Malta
Updated: Sep 28, 2022
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Country Name
Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, and formerly Melita.
Location
Malta is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island nation is located east of Tunisia, and about 100 km (60 mi) south of the island of Sicily- Italy. It shares maritime borders with Libya and Italy.
Capital
Valletta.
Reason for Naming
The origin of the name Malta is uncertain, and the modern-day variation is derived from the Maltese language. The most common etymology is that the word Malta is derived from the Greek word μέλι, meli, which means "honey".
The ancient Greeks called the island Μελίτη (Melitē) meaning "honey-sweet", possibly for Malta's unique production of honey; an endemic subspecies of bees live on the island.
The Romans called the island Melita, which can be considered either a Latinisation of the Greek Μελίτη or the adaptation of the Doric Greek pronunciation of the same word Μελίτα.
Another theory suggests that the word Malta comes from the Phoenician word Maleth, "a haven", or "port" in reference to Malta's many bays and coves.
Flag
The flag of Malta was adopted on 21 September 1964. The flag consists of a vertical bicolor of white and red and a cross of St. George lined with red at the top of the left side of the flag. The Cross with the inscription "FOR GALLANTRY" was given to Malta by the British as an honor for resilience during the bombing by German-Italian troops during World War II. The red color represents sacrifices made by the Maltese people for defending their faith, while the white color represents peace, love, light, and optimism, and the George Cross represents bravery.
Language
The people of Malta speak various languages. Maltese and English are the official languages of the country.
Maltese is used for official purposes, government business, education, and mass media especially in broadcasting and print media, but, the use of Maltese on the internet is limited they use English instead.
The English language is a co-official language and is spoken by 90% of the population, English is used in official government business and education.
About 61% of the population prefers using English in reading and writing.
The Italian Language is also widespread and is more commonly used in radio broadcasting than English.
Foreign languages spoken in the country include Italian, French, Maltese Sign Language, German, Arabic, Spanish, and Russian.
Religion
The predominant religion in Malta is Catholicism. The Constitution of Malta recognizes Catholicism as the state religion of the country.
There are approximately 600 Jehovah's Witnesses. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the Bible Baptist Church, and the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches each have about 60 affiliates.
There are also some churches of other denominations, including St. Andrew's Scots Church in Valletta (a joint Presbyterian and Methodist congregation) and St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, and a Seventh-day Adventist church in Birkirkara.
Minority religion groups in Malta; Jewish, Muslims, Buddhism, and Bahai Faith
*The Jewish population of Malta reached its peak in the Middle Ages under Norman rule. In 1479, Malta and Sicily came under Aragonese rule and the Alhambra Decree 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 converted to Christianity at the time to remain in the country. Today, there is one Jewish group.
Currency
Euro (€) (EUR).
Time Zone
+02:00 GMT. (Summer Time)
+01:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic.
Climate
Malta's climate is the Mediterranean, with mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
In Winter, from December to February, the weather is mild: the monthly average temperature in December is 14 °C, while in January and February it's 12 °C, and the daily temperature range is limited. Cold days are rare, and at most, there may be some days with highs below 10 °C, but it never snows nor freezes. Sunny periods are quite frequent also in this season, although there are periods of bad weather too, with rain and wind, which last a few days. In spring, the temperature gradually rises: the average maximum is around 17 °C in March, 19 °C in April, and 23 °C in May. The rains become less and less frequent, and as early as April, they begin to be rare. The sun shines more and more unchallenged. Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, with highs around 30 °C, and it's sultry, but tempered by sea breezes. In autumn, the temperature is initially high, and then gradually decreases. In September, there's still summer-like weather, especially in the first half; usually, the first disturbances arrive at the end of the month, accompanied by thunderstorms. In October, the temperature is still pleasant, with highs around 24 °C.
The islands of the archipelago, with their characteristic towns, villages, and ports, can be preferably explored in April, May, and the first half of October.
International Phone Code
+356
Internet Code
.mt