Murder Investigation Team and Later with Jools Holland.The channel closed on 25 February, 2007 and was replaced by Kanal 9...
,
NET TelevisionNET Television is the television station owned by the Nationalist Party in Malta....
,
Smash TelevisionSmash Television is a Maltese television station. One can describe Smash TV as a neutral TV station whereby different opinions on politics inter alia are expressed....
, Favourite Channel, ITV, and Education22 - currently transmitted by analogue terrestrial, free-to-air signals. The state and
political parties subsidise most of the fundings of these television stations. The
Public Broadcasting ServicesPublic Broadcasting Services Limited is Malta's public broadcasting company, responsible for the TVM television channel and the Radio Malta and Radju Parlament and Magic radio stations. PBS is funded by government grant and the sale commercial airtime...
is the state-owned station and is a member of the
EBUThe European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 75 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 43 associate broadcasters from a further 25. It is unrelated to the European Union. Members are radio and television companies, most of which are government-owned public service broadcasters...
. Media Link Communications Ltd and
One Productions LtdOne Productions Ltd was founded in the late 1980s to operate Super One Radio and eventually Super One Television, now known as One Television...
are affiliated with the
Nationalist PartyThe Nationalist Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in Malta, along with the Labour Party. It was founded by Dr Fortunato Mizzi in 1880 as the Anti-Reform Party, opposing taxation decreed by the British colonial authorities and measures to Anglicise the educational and the...
and Labour Party respectively. Smash Communications Ltd is privately owned. The Broadcasting Authority supervises all local broadcasting stations and ensures their compliance with legal and licence obligations as well as the preservation of due impartiality; in respect of matters of political or
industrialAn industry is the manufacturing of a good or service within a category. Although industry is a broad term for any kind of economic production, in economics and urban planning industry is a synonym for the secondary sector, which is a type of economic activity involved in the manufacturing of raw...
controversy or relating to current public policy; while fairly apportioning broadcasting facilities and time between persons belong to different political parties. The Broadcasting Authority ensures that local broadcasting services consist of public, private and community broadcasts that offer varied and comprehensive programming to cater for all interests and tastes.
The only commercial TV station attracts an audience of 2%. Cable, terrestrial and satellite reception are all available, though the cable service is the most diffused. Cable subscriptions reached almost 124,000 in February 2006 reaching about 80% of Maltese households, and a small but increasing number of households are owning satellite dishes to receive other European TV networks such as the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
from
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
and
RAIRai , known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by parliament. RAI is the biggest television company in Italy...
from
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
.
Mobile
Some 80% of the Maltese population has a mobile phone. Malta uses the GSM900 mobile phone network. This is compatible with the rest of the European countries, Australia and also New Zealand.
Phone Codes
Malta's country code is 356. There are no area codes in Malta, so when calling Malta from abroad, one must first dial the international access code, then the country code and the number.
Highways
Traffic in Malta
drives on the leftRight-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all bidirectional traffic to keep either to the right or the left side of the road, respectively. This is so fundamental to traffic flow that it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road. This basic rule eases traffic flow...
, as in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
. Car ownership in Malta is exceedingly high, given the very small size of the islands; it is the fourth highest in the European Union. The number of registered cars in 1990 amounted to 182,254, giving an automobile density of .
Malta has of road, (87.5%) of which are paved and are unpaved (December 2003).
Buses
BusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
es are the primary method of public transport for the islands, which offer a relatively cheap and frequent service to many parts of Malta and Gozo. The vast majority of buses on Malta depart from a large circular terminus in
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
.
The island has had buses since 1905. Due to their appearance, Malta's classic buses have become tourist attractions in their own right and appear on many Maltese advertisements to promote tourism, as well as on gifts and merchandise for tourists. However, these old buses are slowly being replaced by a more modern fleet, albeit still customised in the tradition of the older buses.
The buses used to be colour coded, according to the their routes, before being painted green. Now the buses in Malta are all dark yellow, with a band of orange, while those on the sister island of
GozoGozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
are grey, with a red band.
There are approximately 500 buses in public transit service in Malta. The drivers themselves own most of the buses, but operate to a unified timetable set by the transport authority. Malta buses carry approximately 31 million passengers per year. On any one day, half the bus fleet works on the public transport network (called 'route buses'), while the other half provides private tours and school transportation.
Railway
Between 1883 and 1931, Malta had a railway line that connected
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
to the army barracks at
MtarfaImtarfa, or Mtarfa is a small town close to Rabat and Mdina in the north of Malta, with a population of 2,396 people .-History:...
via
MdinaMdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...
and a number of towns and villages. The railway fell into disuse and eventually closed altogether, following the introduction of electric trams and buses. At the height of the bombing of Malta during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
,
MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini,
KSMOM GCTE was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism. He became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce by...
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.
New public transport network
A new public transport network is being proposed for the islands of Malta and Gozo that will include a day service from 6am to 11pm and a night service from 11pm to 6am. The proposed network would provide three types of services. The fast Crossline services would operate at a frequency of 30 minutes. These would connect with Mainline services, which would operate at a frequency of between 10 and 30 minutes. At regional and local levels the Feederlines would serve villages and neighbouring areas at a frequency of 30 minutes. Apart from the interchange at Valletta, which would be upgraded, the proposal includes other major interchanges in the network at
Mater DeiMater Dei is Latin for "Mother of God", referring to the Virgin Mary. The term has been used to name various institutions, often Catholic, including:*Mater Dei institute of education, Dublin Ireland...
, Luxol in
Swieqi-Overview:Swieqi is a municipality and town in northeastern Malta. It is a residential area just 15 minutes by bus from Sliema and within striking distance of Malta's nightlife and entertainment centres, Paceville and St. Julian's. As Swieqi developed, its residential estates took over farmland...
,
Paola-Place names:Italy* Paola, Italy* Acqua Paola, a 17th century Roman aqueductUnited States* Paola, California* Paola, Florida* Paola, KansasOther nations* Paola, Malta , a town in the south of Malta...
,
MarsaMarsa is a town in the south of Malta, with a population of 5,389 people . Marsa is home to the Malta Shipyards. It also houses of one of the two power stations which provide most of the electricity to the Maltese Islands is found...
,
Malta International AirportMalta International Airport is the only airport in Malta, and it serves the whole Maltese Archipelago. It is located between Luqa and Gudja in Malta. It occupies the location of the former RAF Luqa and was completely re-furbished, becoming fully operational on 25 March 1992...
and
MsidaMsida or Imsida , is a harbour town in Malta with a population of 7,623 . The town is located just North of Valletta in the east coast of Malta. The town enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry, sunny summers and short, cool winters.The neighbouring towns of Msida are Ta' Xbiex, Gzira, San...
. Public transport information would be made available in various media including real time, mobile and online. Enhanced bus stop and interchange facilities would provide shelter, security, information, comfort and convenience.
Ports and harbours
Malta has three large natural harbours on its main island.
Map of Malta and Gozo
- The Grand Harbour
Grand Harbour is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been used as a harbour since at least Phoenician times...
, located at the eastern side of the capital city of VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
, has been a harbour since RomanThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
times. It has several extensive docks and wharvesA wharf is a landing place or pier where ships may tie up and load or unload.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed platform, often on pilings. They often serve as interim storage areas with warehouses, since the typical objective is to unload and reload vessels as quickly as possible...
, as well as a cruise liner terminal. A terminal at the Grand Harbour serves ferries that connect Malta to PozzalloPozzallo is a town in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, Italy. The beaches of Pozzallo have received the Blu flag by FEE award. A prestigious award given to beaches which meet strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety...
& CataniaCatania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse...
in SicilySicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. Several much smaller islands surrounding it are considered to be part of Sicily....
.
- Marsamxett Harbour
Marsamxett Harbour, also referred as Marsamuscetto in many ancient documents, is the northern of Valletta's two natural harbours on the island of Malta, separated from the southern one by the Valetta peninsular. To the north it is bounded by Gżira and Sliema as far as Dragut Point and extends...
, located on the western side of Valletta, accommodates a number of yacht marinas.
- Marsaxlokk Harbour, at Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta, with a population of 3,205 people . The village’s name comes from marsa, which means "port" and xlokk, which is the local name for south east...
on the south-eastern side of Malta, is the site of the Malta Freeport, the islands' main cargo terminal.
There are also two man-made harbours that serve a passenger and car ferry service that connects
Ċirkewwa HarbourĊirkewwa is a harbour situated on a point at the northernmost part of Malta.It is the site of the Ċirkewwa Ferry Terminal, where regular car ferries operate to the port of Mġarr on Gozo. In the summer, boat trips to Comino also operate, as well as organised diving excursions...
on Malta and
Mġarr HarbourMġarr or Imġarr formerly known as Mgiarro, is a small town in the northwest of the mainland of Malta. Mgarr is a typical rural village situated in an isolated region, west of Mosta. It is surrounded with rich farmland and vineyards...
on
GozoGozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
. The ferry makes numerous runs each day.
Airports and heliports
Malta International AirportMalta International Airport is the only airport in Malta, and it serves the whole Maltese Archipelago. It is located between Luqa and Gudja in Malta. It occupies the location of the former RAF Luqa and was completely re-furbished, becoming fully operational on 25 March 1992...
is the only airport serving the Maltese Islands. It is built on the land formerly occupied by the
RAFThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
LuqaRAF Luqa was an airbase of the Royal Air Force on the island of Malta during World War II. Particularly from 1941 to 1943, RAF Luqa was a very important base for British Commonwealth forces fighting against Italy and Germany for naval control of the Mediterranean and for ground control of North...
air base. A heliport is also located there, but the scheduled service to Gozo ceased in 2006. Since June 2007, Harbour Air Malta has operated a thrice-daily floatplane service between the sea terminal in Grand Harbour and Mgarr Harbour in Gozo.
Two further airfields at
Ta'QaliTa' Qali is a village in Malta, a wide open space in the middle of Malta containing the national stadium, Ta' Qali National Park and a national vegetable market which is locally known as the Pitkalija....
and Ħal Far airfields operated during World War II and into the 1960s but are now closed. Today,
Ta'QaliTa' Qali is a village in Malta, a wide open space in the middle of Malta containing the national stadium, Ta' Qali National Park and a national vegetable market which is locally known as the Pitkalija....
houses a national park,
stadiumTa' Qali National Stadium is the national stadium of Malta. It stages top local league and cup matches, as well as international matches. The stadium seats 17,000 people, although for concerts it can accommodate up to 35,000 people...
, the Crafts Village visitor attraction and the Malta Aviation Museum. This museum preserves several aircraft, including Hurricane and
SpitfireSpitfire may refer to:* Supermarine Spitfire, a British single-seat fighter aircraft used in World War II* Triumph Spitfire, a small two-seat British sports car from Triumph Motor Company developed in the 1960s...
fighters that defended the island in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The national airline is
Air MaltaAir Malta plc is the national airline of Malta, headquartered in Luqa. It operates services to 36 destinations in Europe and North Africa. The airline's hub and base is at Malta International Airport.- History :...
, which is based in at Malta International Airport, and which operates services to 36 destinations in Europe and North Africa. The owners of Air Malta are Maltese government (98%) and private investors (2%). Air Malta employs 1,547 staff and a 25% shareholding in
MedaviaMedavia is an airline based in Luqa, Malta. It operates ad hoc charters and long term leases mainly in North Africa supporting the oil industry and the provision of VIP charters. Its main bases are Malta International Airport and Tripoli International Airport, Libya...
.
Air Malta has concluded over 191 interline ticketing agreements with other IATA airlines. It also has a codeshare agreement with Qantas covering the following routes: Sydney-Singapore-Heathrow-Malta, Sydney-Bangkok-Heathrow-Malta and Melbourne-Singapore-Heathrow-Malta. In September 2007, Air Malta made two agreements with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways by which Air Malta wet-leased two Airbus aircraft to Etihad Airways for the winter period starting September 1, 2007, and provided operational support on another Airbus A320, aircraft which it leased to Etihad Airways.
Military
The objectives of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) are to maintain a military organisation with the primary aim of defending the Islands' integrity according to the defence roles as set by Government in an efficient and cost effective manner. This is achieved by emphasising the maintenance of Malta's territorial waters and airspace integrity.
The AFM also engages in combating terrorism, fighting against illicit drug trafficking, conducting anti-illegal immigrant and anti-illegal fishing operations, operating Search and Rescue (SAR) services, and physical/electronic security/surveillance of sensitive locations. Malta's Search and Rescue area extends from east of Tunisia to west of Crete covering an area of around 250,000 km
2.
As a military organisation, the AFM provides backup support to the Malta Police Force (MPF) and other government departments/agencies in situations as required in an organised, disciplined manner in the event of national emergencies (such as natural disasters) or internal security and bomb disposal.
On another level, the AFM establishes and/or consolidates
bilateral co-operationBilateralism comprises the political and cultural relations between two states.Most international diplomacy is done bilaterally. Examples of this include treaties between two countries, exchanges of ambassadors, and state visits...
with other countries to reach higher operational effectiveness related to AFM roles.
Other
See also
- BirdLife Malta
BirdLife Malta is Malta's biggest environmental movement. The organisation's stated aim is to "achieve protection of wild birds, natural habitat and biodiversity"....
- British Malta
- Index of Malta-related articles
- Malta Conference
Malta Conference can refer to:*Malta Conference , between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at the end of World War II.*Malta Conference , between George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev at the end of the Cold War....
- Monasteries in Malta
This is a list of monasteries and convents that one can find in Malta and Gozo:*De La Salle Brothers , with their monastery at Cottonera Road, Birgu...
External links
Government
General information
- Malta from UCB Libraries GovPubs
News media
Travel
Economy