Culture and History in Malta (a.k.a. Why MH decided to apply here, among her many choices)

First, a general current Malta overview lovingly stolen from the University's site, as they explain it much more succinctly than I would (http://www.um.edu.mt/aboutmalta), [comments in brackets inserted by moi]

"At the crossroads of the Mediterranean, halfway between Europe and North Africa [yes, Malta is right in the path of all of the northern Africa unrest and people fleeing to Europe; no, my mother isn't thrilled about that; yes, I should be safe there- it is still western Europe, after all; no, you can't talk me out of it now - I've already booked my flight!] lies the Maltese archipelago consisting of 3 main islands: Malta (the largest island), Gozo and Comino covering a surface area of 316 km². Of the three islands, Malta can be considered to be the hub of administrative and commercial activities [and the place where I will be living, working, and spending most of my time]. Gozo, the second largest island, is more rural, characterised by fishing, tourism, crafts, and agriculture, while tiny Comino is largely uninhabited [a grand total of about 4 to 10 people live there at any one time, according to my guidebooks].

Because of its strategic geographic location and its excellent harbours, Malta has always been a major attraction to the world’s maritime powers. As a result, Malta was ruled by many foreign powers, starting with the Phoenicians and ending with the British [they gained independence in 1964 but were still part of the British Commonwealth until 1974, when they became a republic. They joined the European Union in 2004, and adopted the Euro in 2008, switching over from the Maltese Lira.] Thus Malta was in continuous contact with diverse cultures, which greatly enriched the islands’ historical, archaeological and cultural heritage. Malta boasts of a 7,000-year history with prehistoric temples older than the pyramids of Egypt and Britain’s Stonehenge. {For such a tiny country, they have 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites! The entire City of Valletta, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, and the Megalithic Temples of Malta }[See http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/mt for more info]

Today, Malta’s relaxed lifestyle, its climate and sea make it a favourite holiday destination. The Maltese Islands also boast of a number of natural attractions, from its unique limestone walls and natural harbours to its clear crystalline waters and beautiful coastline as well as a number of folklore and traditions ingrained deep in the heart of the Maltese culture.

The Maltese economy has experienced a shift over the years - from a manufacturing based economy the islands have moved towards a more service-oriented industry. The growth in the services sector is mainly due to great human resource potential found in Malta and its strategic location in a very important region. In the past few years steady growth has been registered in the provision and development of niche financial, ICT and tourism services. Malta is thus strengthening its position as a major hub for the provision of transhipment, financial services and Information and Communication Technology and pushing to become a leader in the region.

Malta's climate is typical of the Mediterranean; sunny and with hot, dry summers, warm and sporadically wet autumns, and short, cool winters with adequate rainfall [similar to SoCal, so I don't have to pack winter jackets! Huzzah!]. The average hours of sunshine during mid-winter range from five to six hours. Although mild, winters are generally damp and rainy with occasionally short chilly periods.

Malta has two official languages, Maltese and English, a legacy of British rule that lasted over 160 years. Malta became independent in 1964, a republic in 1974 and joined the European Union in May 2004 [Hey, I said this already!]. Although predominantly Catholic [very much so - about 96% of the population], the Constitution of Malta guarantees freedom of worship and association. [One of my favorite factoids is that there are so many churches in Malta that even if I visited a different one every day of my time there, I still wouldn't have seen them all. There are 360+ churches!]

Malta is a truly exceptional island having preserved much of its extraordinary past influenced by the different cultures which have left their mark upon this small state. Malta, Gozo, and Comino are renowned for the hospitality and generosity shown by the people, with the typical warmth and spontaneity of the Mediterranean region."

The Heritage Malta site (http://www.heritagemalta.org/home.html) has lots of great information and pictures about the various historical sites and museums, many if not all of which I plan to visit while I'm there. A bit more history: Malta has experienced domination after domination. The Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, Ottomans, the Knights of St John, the French, and the British have all ruled in Malta - some more benignly than others. The apostle Paul was even shipwrecked there , and there is a national Festa day to celebrate that! Each group has left its mark on the architecture, agriculture, language and culture of the islands.

Now, I did promise pictures, so here's just a few to tantalize your eyeballs: