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THE MALTESE ISLANDS
Country Facts - Maltese Society
(as at end-September 2003,
unless otherwise indicated)
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Language |
The official languages are Maltese and English; Maltese itself is a
language of Semitic origin, although it bears traces of the
influence of centuries of successive foreign invaders. Most Maltese
have a good command of Italian while French and German are also
widely spoken. Most business correspondence is in English, which
makes Malta an attractive place to conduct business. An added
benefit derived from the Maltese' excellent command of English is
that Malta has become one of the most popular destinations for
foreigners to study English. |
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Work, play and rest |
The main island, Malta, is 27 km long and measures 14 km at its
widest point. Because of the island's size, it is one of the few
places where you can enjoy "eight hours of work, eight hours of play
and eight hours of rest", according to the locals. You can cross the
main island of Malta in just 45 minutes, reducing commuting times
and increasing leisure time. |
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Religion |
The Maltese pride themselves on being one of the first countries to
embrace Christianity. The Acts of the Apostles describe how St. Paul
was shipwrecked on the island in 60 AD and the locals have embraced
his religion since. The Church plays an active role in most
communities on the islands. This is reflected in the large number of
churches to be found in Malta; 364 in all - more than one church for
every square kilometre of territory. Most Maltese are Catholic, but
other religious denominations are also represented. There are small
Anglican, Church of Scotland, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Methodists and
Muslim communities. |
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Culture |
Maltese culture and traditions mirror the islands' long domination
by foreign powers together with the local's interaction with the
million plus tourists who visit the islands every year. This has
resulted in an interesting hotchpotch of predominantly west European
culture tinged with a definite central Mediterranean flavour.
Students study Maltese literature, alongside English classics and
Italian poetry. Italian opera is widely popular as are plays in
English, pop music from all over the world and the local "ghana", a
form of singing where the lyrics are made up there and then by the
performers. The influence of religion is also felt in the country's
traditions with each town and village celebrating their patron
saint's feast day with great pomp and gaiety. The food is mostly
European, with a strong Italian influence and Maltese bread is
renowned to be the best in the world. |
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Past colonizers |
Over the centuries Malta has been ruled by the major powers existent
at the time. The Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the
Byzantines, the Arabs and the Spanish all ruled the island for
varying lengths of time. The Arabs, who arrived in 800 AD stayed for
over two hundred years and laid the foundations for the origins of
the Maltese language. In 1530 the islands passed into the hands of
the Knights of St. John, who eventually had bow to Napoleon's might
in 1798. The French domination was but a brief interlude of two
years. In 1800 the islanders asked the British to liberate the
country from the French, after which started a hundred and sixty
four year period of British rule that lasted till independence in
1964. |
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Sports |
Various types of sports are practiced throughout the island, with
football and horseracing being the two most popular. Sports
facilities were sparse up till about fifteen years ago, which
together with the limited size of the population, probably accounts
for the lack of success at international level. However, there is
considerable interest in sports at a local level, and most towns and
villages have their own hotly defended football and basketball
teams. Water polo, which is played during the summer months, is also
hugely popular. Malta's international football team participates
sportingly in a number of international tournaments, and the island
hosts one of the world's most prestigious sailing events, the Rolex
Middle Sea Race, which is held every October. Rugby is gaining in
popularity, and golf, tennis, squash, cycling and many other sports
are widely practiced. |
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Business and pleasure |
Business and pleasure coexist happily in Malta, and the boundaries
between the two become ever more blurred due to the islanders' knack
of mixing the businesslike British character adopted from their
former colonizers to their own more relaxed Mediterranean
characteristics. Maltese hospitality is legendary - a long history
of greeting visitors and adapting to the demands of the less welcome
has left the Maltese with a truly international attitude
characterized by openness, tolerance, friendliness and a zest for
innovation and information. |
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Education |
Combined gross enrolment ratio% (2000/2001) |
76% |
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Number of schools (2002) |
303 |
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Teachers per 1,000 students (2002) |
86 |
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Adult literacy rate: %age 15 and above (2001) |
92% |
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Health |
Life
expectancy at birth |
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Males
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75.8 |
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Females |
80.5 |
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Crude birth rate, per 1,000 Maltese inhabitants |
7.2 |
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Crude mortality rate, per 1,000 Maltese
inhabitants |
6.3 |
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Doctors per 1,000 students (Dec. 2002) |
3 |
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>>
The Maltese Islands: Facts
and Statistics
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