Malta is an island nation located in the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of 316 square kilometers and a population of approximately 475,000 people. The ethnic composition of Malta is mainly Maltese, with other minority groups including British, Italian and North African. The majority of the population are Catholic, with around 98% following Roman Catholicism and the rest being either Protestant or other religions. Education is compulsory for children up to the age of 16 and the literacy rate is estimated to be around 92%. The official language is Maltese but English is also widely spoken throughout the country. The capital city Valletta has an estimated population of over 6,000 people making it the largest city in Malta. Check hyperrestaurant to learn more about Malta in 2009.
Social conditions
Malta has a developed social insurance system (since 1956) with general sickness, unemployment and old-age pension insurance. Visit AbbreviationFinder to see the definitions of MLT and acronym for Malta. Hospital care is free of charge and healthcare is well developed.
Malta – Valletta
Valletta
Valleʹtta, also Valetta, the capital of Malta; 5,600 residents (2018), in the metropolitan area 360,000 residents. Check to see Malta population. Valletta is located on a promontory between Grand Harbor and Marsamxett on the east coast of the main island. It is a landscaped Renaissance city, which is surrounded by fortifications. In addition to its administrative functions, the city is primarily the center of extensive trade and tourism. Valletta has universities and numerous interesting buildings, including the Cathedral of Saint John (San Giovanni) and the Grand Master’s Palace, which today is the seat of the President and Parliament.
Valletta was founded in 1566 by the Grand Master of the Order of Johannite, Jean de La Valette, since the knights of the Order the year before fought a Turkish invasion attempt. Under the British rule of Malta, the port was expanded and Valletta became the headquarters of the British Mediterranean fleet in the 1850s. Due to its strategic location, the city was subjected to intensive air strikes by Italian and German bombers in 1941–1942.