Malta

The English name Malta derives from classical Latin Melita, from Latinised forms of the ancient Greek Melítē (Μελίτη), of uncertain meaning, possibly from the Phoenician Maleth. The name Melítē—shared by the Croatian island Mljet in antiquity—literally means "place of honey" or "place of sweetness", derived from the combining form of méli (μέλι, "honey" or any similarly sweet thing) and the suffix -ē (-η). The ancient Greeks may have named the island this after Malta's endemic subspecies of bees. Alternatively, other scholars argue for derivation of the Greek name from an original Phoenician or Punic Maleth (𐤌𐤋𐤈, mlṭ), meaning "haven", "refuge" or "port", in reference to the Grand Harbour and its primary settlement at Cospicua following the sea level rise that separated the Maltese islands and flooded their original coastal settlements in the 10th century BC. The name was then applied to all of Malta by the Greeks and to its ancient capital by the Romans.

Malta and its demonym Maltese are attested in English from the late 16th century. English Bible translations, including the 1611 King James Version, long used the Vulgate Latin form Melita, though the 1525 Tyndale Bible used the transliteration Melite instead. Malta is widely used in more recent versions.

=== Prehistory ===

Malta has been inhabited since at least 6500 BC, with the arrival of Mesolithic era hunter-gatherers, which likely came from Sicily. The claim for an occupation of the island by Neanderthals is widely rejected. Neolithic farmers, also originating from Sicily, are thought to have arrived on the islands by around 5400 BC. Prehistoric settlements dating to the Early Neolithic include the Għar Dalam cave site in the uppermost layers associated with domesticated animals. The Neolithic population on Malta grew cereals, raised livestock and, like many other European civilizations, worshipped a mother goddess.

A common occupation of megalithic temple-building came later, either arising from or supplanting the previous culture. Around 3500 BC, these people built some of the oldest existing free-standing structures in the world in the form of the Ġgantija temples on Gozo. Other early temples include those at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra. These temples were made before the Egyptian pyramids.

After 2500 BC, Malta was depopulated for multiple decades until an influx of Bronze Age immigrants, a culture that cremated its dead and introduced smaller structures called dolmens as tombs. They likely belonged to a population different from that which built the previous temples. It is presumed the population arrived from Sicily due to the similarity of Maltese dolmens to small constructions there.

Phoenician traders colonised the islands under the name Ann (𐤀𐤍𐤍‎, ʾnn) after 1000 BC as a stop on their trade routes from the eastern Mediterranean to the Strait of Gibraltar. Their seat of government was at Mdina, and their primary port was at Cospicua on the Grand Harbour, which they called Maleth. After the fall of Phoenicia in 332 BC, the area came under the control of Carthage. During this time, the people of Malta mostly produced olives, carob, and textiles.

During the First Punic War, the island was conquered by Roman general Marcus Atilius Regulus. After the failure of his expedition, the island fell back into the hands of Carthage, only to be conquered again during the Second Punic War in 218 BC by the Roman consul named Tiberius Sempronius Longus. Malta became a Foederata Civitas, meaning it was exempted from tribute, and fell within the jurisdiction of the Roman province of Sicily. Its capital was renamed Melita after the Greek and Roman name for the island. Punic influence, however, remained on the islands. Local Roman coinage, which ceased in the first century BC, indicates the slow pace of the island's Romanisation: the last locally minted coins bear inscriptions in Ancient Greek and Punic motifs, showing Maltese resistance of the Greek and Roman cultures. The Roman period also introduced highly decorative mosaic floors.

In 395, when the Roman Empire was divided for the last time at the death of Theodosius I, Malta and Sicily fell under the control of the Western Roman Empire. During the Migration Period as the Western Roman Empire declined, Malta was conquered or occupied a number of times. In 454, the islands were subdued by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths took over in 464. In 533, Belisarius and his army, on his way to conquer the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa, reunited the islands under Byzantine rule. Little is known about Byzantine Malta: the island depended on the theme of Sicily and had Greek governors and a small Greek garrison. While the bulk of population continued consist of the old Latinized dwellers, Malta's religious allegiance oscillated between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople. The Byzantine rule introduced Greek families to the Maltese collective. Malta remained under the Byzantine Empire until 870, when it was conquered by the Arabs.

Malta became involved in the Arab–Byzantine wars, and the conquest of Malta is linked with the Muslim conquest of Sicily that began in 827 after Admiral Euphemius' betrayal of his fellow Byzantines, requesting that the Aghlabids invade the island. The Muslim chronicler and geographer Ibn ʿAbd al-Munʿim al-Ḥimyarī recounts that, in 870, following a violent struggle against the defending Byzantines, the Arab invaders, first led by Halaf al-Hadim and later by Sawada ibn Muhammad, pillaged the island, destroying the most important buildings and leaving it practically uninhabited until it was recolonized by the Arabs from Sicily in 1048–1049. Malta would be a settlement for Banu Matkud, which was a vesslised tribal city state from Misrata during both Fatimid Caliphate and the Aghlabid dynasty. It is uncertain whether this new settlement resulted from demographic expansion in Sicily, a higher standard of living in Sicily, or the civil war that broke out among the rulers of Sicily in 1038. The Arab Agricultural Revolution introduced new irrigation, cotton, and some fruits. The Siculo-Arabic language was adopted on the island from Sicily, and it eventually evolved into the Maltese language.

The Normans attacked Malta in 1091, as part of their conquest of Sicily. Their leader, Roger I of Sicily, was welcomed by Christian captives. Malta became part of the new Kingdom of Sicily, which also covered the southern Italian Peninsula. The Catholic Church was reinstated as the state religion, with Malta under the Archdiocese of Palermo, and some Norman architecture sprang up around Malta, especially in its previous capital, Mdina. King Tancred made Malta a fief and installed a Count of Malta in 1192. The islands were desired due to their strategic importance, so it was during this time the men of Malta were militarized to fend off attempted conquest. Early Counts were Genoese privateers.

The kingdom passed on to the Hohenstaufen German dynasty from 1194 until 1266. As Emperor Frederick II began to reorganise the Sicilian kingdom, Western culture and religion started to exert their influence more intensely. Malta was declared a county and a marquisate, but its trade destroyed. For a long time it solely remained a fortified garrison.

A mass expulsion of Arabs occurred in 1224, and the entire Christian male population of Celano, Italy in Abruzzo was deported to Malta in the same year. In 1249 Frederick II decreed that all remaining Muslims be expelled from Malta or compelled to convert. In 1266, the kingdom passed to the Capetian House of Anjou, but high taxes made the dynasty unpopular in Malta, due in part to Charles of Anjou's war against the Republic of Genoa, and the island of Gozo was sacked in 1275.

Malta was ruled by the House of Barcelona, the ruling dynasty of the Crown of Aragon, from 1282 to 1409, with Aragon aiding Malta in the Sicilian Vespers in the naval battle in Grand Harbour in 1283. Relatives of the crown ruled the island until it formally passed to the Crown of Aragon. Early in the Aragonese ascendancy, the sons of the monarchs received the title Count of Malta. During this time much of the local nobility was created, though by 1397, the bearing of the comital title reverted to a feudal basis, with two families fighting over the distinction. This led King Martin I of Sicily to abolish the title, which returned a few years later. The Maltese, led by the local nobility, rose up against Count Gonsalvo Monroy, though they voiced their loyalty to the Sicilian Crown, which impressed King Alfonso V of Aragon enough that he didn't punish Malta, and chose never to grant the title to a third party, moving it back under control of the crown.

On 23 March 1530, Charles V gave the islands to the Knights Hospitaller under the leadership of Frenchman Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, for which they had to pay an annual tribute of a Maltese Falcon. These knights, a military religious order also known as the Order of Saint John and later as the Knights of Malta, had been driven out of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire in 1522.

The Knights ruled Malta until 1798. During this period, the strategic and military importance of the island grew as the efficient fleet of the Knights of Malta launched their attacks from this new base targeting the shipping lanes of the Ottoman territories around the Mediterranean Sea.

The knights, led by Frenchman Jean Parisot de Valette, withstood the Siege of Malta by the Ottomans in 1565. The knights, with the help of Portuguese, Spanish and Maltese forces, repelled the attack. After the siege, they decided to increase Malta's fortifications, particularly in the inner-harbour area, where the new city of Valletta was built.

The Knights' reign ended when Napoleon captured Malta on his way to Egypt during the French Revolutionary Wars in 1798. During 12–18 June 1798, Napoleon resided at the Palazzo Parisio in Valletta. He reformed Maltese administration with the creation of a Government Commission, twelve municipalities, a public finance administration, the abolition of feudal rights and slavery, and freedom to all Turkish and Jewish slaves. On the judicial level, a family code was framed and twelve judges were nominated. Public education was organised along principles set by Bonaparte, providing for primary and secondary education. He then sailed for Egypt, leaving a substantial garrison in Malta.

The French forces left behind became unpopular with the Maltese, mainly due to them being anti-Catholic. French financial and religious policies angered the Maltese enough that they rebelled, forcing the French to depart. Great Britain, along with Naples and Sicily, sent ammunition and aid to the Maltese, and Britain also sent a navy, which blockaded the islands.

On 28 October 1798, Captain Alexander Ball completed negotiations with the French garrison on Gozo for a transfer of Malta to the British. The British transferred the island to the locals that day, and it was administered by Archpriest Saverio Cassar on behalf of Ferdinand III of Sicily. Gozo remained independent until Cassar was removed by the British in 1801.

General Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois surrendered his French forces in 1800. Maltese leaders gave the main island to Alexander Ball, asking that the island become a British Dominion. The Maltese people created a Declaration of Rights in which they agreed to come "under the protection and sovereignty of the King of the free people, His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland".

In 1814, as part of the Treaty of Paris, Malta officially became a part of the British Empire. Between 1915 and 1918, during World War I, Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers who were accommodated there. On 7 June 1919, the Maltese public rioted in response to a cost-of-living crisis, but British troops eventually managed to suppress the riots with four fatalities. The event, known as Giugno, is commemorated every year and is one of five National Days. Until World War II, Maltese politics was dominated by the Language Question.

Before World War II, Valletta was the location of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet headquarters; however, despite Winston Churchill's objections, the command was moved to Alexandria, Egypt, in 1937 out of fear that it was too susceptible to air attacks from Europe. During the war, Malta played an important role for the Allies; being a British colony, situated close to Sicily and the Axis shipping lanes, Malta was bombarded by the Italian and German air forces. Malta was used by the British to launch attacks on the Italian Navy and had a submarine base. It was also used as a listening post, intercepting German radio messages including Enigma traffic. The Maltese defence during the second siege of Malta moved King George VI to award the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis on 15 April 1942. Some historians argue that the award caused Britain to incur disproportionate losses in defending Malta, as British credibility would have suffered if Malta had surrendered, as was done during the Battle of Singapore. A depiction of the George Cross now appears on the Flag of Malta and the country's coat of arms.

Malta gained independence as the State of Malta on 21 September 1964. Under its 1964 constitution, Malta initially retained Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta and therefore head of state, with a governor-general exercising executive authority on her behalf. In 1971, the Malta Labour Party led by Dom Mintoff won the general elections, resulting in Malta declaring itself a republic on 13 December 1974 within the Commonwealth. A defence agreement was signed soon after, and after being re-negotiated in 1972, expired on 31 March 1979 (Freedom Day). Upon its expiry, the British base closed and lands formerly controlled by the British were given to the Maltese government.

After the departure of the remaining British troops in 1979, the country intensified its participation in the Non-Aligned Movement. Malta adopted a policy of neutrality in 1980. In that same year, three of Malta's sites, including the capital Valletta, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1989, Malta was the venue of a summit between George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev, which precluded the end of the Cold War. A referendum on joining the European Union was held on 8 March 2003, with 53.65% in favour. Malta joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 and the eurozone on 1 January 2008.

Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean (in its eastern basin), some 80 km (50 mi) from southern Italy across the Malta Channel. Only the three largest islands—Malta, Gozo, and Comino— are inhabited. The islands of the archipelago lie on the Malta plateau, a shallow shelf formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa that became isolated as sea levels rose after the last ice age. The archipelago is located on the African tectonic plate.

Malta is the largest island, and is both the easternmost of the three inhabited islands, and the southernmost. It has the highest population, and is the administrative centre of the country. Gozo is the second largest, and is both the northernmost and the westernmost of the three, and is more rural. Comino is the smallest of the inhabited islands, and is in between Gozo and Malta.

There are numerous harbours along the indented coastline of the islands. The highest point in Malta is Ta' Dmejrek, at 253 m (830 ft), near Dingli. Although there are some small rivers at times of high rainfall, there are no permanent rivers or lakes on Malta. However, some watercourses have fresh water running all year round at Baħrija near Ras ir-Raħeb, l-Imtaħleb, and San Martin. Malta has a course, hilly environment.

Phytogeographically, Malta belongs to the Liguro-Tyrrhenian province of the Mediterranean region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Malta belongs to the terrestrial ecoregion of Tyrrhenian–Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests.

Malta's climate is Mediterranean (Köppen climate classification Csa), with mild winters and hot summers. Rain occurs mainly in autumn and winter.

The average temperature is 19 °C (66 °F), with 23 °C (73 °F) during the day and 15 °C (59 °F) at night. In the coldest month, January, the typical maximum temperature ranges from 12 to 18 °C (54 to 64 °F) during the day and minimum 6 to 12 °C (43 to 54 °F) at night. In the warmest month, August, the typical maximum temperature ranges from 28 to 34 °C (82 to 93 °F) during the day and minimum 20 to 24 °C (68 to 75 °F) at night. In March and December average temperatures are around 17 °C (63 °F) during the day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night. Snow is rare, although it has occurred, most recently in 2014.

The average annual sea temperature is 20 °C (68 °F), from 15–16 °C (59–61 °F) in February to 26 °C (79 °F) in August. In the six months from June to November, the average sea temperature exceeds 20 °C (68 °F).

The annual average relative humidity is high, averaging 75%, ranging from 65% in July (morning: 78% evening: 53%) to 80% in December (morning: 83% evening: 73%).

Sunshine duration hours total around 3,000 per year, from an average 5.2 hours of sunshine duration per day in December to an average above 12 hours in July.

According to Eurostat, Malta is composed of two larger urban zones nominally referred to as "Valletta" (the main island of Malta) and "Gozo". The main urban area covers the entire main island. The core of the urban area, the greater city of Valletta, has a population of 205,768. According to the data from 2020 by Eurostat, the metropolitan region covered the whole island and has a population of 480,134. According to the United Nations, about 95 percent of the area of Malta is urban and the number grows every year. According to ESPON and EU Commission studies, "the whole territory of Malta constitutes a single urban region".

Malta, with area of 316 km2 (122 sq mi), is one of the most densely populated countries worldwide. It is sometimes referred to as a city-state, but sometimes is ranked as a city or a metropolitan area.

==== Valetta ====

Valetta has been the capital of Malta since 1570. It was built after the Ottoman invasion of Malta in 1565. When the Knights Hospitaller were removed by the French, Maltese revolt led the British to seize Valetta. It was bombed repeatedly during World War II, and was where Italy surrendered.

Saint Paul's Bay is the most populous council in Malta. Remains of beehouses, a thermae, and roads show that it was a part of Roman Malta. Later, the Knights Hospitaller built towers and batteries, such as Wignacourt Tower and Arrias Battery, both of which stand today.

Malta contains 4.6 square kilometres (1.8 sq mi) of naturally regenerating forest, characterised by mature trees with a height of 2 to 5 metres (7 to 16 ft). The overall area occupied by trees is estimated to be 32 square kilometres (12 sq mi), which constitutes approximately 1.44% of the total land area of the archipelago. The most common indigenous tree species are the willow (Salix alba), poplar (Populus alba), olive (Olea europaea), carob (Ceratonia siliqua), oak (Quericus ilex & Quercus rotundifolia), Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), laurel (Laurus nobilis) and fig (Ficus carica), while the most common non-native trees are eucalyptus, acacia, date palm and opuntia. The Maltese islands are also home to a wide diversity of indigenous, sub-endemic and endemic plants. They feature many traits typical of a Mediterranean climate, such as drought resistance. Endemic plants include the national flower widnet il-baħar (Cheirolophus crassifolius), sempreviva ta' Malta (Helichrysum panormitanum subsp. melitense), żigland t' Għawdex (Hyoseris frutescens) and ġiżi ta' Malta (Matthiola incana subsp. melitensis) while sub-endemics include kromb il-baħar (Jacobaea maritima subsp. sicula) and xkattapietra (Micromeria microphylla). The biodiversity of Malta is severely endangered by habitat loss, invasive species, and human intervention.

The Maltese archipelago is located on the African plate, on a shallow water continental platform. It lies about 200 kilometres (125 mi) to the south of the subduction boundary between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

The mainly sedimentary rocks also consist of a large amount of limestone, which has been used as a material for many buildings on the island.