Malta Overview

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated September 25, 2019

Country Profile

Malta in the central Mediterranean island, full name of the Republic of Malta. An area of 316 square kilometers. Population of about 397,000, mostly Maltese, other Arabs, Italians and so on. Residents are Catholic. Maltese and English as official language. Currency liri. Valletta (Valletta).

Malta National Flag

Malta has a flag composed of two equal vertical red and white rectangles, with the top left side depicting pieces of silver inlaid with a red George Cross design. White symbolizes purity and red symbolizes the blood of warriors. As the people of Malta in World War II combated bravery, in 1942 it was awarded King George VI Cross.

History Summary

The Phoenicians settled there in the eighth century BC. From 218 BC it was under Roman rule. After the ninth century, it was occupied by the Arabs and the Normans. In 1525, in Jerusalem, the Knights of St. John moved here from Rhode Island. In 1798, the Knights defeated the French army. After British occupation in 1800, it became a British colony in 1814. On September 21, 1964, there was the formal declaration of independence from the Commonwealth.

Economy and Culture Overview

Malta’s agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery are developed, and it mainly relies on food imports. Its main crops are wheat, barley, onions, beans and vegetables. Its major industrial sector is ship repair and shipbuilding. Other industries are food processing and beverages, garments, rubber, paper products and printing, leather processing and tobacco. About 50% of its industrial products are for export. Tourism is another important pillar of its economy. Malta is no other mineral resources, but is very rich in stones. This stone is a soft limestone, and cutting, sawing and planing can be easy. Lin Lin has just mining the stone water, wet, very soft, with the wind and sun, gradually hard. Maltese people have used this special material to build ancient castles and palaces. Maltese housing is also built with this stone. This stone buildings form the island’s unique scenery.

Blue Hole

These underwater caves are a well-known tourist area of Malta and are located southwest of the island. Blue Hole is about 30~40 m deep, 20 to 30 m wide and more than 150 m long. It has a long history in the era and has been gradually formed by the impact of erosion by the waves. As the submarine rocks and water colors set off its brilliance, fire from the caves releases a variety of brilliant blue colors.