Malta

Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Sicily. It consists of the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, and the tiny, uninhabited islands of Cominotto and Filfla. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

Terraces cut into the landscape for farming make much of the countryside look like giant steps. The balmy climate attracts many visitors. Tourists also come to Malta to view some of the world’s finest examples of Baroque and Renaissance art and architecture.

Malta was once a colony of the United Kingdom. In 1964, Malta became an independent country. Valletta, on the island of Malta, is the capital and chief port.

Government.

Malta is a republic. The president is head of state and is appointed by Parliament to a five-year term. The prime minister—usually the leader of the majority party in Parliament—is the country’s most powerful official. A Cabinet assists the prime minister in carrying out government operations. The members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people to five-year terms.

People.

Most of Malta’s people speak a language called Maltese, which developed from West Arabic and has many words borrowed from Italian. Both English and Maltese are official languages. Maltese is used in the courts. The country has both Maltese and English newspapers. Roman Catholicism is the state religion of Malta.

All children must attend school, and lessons are taught in both English and Maltese. Malta has both public schools and Roman Catholic schools. By law, all schools must teach Roman Catholic religious doctrine. The University of Malta is in Msida, near Valletta.

Land.

Malta covers a total area of 122 square miles (316 square kilometers). Malta island covers 95 square miles (246 square kilometers). Gozo covers 26 square miles (67 square kilometers). Comino covers about 1 square mile (3 square kilometers). Malta has limited supplies of freshwater. It relies heavily on desalination plants that turn seawater into freshwater.

Climate.

Malta has a mild climate. Winters are moist and mild, and frost is unusual. Summers are hot and dry, but the heat is moderated by sea breezes. Malta gets about 21 inches (53 centimeters) of rainfall a year. Northwest winds sometimes reach hurricane force in autumn and winter.

Economy.

Tourism plays a major role in Malta’s economy. Millions of tourists visit the country each year. Most tourists come from the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Maltese farmers raise cauliflower, grapes, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and wheat. Most crops are small because of the rocky soil. Important livestock products include eggs, milk, pork, and poultry meat. Malta has few minerals or natural resources, except limestone and salt. The country manufactures chemicals, electronics, and food and beverage products.

Malta imports more goods than it exports. Its main trading partners include France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The country has a good road network and extensive local bus service. Ferry service links Malta with Gozo. Luqa has an international airport.

History.

Malta is a region of great historical interest. Through the years, it has had much military importance because of its strategic location and natural harbors.

Remains of late Stone Age and Bronze Age people have been found in limestone caverns on the islands. Rough stone buildings from early ages have also been discovered in Malta. The Phoenicians colonized Malta in about 1000 B.C. Temples, tombs, and other relics of the Phoenicians still stand. Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, and Arab conquerors followed the Phoenicians into Malta. According to tradition, the Christian apostle Paul was shipwrecked near Malta about A.D. 60 and converted the inhabitants to Christianity.

Malta passed to the Norman kings of Sicily around 1090. About 1520, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V inherited the area when he received the crown of Spain. In 1530, Charles V gave Malta to the Knights Hospitallers. For this reason, the Knights are sometimes called the Knights of Malta. The Knights Hospitallers wore the Maltese cross as their badge. They had fought against the Muslims since the time of the First Crusade in the 1090’s. In 1565, the Ottoman Empire, based in what is now Turkey, laid siege to Malta with naval and military forces. Though heavily outnumbered, the knights held out against the Ottomans for months and finally defeated them. The town of Valletta was named for Jean Parisot de la Valette, the grand master who led the knights against the Ottomans.

The French under Napoleon Bonaparte took Malta from the Knights Hospitallers in 1798. British forces drove out the French in 1800. The people of Malta offered control of the colony to the United Kingdom. British control was not completely recognized, however, until peace was made with France in 1815, after the Napoleonic Wars. The United Kingdom developed its Mediterranean military headquarters on Malta.

During World War I (1914-1918), Malta served as a strategic naval base for Allied forces. The United Kingdom granted Malta some self-government in 1921. However, the United Kingdom suspended Malta’s Constitution in 1930 because of a dispute between the state and Roman Catholic authorities. They disagreed about the role of the church in state affairs. The Constitution was reestablished in 1932, then withdrawn a year later. This time the pro-Italian sympathies of the Maltese government led the United Kingdom to suspend the Constitution. Full authority was returned to the governor in 1936.

During World War II (1939-1945), Malta controlled the vital sea lanes between Italy and Africa. The natural rocks and deep inlets of the colony concealed anchorages and submarine bases. Many underground passages provided bomb shelters. Fighter planes based on Malta defended convoys of ships. The colony suffered heavy bomb damage. In 1942, King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to Malta in recognition of the courage and endurance of the Maltese people during the war. In 1953, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established its Mediterranean military headquarters on Malta.

The Constitution of 1947 gave the colony increased self-government. The Maltese Labour Party gained control of the assembly and proposed political integration with the United Kingdom. Voters approved a 1956 referendum on integration, but members of Malta’s Nationalist Party refused to vote in the referendum. This, combined with concerns over details of the agreement, brought the plans to an end.

The drive for independence gained strength in the late 1950’s. A constitution approved in 1962 provided that the colony become a state with internal self-government. The new legislative assembly favored full independence. The United Kingdom agreed to grant full independence, and a series of talks were held to decide how to make the change to independence.

Malta’s two main political parties could not agree on what form of government to adopt after independence. The Nationalist Party favored making Malta a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch as head of state. The Labour Party wanted to make the new country a republic, with an elected president as head of state. The Nationalists held a majority in Malta’s Parliament, so their ideas were adopted. Malta became an independent country as a constitutional monarchy on Sept. 21, 1964.

In 1971, the Labour Party won control of Parliament. Parliament amended the Constitution in 1974 to change the form of government to a republic and the head of state to an elected president. In 1979, an agreement between the United Kingdom and Malta that permitted the use of military facilities on Malta expired. The United Kingdom and NATO then withdrew their military forces from Malta.

In 1987 elections, the Nationalists regained control of Parliament. They applied for Malta to join the European Union (EU). The EU is an organization of European nations that promotes economic and political cooperation among its members.

The Labour Party won elections in 1996 and withdrew Malta’s application for membership in the EU. After the Nationalists regained control of the government in elections in 1998, they reactivated the application. In 2004, Malta became a member of the EU. The Labour Party returned to power in 2013 and maintained power in 2017 elections.

In 2019, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced that he would resign following a public outcry surrounding his government’s handling of the investigation of the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Galizia’s reporting had revealed corruption involving a number of government officials and their associates. European lawmakers had expressed concerns about Malta’s commitment to the rule of law. In January 2020, the Labour Party chose Robert Abela to succeed Muscat as party leader and prime minister. In 2022 elections, Abela’s Labour Party won a majority of seats in Parliament.