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Country Profile : MALTA

About the Republic of Malta

The Maltese archipelago is littered with the remains of thousands of years of civilisations which have sought to own and control these Mediterranean islands.
Nowadays, megalithic temples, Norman cathedrals, baroque palaces and plenty of sea and sunshine draw in the crowds of tourists which make up Malta’s major industry.

A deeply Catholic society, Malta celebrates many religious festivals throughout the year. Tradition has it that St Paul was shipwrecked here in 60 AD and converted the islanders to Christianity.

History of Malta

Colonised by the Phoenicians around 800 BC, this was followed up by invasion of the Romans, North African Arabs in 870 and Norman invaders from Sicily in 1090 who remained in control for the next 400 years.

Awarded to the Knights of the Order of St John by the Spanish Emperor in 1530, the Knights fortified the islands prior to a Turkish invasion of 1565, who laid siege for three months, but were held off by the Knights and the Maltese people.

Invaded by Napoleon in 1798, the islanders were under French control until the aid of the British, by 1814 Malta was a British colony.

The British set up large naval base here, which then became a prime target for the Axis powers in WW2. Under blockade for five months, together with non-stop bombing, the Maltese people held out until a British convoy arrived. The entire population of Malta was awarded the George Cross for bravery in 1942 in recognition of their bravery and the vital role they played in helping to defeat the Axis powers.

Independence from Britain was gained in 1964, becoming a republic in 1974.
By 1979, the Maltese government was looking towards Libya, the USSR and North Korea in building relationships, however after several changes of government, and changes of policy towards the EU, the Nationalist Party was in back in power by 1998 and the earlier suspended EU application was back on again.

Malta formally joined the European Union in May 2004.

Maltese Economy

The smallest of the 10 new accessionist countries, Maltese people along with Greek Cypriots are exempt from work restrictions placed by many existing EU countries; this is due to the strength of their economies with income levels equalling at least 75% of the EU average.

Heavily dependent on tourism, which triples the population of Malta during the season, Malta is also known as a transhipment point, given its ideal location in the Mediterranean between Europe and North Africa.

Fresh water is in very limited supply and whilst 80% of food is imported, Malta exports manufactured goods especially electronics and textiles and is an important financial centre.