The Maltese Islands

The Maltese Archipelago is situated between Sicily and the coast of North Africa in the middle of the Mediterranean. It consists of three main islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino. Malta's climate is typical of the Mediterranean, winters are short and mild and average about six hours of sunshine a day. Summers and long and hot, sometimes humid, the sun shines for about 12 hours a day. During summer cooling sea breezes keep the islands from getting too hot.

The Maltese population stands to around 380,000. The official language (Maltese) consists mainly of Arabic with a few Latin, English, Italian and French words thrown in. English is the country's second language and most people can speak it fluently. Driving in Malta is on the left.

Being is such a strategic point of the Mediterranean the islands have been under different rules over the centuries including those of the Romans, Arabs, French and English. All have left their mark on our little islands and contributed a great deal to our culture language and traditions. There are online maps of the islands one can view, courtesy of Maltavista.

Brief History

Prehistory

The oldest freestanding temples in the world are dated to about 5200 B.C.  These are the Ggantija Temples in Xaghra.  The early settlers were farmers and grew mainly barley and wheat.  They also raised pigs, cattle, goats and sheep.  Their pottery is displayed in the Museum of Archeology in Valletta.The Phoenicians were on the islands around 800 B.C.  They traded throughout the Western Mediterranean, including Malta.  The Phoenicians soon moved to Carthage.  The Carthaginians colonized the Maltese Islands in the eight and seventh centuries B.C.  In the third century the first Punic War erupted between Rome and Carthage.  By 218 B.C. the Maltese Islands were a Roman Colony.

The Roman Period

The Islands formed part of the Roman Empire from 218 B.C. TO 500 A.D.  During this period the islands enjoyed economic prosperity and became well known for quality textiles.  The Romans introduced political and military organization and built a fortified capital on the site of the present day Mdina and Rabat. St. Paul was ship wrecked on the island in 60 A.D. while on his way to Rome.  He converted the Roman governor Publius who became the first Bishop of Malta.

Muslim Rule

The decline of the Roman Empire affected the Maltese islands.  They became part of new Germanic kingdoms and were ruled by the Vandals and Visigoths in the fifth century.The Muslim raids on the Maltese islands began in the ninth century.  The traditional date of the Muslim conquest of Malta is 870 A.D.  There are not many existing records from this era.  The Muslims introduced citrus fruits and cotton to the islands.  Like Muslim settlers in North Africa the Middle East and Spain these new settlers understood how to conserve scarce water supplies.The Muslims used Malta’s harbors as a safe haven for their ships.  They reduced the size of the Roman city and named it Mdina (the Arabic word for city).  They built new fortifications at Mdina and constructed a fort on the present site of Fort St. Angelo.  The Muslims left a lasting influence upon our language.

The Normans

During the eleventh century, Christians and Muslims battled over land throughout the Mediterranean.  Muslim pirates, using Malta as a base, raided southern Europe. Roger I, king of Sicily retaliated and gained control of Malta in 1090.  Thus Malta came under the rule of the Norman king of Sicily.The Normans built Christian churches but worship of Islam continued on the islands during the eleventh and twelfth centauries.After becoming part of the Hohenstaufen dynasty Malta was passed on to the Spanish rule.

The Spanish rule

Under the Spanish rule, the Maltese islands became part of a loose confederation of states known as the Crown of Aragon.  Twice, the Aragonese crown pawned the islands.  The second pawning to Gonsalvo el Monroy in 1426 provoked a rebellion on the islands.  In response Alfonso V promised that Malta would remain under the direct control of the monarch.During this time, both the Muslim and the plague threatened life on Malta.  Muslim pirates and raids remanded a constant danger.  In the 1420’s, the Hafsids of North Africa raided the islands, stealing property and enslaving the inhabitants.  The growing threat of the Ottoman Turks caused Charles V king of Spain, to give Malta to the Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in 1530, for a yearly rent of a Maltese falcon.

The Knights of Malta

In 1530 the Order accepted Charles V’s offer to create their new home base on Malta since they were left without a home after the loss of Rhodes.  Malta became the next line of defense against the Ottoman Turks.  The Great Siege of Malta in 1565 began in May with the arrival of 40,000 Turks led by Dragut, the governor of Tripoli.  Although heavily outnumbered Grand Master Jean la Valletta successful defended Malta from the Turks until September.  On 7th September 1565, 8,000 additional troops led by Garcia de Toledo landed in Mellieha bay.  The arrival of these reinforcements forced the Turks to end the siege the following day.After the Great Siege Grandmaster la Valletta built the new city of Valletta.  France, Spain, Portugal and the papacy donate large amounts of money to the Knights for the building of the construction, he died in 1568 and did not live to see the completion of the city named in his honor.

The French

The Maltese initially favored Napoleon's takeover of the islands but the French quickly fell out of favor with the Maltese because they stripped the churches of relics, paintings, gold and silver.The Maltese rebelled in Mdina on 2nd September 1798. The French troops retreated behind the walls of Valletta, where the Maltese held them under siege.  The arrival of a British fleet to blockade the island completed the defeat of the French in 1800.

The British

Malta's service to the British Empire as a naval base is well documented. Malta nobly served during the two World Wars. During World War I, Malta garrisoned English naval seamen and was the site of the largest military hospital in the Mediterranean. Due to its strategic position during World War II, Malta was the target of German and Italian bombing attacks. The island endured the heaviest conventional bombardment of the entire war. To honor the valor of the Maltese people, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the "Island Fortress of Malta" in 1942.  The cross appears today on the Maltese flag.The structure of government in Malta changed periodically during the 150 years of British rule. In 1921, Malta became self-governing while power and responsibility was shared between Britain and Maltese ministers. In 1936, Malta became a colonial regime. Malta earned its independence within the Commonwealth in 1964, became a Republic in 1974, and ended its dependence on England in 1979 when it proclaimed its neutrality.