Malta

	Republic of Malta
	Flag of Malta
	Official governmental website
	Capital: ; (and Malta's largest city) Area Code: +.356 Country Code: MT Language: Maltese, English Drivers use left-hand side of road Currency: Euro (€) (EUR) ( Currency converter website link ) ( Tourism and Ex-pat information )

This is an "abridged" article about Malta as of Oct, 2024.
Source information is available at [ Sources ]

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago 80 km (50 mi) south of Italy, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya. The two official languages are Maltese and English. The country's capital is Valletta, the smallest city in the EU in terms of area and population. With a population of about 542,000 over an area of 316 km2 (122 sq mi), Malta is the world's tenth-smallest country by area and the ninth most densely populated. Various sources consider the country to consist of a single urban region, for which it is often described as a city-state.

Malta has been inhabited since about 5900 BC. Its location in the center of the Mediterranean has historically given it great geostrategic importance, with a succession of powers that have ruled the islands and shaped its culture and society. These include the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and Romans in antiquity; the Arabs, Normans, and Aragonese during the Middle Ages; and the Knights Hospitaller, French, and British in the modern era. Malta came under British rule in the early 19th century and was the headquarters for the British Mediterranean Fleet. It was besieged by the Axis powers during World War II and was an important Allied base for North Africa and the Mediterranean. Malta achieved independence in 1964 and established its current parliamentary republic in 1974. Since independence, it has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations; it joined the European Union in 2004 and the eurozone monetary union in 2008.

Malta's long history of foreign rule and proximity to Europe and North Africa have influenced its art, music, cuisine, and architecture. Malta has close historical and cultural ties to Italy, especially Sicily; 62 and 66 percent of Maltese people speak or have significant knowledge of the Italian language, which had official status from 1530 to 1934. Malta was an early center of Christianity, and Catholicism is the state religion, although the country's constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religious worship.

Malta is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy. It is heavily reliant on tourism, attracting both travelers and a growing expatriate community with its warm climate, numerous recreational areas, and architectural and historical monuments, including three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, Valletta, and seven megalithic temples, which are some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world.

History

World War II sidebar / SS Ohio

Before the Second World War, 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 essential 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 bravery of the Maltese people 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. British credibility would have suffered if Malta had surrendered, as British forces in Singapore had done.

By August 1942, food, fuel, and other provisions were dwindling. Military commanders had agreed that if supplies decreased, they would surrender the islands (the date, deferred as supplies were received, was referred to as the target date).

In a desperate attempt to resupply Malta, 'Operation Pedestal' (see link below), with forty-four warships and thirteen supply ships, was sent to Malta. Only three of the thirteen merchantmen survived the trip. SS Ohio, carrying 121,000 tons of cargo, survived despite major damage (Including a torpedo port side torpedo hit by the Italian submarine, Axum.

SS Ohio
Ohio struck by a torpedo from Italian submarine Axum
SS Ohio limping into Grand Harbour supported by
Royal Navy destroyers HMS Penn (left) and Ledbury (right)

This convoy, especially the arrival of Ohio, was seen as divine intervention by the people of Malta. The 'Feast of the Assumption of Mary' is celebrated on 15 August, and many Maltese attributed the arrival of Ohio into Grand Harbour to the answer to their prayers.

The commodities landed were enough for Malta to survive until mid-November. As soon as Ohio was unloaded, she settled to the bottom of the harbor.

Epilogue

Ohios nameplate, ship's wheel, ensign, and several other objects from the ship are preserved in Malta's National War Museum in Valletta.

The arrival of Ohio at the Grand Harbour provided the climax of the 1953 British war film Malta Story directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, starring Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins.

In honor of the famous Second World War tanker, the final ship built fifty years later for the Texaco fleet was named Star Ohio (1992 -2012). Northern Marine Management operated her on behalf of Chevron.

External links about SS Ohio

(Read this article on Wikipedia to discover the strength and cost of 'Operation Pedestal')

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Ohio_(1940)

insert by Robin Roberts

Spanking and Spanking Art in Malta

In the 20th century, school corporal punishment fell out of fashion and was gradually banned in many countries, a trend that continues until the present day.

As of May 2008, Malta prohibits corporal punishment in schools.

( We have no further information from SAOTK as of Oct, 2024 )

( We have no further information from Corpun.com as of Oct, 2024 )

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Prostitution in Malta

Prostitution in Malta ^↗ on Wikipedia

Malta external links

More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Malta ]

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