Southern Europe
Map of Malta
Malta
Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.
The Republic of Malta is an island nation
in southern Europe.
Consisting of an archipelago in the central
Mediterranean Sea directly south of Italy,
these strategically located islands have
been ruled and fought over by various
powers over the centuries.
Repubblika ta' Malta
Official languages; Maltese and English
Capital; Valletta
Largest City; Birkirkara
President; Guido de Marco
Prime minister; Eddie Fenech Adami
Area; 316 kmē
Population; 394,583
Independence - Date From the UK September 21, 1964
Currency; lira
Time zone; UTC +1
National anthem; L-Innu Malti
Internet TLD; .MT
Phone Calling Code; 356
History
Malta has been inhabited since around 5200 BC.
and a significant pre-historic civilisation
existed on the islands prior to the arrival
of the Phoenicians who named the main island
Malat, meaning safe haven.
The islands later came under the control of
first Carthage (400 BC) and then Rome, before
being conquered by Arabs in 870 AD, who would
greatly influence local culture, notably in the
Maltese language.
In 1127 they were finally replaced by the
Sicilian Normans, after which Malta
became Christian again.
In 1530 the islands were given to the Order
of Knights of the Hospital of St. John of
Jerusalem, who had been driven out of Rhodes
by the Ottoman Empire.
This militant monastic order, now known as the
"Knights of Malta", withstood a siege by
the Ottomans in 1565, after which they increased
the fortifications, particularly
in the city of Valletta.
Their reign ended when Napoleon conquered
the islands in 1798.
The British then took the islands in 1800.
In 1814, as part of the Treaty of Paris,
Malta officially became a part of the
British Empire and was used as a shipping
waystation and fleet headquarters
until the mid 1930s.
Malta played a role during World War
II, due to its proximity to Axis shipping
lanes, and received for its people's bravery
the George Cross now seen
on its flag.
After the war, Maltese independence was
granted on September 21, 1964.
Under its 1964 constitution, Malta initially
retained Queen Elizabeth II as sovereign
of Malta and a Governor-General exercised
executive authority on her behalf, but
on December 13, 1974, Malta became a
republic within the Commonwealth, with
executive authority vested
in a Maltese president.
It will join the European
Union on May 1, 2004.
Politics
The President is elected by the the
Maltese parliament, who appoints as
Prime Minister the leader of the party
with a majority of seats in the unicameral
House of Representatives.
The president also nominally appoints,
upon recommendation of the prime minister,
the individual ministers to head each of
the government departments.
This cabinet is selected from among the
members of the House of Representatives.
This body consists of between 65 and 69
members elected on the basis of
proportional representation.
Elections must be held at
least every 5 years.
Candidates for any vacancies are
determined by the majority of votes
obtained by a candidate
during the previous elections.
Local councils
Since 1993, Malta has been subdivided
into 68 local councils or localities.
These form the most basic form of local
government and there are no intermediate
levels between it and the national level.
The following list divides them by island:
Island of Malta Island of Gozo.
Attard, Balzan, Birgu, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Bormla,
Dingli, Fgura, Floriana, Gudja, Gzira, Gharghur, Ghaxaq,
Hamrun, Iklin, Isla, Kalkara, Kirkop, Lija, Luqa, Marsa,
Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mdina, Mellieha, Mgarr, Mosta,
Mqabba, Msida, Mtarfa, Naxxar, Paola, Pembroke, Pietà,
Qormi, Qrendi, Rabat (Rabat, Malta), Safi, Saint Julian's
(San Giljan), Saint Lucia's (Santa Lucija), Saint Paul's
Bay (San Pawl il-Bahar), San Gwann, Santa Venera, Siggiewi,
Sliema, Swieqi, Ta' Xbiex, Tarxien, Valletta, Xghajra,
Zabbar, Zebbug, Zejtun, Zurrieq, Fontana, Ghajnsielem,
Gharb, Ghasri, Kercem, Munxar, Nadur, Qala, Victoria
(Rabat, Gozo), Saint Lawrence (San Lawrenz), Sannat,
Xaghra, Xewkija, Zebbug.
Geography
Malta comprises an archipelago in the
central Mediterranean Sea, some 93 km
south of Sicily. Only the three largest
islands Malta Island (Malta), Gozo (Ghawdex),
and Comino (Kemmuna) are inhabited.
Numerous bays along the indented coastline
of the islands provide good harbours, whereas
the landscape of the densely populated islands
themselves is characterised by low
hills with terraced fields.
The highest point is the Ta'Dmejrek
on Malta Island at 253 m.
The local climate is a
Mediterranean temperate clime,
with mild, rainy winters
and hot, dry summers.
Effectively there are only two seasons,
which makes the islands
attractive for tourists.
Economy
Malta's major resources are limestone,
a favourable geographic location,
and a productive labour force.
Malta produces only about 20% of its
food needs, has limited freshwater
supplies, and has no domestic
energy sources.
The economy is dependent on foreign trade (serving as
a freight transhipment point), manufacturing (especially
electronics and textiles), and tourism.
Malta has privatised state-controlled
firms and liberalised markets in order
to prepare for membership in the
European Union which will occur in 2004.
Malta and Tunisia are currently discussing
the commercial exploitation of the
continental shelf between their countries,
particularly for oil exploration.
Demographics
Malta is one of the most densely populated
countries in the world, with about 1,250
inhabitants per square kilometre.
The population is mostly composed of
the descendants of Arab, British,
Italian, and Phoenician peoples.
Most of the foreign community in Malta
consists of British nationals, a group
centred around Sliema and
the surrounding suburbs.
There also is a growing North African
Muslim community of about 2,250 (2001),
many of which are married to
Maltese nationals.
Roman Catholicism is established by
law as the official religion of Malta;
however, full liberty of conscience
and freedom of worship is guaranteed,
and a number of faiths have
places of worship on the island.
Malta has two official languages:
Maltese (a Semitic language) and English,
but Italian is also widely spoken.
External Links
Gov.mt - Official governmental
portal
All text is available under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License.
This information correct in 2003. E. & O.E.
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