The island is 27 kilometres long and 14.5 kilometres wide, with a total area of 246 The birth rate stood at 3860 (a decrease of 21.8 per cent from the 1995 census) and the death rate stood at 3025. During the period of unrest in Libya that began in For other uses, see, , Crown of Aragon rule and the Knights of Malta. A number of wines have achieved Protected Designation of Origin, with wines produced from grapes cultivated in Malta and Gozo designated as "DOK" wines, that is Denominazzjoni ta l-Oriini Kontrollata. [206], FinanceMalta is the quasi-governmental organisation tasked with marketing and educating business leaders coming to Malta and runs seminars and events around the world highlighting the emerging strength of Malta as a jurisdiction for banking and finance and insurance. There are also a number of cave churches, including the grotto at Melliea, which is a Shrine of the Nativity of Our Lady where, according to legend, St. Luke painted a picture of the Madonna. [271] However, irregular migrants who land in Malta are subject to a compulsory detention policy, being held in several camps organised by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), including those near al Far and al Safi. [312], Isle of MTV is a one-day music festival produced and broadcast on an annual basis by MTV. [295], Magri's work also inspired a series of comic books (released by Klabb Kotba Maltin in 1984): the titles included Bin is-Sultan Jiewwe x-Xebba tat-Troniet Mewwija and Ir-Rjie. Malta.com was created to promote the Island of Malta. The Maltese people created a Declaration of Rights in which they agreed to come "under the protection and sovereignty of the King of the free people, His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland". However, there are minorities, the largest of which are Britons, many of whom are retirees. Under its 1964 constitution, Malta initially retained Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta and thus head of state, with a governor-general exercising executive authority on her behalf. This included il-ilwa, which led the bride and groom to a wedding ceremony that took place on the parvis of St. Andrew's Chapel. With lower fares than the walk-on rate, it can be topped up online. [153], The AFM also engages in combating terrorism, fighting against illicit drug trafficking, conducting anti-illegal immigrant operations and patrols, and anti-illegal fishing operations, operating search and rescue (SAR) services, and physical or electronic security and surveillance of sensitive locations. Animal bones and a knife found behind a removable altar stone suggest that temple rituals included animal sacrifice. In Valletta, the National Museum of Fine Arts featured work from artists such as H. Craig Hanna. In the 6 months from June to November the average sea temperature exceeds 20C (68F). Carnival (Maltese: il-karnival ta' Malta) has had an important place on the cultural calendar after Grand Master Piero de Ponte introduced it to the islands in 1535. [277], In the 19th century, most emigration from Malta was to North Africa and the Middle East, although rates of return migration to Malta were high. WebMalta.com was created to promote the Island of Malta. Another conjecture suggests that the word Malta comes from the Phoenician word Maleth, "a haven",[46] or 'port'[47] in reference to Malta's many bays and coves. [266] According to a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2019, 83% of the population identified as Catholic. The main roads of Malta from the southernmost point to the northernmost point are these: Triq Birebbua in Birebbua, Gar Dalam Road and Tal-Barrani Road in ejtun, Santa Luija Avenue in Paola, Aldo Moro Street (Trunk Road), 13 December Street and amrun-Marsa Bypass in Marsa, Regional Road in Santa Venera/Msida/Gira/San wann, St Andrew's Road in Swieqi/Pembroke, Malta, Coast Road in Baar i-agaq, Salina Road, Kennedy Drive, St. Paul's Bypass and Xemxija Hill in San Pawl il-Baar, Mistra Hill, Wettinger Street (Melliea Bypass) and Marfa Road in Melliea. Its property market, especially around the harbour area, was booming, with the prices of apartments in some towns like St Julian's, Sliema and Gzira skyrocketing. [citation needed] Due to bilingualism half of the newspapers are published in English and the other half in Maltese. [63], Pottery from the Gar Dalam phase is similar to pottery found in Agrigento, Sicily. Malta's geographical location in the centre of the Mediterranean made it an alluring and much-fought-over prize, and the islands are full of majestic above- and below-ground defences. 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 Mdina. [6], The total fertility rate (TFR) as of 2016[update] was estimated at 1.45 children born/woman, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1. Malta was used by the British to launch attacks on the Italian navy and had a submarine base. [130][131][132], During the Second World War, Malta played an important role for the Allies; being a British colony, situated close to Sicily and the Axis shipping lanes, Malta was bombarded by the Italian and German air forces. This group of forward-looking artists came together forming an influential pressure group known as the Modern Art Group. Malta is a republic[34] whose parliamentary system and public administration are closely modelled on the Westminster system. The state pays a portion of the teachers' salary in Church schools.[281]. The Sunday newspaper It-Tora ("The Torch") published by the Union Press, a subsidiary of the General Workers' Union, is the widest Maltese language paper. In 1971, the Malta Labour Party led by Dom Mintoff won the general elections, resulting in Malta declaring itself a republic on 13 December 1974 (Republic Day) within the Commonwealth, with a president as head of state. Music plays an important part in Maltese culture as each locality parades its own band club, on various occasions these being multiple per locality, and function to establish the thematic musical background to the various village feasts that dot the Maltese islands throughout the year. With 300 sq. "[115][116] After the siege they decided to increase Malta's fortifications, particularly in the inner-harbour area, where the new city of Valletta, named in honour of Valette, was built. [285], Malta has a long history of providing publicly funded health care. Documented Maltese literature is over 200 years old. [234][235] Malta was ranked 21st in the Global Innovation Index in 2022, up from 27th in 2019, 2020 and 2021. We provide information about Malta, Gozo and Comino - Malta guide, Attraction, Event, Museum, Beaches, Hotels, Apartments and Farmhouses. Overall Arriva Malta operated 264 buses. Once under British control, they came to depend on Malta Dockyard for support of the Royal Navy, especially during the Crimean War of 1854. [42] King Tancred made Malta a fief of the kingdom and installed a count of Malta in 1192. Cassar Pullicino, J. The reports claimed that the government's approach might have led to avoidable deaths. [187], Access to biocapacity in Malta is below the world average. Maltese has a Semitic base with substantial borrowing from Sicilian, Italian, a little French, and more recently and increasingly, English. [42] Punic influence, however, remained vibrant on the islands with the famous Cippi of Melqart, pivotal in deciphering the Punic language, dedicated in the 2nd century BC. It's the only European Union member state with a total ban on the procedure. Numerous religious traditions, most of them inherited from one generation to the next, are part of the Easter celebrations in the Maltese Islands, honouring the death and resurrection of Jesus. This migration was driven predominantly in the early 21st century, when the Maltese economy was steadily booming yet the cost and quality of living on the island remained relatively stable. [42], Malta was ruled by the House of Barcelona, the ruling dynasty of the Crown of Aragon, from 1282 to 1409,[99] with the Aragonese aiding the Maltese insurgents in the Sicilian Vespers in the naval battle in Grand Harbour in 1283. [228] In 2019, Malta had a record year in tourism, recording over 2.1 million tourists in one single year.[229]. The card was initially not well received, as reported by several local news sites. Between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War, Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers who were accommodated in Malta. The House of Representatives has 65 members, elected for a five-year term in 13 five-seat electoral divisions, called distretti elettorali, with constitutional amendments that allow for mechanisms to establish strict proportionality amongst seats and votes of political parliamentary groups.[146]. The festival has been arranged annually in Malta since 2007, with major pop artists performing each year. WHO Region: European Region. During the period of unrest in Libya that began in February 2011, Malta Blouet, B. [125], General Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois surrendered his French forces in 1800. On 13 December 1974 (Republic Day), it became a republic within the Commonwealth, with the President as head of state. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. The three largest islands in the archipelago are Malta, Comino, and Gozo. The capital, Valletta, built by the Knights of St John, is a harmonious grid, Mdina and Victoria are fortress-like hilltop towns, and watchtowers dot the coast. [77] While the bulk of population continued to be constituted by the old, Latinized dwellers, during this period its religious allegiance oscillated between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople. [80] From 454 to 464 the islands were subdued by the Vandals, and after 464 by the Ostrogoths. Great Britain, along with the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily, sent ammunition and aid to the Maltese, and Britain also sent its navy, which blockaded the islands. The Malta 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 industrial controversy or relating to current public policy; while fairly apportioning broadcasting facilities and time between persons belong to different political parties. In the 2nd century, Emperor Hadrian (r. 11738) upgraded the status of Malta to municipium or free town: the island local affairs were administered by four quattuorviri iuri dicundo and a municipal senate, while a Roman procurator, living in Mdina, represented the proconsul of Sicily. 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