Malta

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Malta
Culture in the box
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Malta is situated in the Mediterranean Sea, less
than 100 km from Sicily. The area of the small
group of islands is 320 sq km. The climate is
temperate and healthful for most of the year.
Besides the climate and the natural beauty,
tourism increases in Malta due to the fascination
that the country offers with the Arab, English
and Italian cultural elements.
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Some Statistical Data
Capital Valletta (3553'N, 143o'E) Official
Languages Maltese, English Government Parliament
ary republic -President Edward Fenech
Adami Total Area 316 km² (185th in the world)
121 sq miles -Gozo 67 km2 30,000
inhabitants Population 4o2,ooo inhabitants
(174th in the world) -Density 1,282 /km²
(7th) Currency Maltese Lira Time zone CET
(UTC1) -Summer CEST (UTC2) The Highest Point
Ta' Dmejrek (253 m n. m.)
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Flag
Coat Of Arms
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History of Malta

• before Crist, it was occupated by Greeks
  Phoenicians, Cartage and Romans
• from 836 it is was settled up by Arabians
• in Middle Ages, in Malta count Roger I, and his
  son Roger II.reigned
• from1429 Malta was Christian
• in 1798 Napoleon obtained Malta
• In 1800, British wanted to drive out Frenchmen
  from Malta
• in 1814 Malta became a British protectorate
• during World War II Malta was used as a military
  base
• Malta was granted independence on 21st September
  1964
• 13th December it was proclaimed Maltese Republic
• 1st May 2004 Malta joined the European Union

Megalithic cathedral Mnajdra, from 3800-2500
BC
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CLIMATE IN MALTA
Rainfall in Malta Malta's rainfall is heavier
than that in London in Winter but far dryer in
Summer with very little rain from April through
to August. To generalise the rain starts in the
second / third week in September and changes to
dryer weather in the third week in March.
Temperature Sunshine in Malta April, May and
June are a nice time for very pleasant weather,
good for sunbathing and not too hot when walking
around the tourist sites, shopping, and just
strolling around. Another benefit the country
side is still green from the winter rain for most
of the earlier part of this period. July August
the country side tends to become scorched and the
heat is slightly above the pleasant range, time
to be around your hotel pool, or on a beach in
the early afternoon.
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CLIMATE IN MALTA
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Typical Maltese Food

• The Maltese food is the result of the interaction
  between the cultures of the island people and
  their successive conquerors. It is rustic and
  mostly based on season products and sea food.
  Most of the classic recipes include tart base,
  which they fill up with vegetables, cheeses,
  fish, meat, rice or pasta, creating flavourful
  and abundant meals. Among these are the lampuki
  tart fill in with fish, spinach, cauliflower,
  goat cheese and hazelnuts- and pastizzi, a
  delight of ricota and egg in fila mass. Due to
  the lack of firewood ovens, the Maltese developed
  a slow baking process in which they put the food
  in mud vessels over a hot stone called kenur,
  which derived in a predilection by stews and
  pottages - the rabbit stew with wine and herbs
  is highly recommended-. Another extended way of
  food preparation is the filling of meats and sea
  fruits, like the stuffed octopus in hot tomato
  sauce, or stuffed chicken cooked on a bed of
  potatoes, onions, garlic and herbs. The Maltese
  wines are not expensive, and there are some of
  very good quality, as well as their beers. The
  Maltese beer namely the CISK LAGER and the
  HOPLEAF PALE ALE is very popular

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Drinks
The most expensive Maltese wine D

• The most popular beer in Malta is the CISK beer.

Soft drink
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Food
Bigilla (thick pate of broad beans with garlic)
Gbejniet (sheep or goat?s cheese)
Qaghaq tal-Ghasel (ring-cake filled with a
special mixture of honey paste
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Maltese folk music

• Traditional folk music is called Ghana. The word
  Ghana has two meanings.The first meaning richness
  and wealth, The second is connected with
  singing.One of the most popular bands in Malta is
  Etnika.
• Metal music
• There are only a few metal bands in Malta. Dance
  misic is very popular there.But there are some
  popular bands, too. For example Martyrium. Its
  melodic black metal band from Luqa.

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Maltese music

• Folk music

Traditional Maltese folk music is called Ghana.
The word Ghana has two meanings, the first
meaning richness and wealth. The second is
associated with singing. One of the most popular
folk bands from Malta is Etnika.

• Metal music

In Malta there are only a few metal bands. In
this country is most popular dance music, but
there are some interesting bands. For example
Martyrium. Its melodic black metal band from
town Luqa.
band Martyrium
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Maltas National Anthem
Malta
English

• Lil din l-art helwa, l-Omm li tatna isimha,
  Hares Mulej, kif dejjem Int harist Ftakar li
  lilha bl-ohla dawl libbist. Aghti, kbir Alla,
  id-dehen lil min jahkimha, Rodd il-hniena
  lis-sid, sahha 'l-haddiem Seddaq il-ghaqda
  fil-Maltin u s-sliem.

Guard her, O Lord, as ever Thou hast guarded!
This Motherland so dear whose name we bear!
Keep her in mind, whom Thou hast made so fair!
May he who rules, for wisdom be regarded! In
master mercy, strength in man increase! Confirm
us all, in unity and peace!
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Festivals in Malta

• Malta Jazz Festival
• The Malta Jazz Festival takes place on the
  third weekend of July each year. Organised by the
  Malta Council for Culture and Arts, the festival
  is held seaside in the city of Valletta and
  consistently attracts jazz from all over the
  world. The festival caters for all kinds of jazz
  lovers with an eclectic mix of musicians and a
  rapidly growing international reputation.

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• Rolex Middle Sea Race
• Once a year the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the
  Royal Ocean Racing club and Rolex back a very
  important yacht race. The Middle Sea Race has
  been running since 1968 and cover 608 nautical
  miles around the coast of Malta, along the side
  of Sicily, and past the volcanic island of
  Stromboli. Entry is open and around 25-30 yachts
  compete in October each year.

• Mediterranean Food Festival
• This famous festival has been held annually
  since 2002 and boasts some of the best food that
  Mediterranean countries have to offer. Four days
  of food and drink in Valletta brings from
  countries together chefs and food producers like
  Egypt, Greece, Spain, France, Italy and Turkey
  for a foodie's paradise.

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Legends of Malta Il-GawgawIn the past, December
24 was considered a most unfavorable day for
birth. According to a superstitious belief which
lingered on among the Maltese up to the end of
the 19th century, persons who were born on
Christmas Eve were to be transformed into a ghost
called "il-Gawgaw". This had to happen only once
a year, on this day, while these persons were
asleep. In the form of a "Gawgaw", they wandered
about frightening people with their groaning.
Children were told that if they misbehaved, the
"Gawgaw" would kidnap them and take them far far
away in a distant land, where they would die of
hunger and loneliness. Towards dawn the persons
transformed in a "Gawgaw" returned home
exhausted. By the time they woke up in the
morning they would have resumed their human form,
quite unaware of their nocturnal peregrinations.
The remedy against this transformation consisted
in inducing the sufferer to sit up all night and
to count the holes of a sieve from eleven o'
clock at night to the following Christmas
morning. Tal-MaqlubaThis legend says that
where today lies the area known as "tal-Maqluba",
just south of the Maltese village of Qrendi,
there once was an evil village. The people were
so bad that God punished them by opening the
ground and the whole village was swallowed by the
earth. The opening in the ground stopped exactly
in front a chapel, which is still present just by
the edge of this enormous hole which is around 50
meters in circumference and around 40 meters deep.
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Treasure at Fort RicasoliThe Maltese ghost is
often referred to as "il-hares" (pl. "ihirsa"),
perhaps a relative of the Roman "Lares"
(household gods). Once, a "hares" in the form of
a Turk, awakened a workman at Fort Ricasoli (by
the Grand Harbor) and told him of a big treasure
within the fort area. This workman told one of
his colleagues and together they went to look at
the indicated spot. They found a lot of coal
coins. As in other local folk tales the coins
were turned to coal. The following night the
"hares" reappeared and beat up the workman for
sharing the secret. The moral of this legend is
What the "hares" tells you is for your eyes
only! Saint Paul and the Venomous ViperThis
is perhaps the most well known legend in Malta.
This legend is also written down in the Holy
Bible, in the chapters regarding the shipwreck of
St. Paul and his stay in Malta. It is believed
that when St. Paul was gathering wood to make a
fire to warm himself and the other shipwrecked
people, a venomous viper sprang out of the sticks
and bit him. The Maltese, who were very
superstitious at the time, expected him to die of
poisoning but instead no harm happened to him. It
is said that from that day snakes and scorpions
in Malta became quite harmless and non-poisonous.
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Famous people of Malta
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Famous people

• Guido De Marco - President of The Republic of
  Malta

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Famous people

• Sir Anthony J. Mamo - First President of Malta
  (1974 - 1976)

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Famous people

• Kenneth Zammit Tabona - artist illustrator

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Survival Maltese
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Language of Malta

• The people of Malta speak Maltese language which
  derived from Arabic. Over time, the language has
  incorporated a large influence of vocabulary from
  other languages including Italian and English
  Maltese is the only Semitic language, which is
  written in the Latin alphabet. Both Maltese and
  English are official languages and Italian is
  widely spoken. Maltese is generally used in
  courts and other official documents.

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Wishes

• Merry Christmas! Il-Milied it-Tajjeb!
• Happy New Year! Is-Sena t-Tajba!
• Happy Easter! L-Ghid it-Tajjeb!
• Happy Birthday! Awguri tal-birthday!
• Best Wishes! Awguri!/Xewqat Sbieh!
• Congratulations! Nifrahlek!
• Good luck! Ix-Xorti t-Tajba!
• Regards ... Inselli ghalik
• Goodbye! Sahha!
• Bye! Ciao!

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Arrival

• Heres my passport. Hawn hu l-passport tieghi.
• I don't know yet. Ghadni ma nafx.
• I'm sorry I don't understand. Jiddispjacini ma
  nifhimx.
• Is there anyone here who speaks English? ... Hawn
  xi hadd hawn li jaf bl-ingliz?

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Greetings

• Good morning. Bongu.
• Good evening. Bonswa.
• See you later. Narak iktar tard.
• Pleased to meet you. Ghandi pjacir.
• How are you? Kif inti?
• Very well, thanks. And you? Tajjeb(masc),tajba(f
  em) hafna. U inti?
• Excuse me! Skuzi!
• Sorry! Skuzani!

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Maltese art

• Architercture

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Maltese architecture
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Maltese architecture

• Malta owes much of its distinctive
  architecture to the soft globigerina limestone
  from which most of the island's buildings are
  constructed. Aside from the modern bricks made
  from imported cement, it's the only vernacular
  stone suitable for construction Malta's type of
  clay expands, shrinks and cracks in response to
  seasonal temperature fluctuations while the upper
  coralline limestone is an unyieldingly hard
  mineral. Globigerina limestone, which was
  discovered during the Neolithic at around 3,000
  BC, weathers elegantly to the colour of natural
  sandstone, and its plasticity allows it to be
  sculpted down to hairpin detail. As far as style
  is concerned, architecture has been dominated by
  Baroque since its development in Rome in the
  seventeenth century.

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The Manoel Theatre

• (Teatru Manoel, in Maltese) is reputed to be
  Europe's third-oldest working theatre, and the
  oldest working theatre in the Commonwealth of
  nations.

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Pendergardens

• Pendergardens is a self-contained pedestrian
  development located in Paceville, St. Julians,
  Malta. The megaprojekt, which will cover an area
  of 18,500.m2, is currently under construction and
  is to be completed in 2012.

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Maltese writers

• Marylu Coppini

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Mikiel Anton Vassalli

• Vassalli (March 1764 in Zebbug, Malta - January
  12, 1829) was a Maltese writer and linguist. He
  studied oriental languages at the University if
  Rome, and went on to publish important Maltese
  language books, including a Maltese-Italian
  dictionary, a Maltese grammar book and, towards
  the end of his life, a book on Maltese proverb.

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Guzè Galea

• (19011978) is one of the best Maltese authors.
  Some of his best books are
• Zmien L-Ispanjoli
• San Gwann
• Ragel bil-Ghagal

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Marylu Coppini

• She is a maltese actress.
• Her acting career started as a professional film
  star, albeit in a children's film, and continued
  down the path of Maltese local amateur theatre
  which is basically where she has remained. After
  meeting established act Joe Mampalao dePiro, who
  hastened to lure her into the Malta Amateur
  Dramatic Club, she took part in numerous
  productions over the years right up to The Taming
  of the Shrew, when she played Katerina's father.
  Coppini has directed plays, pantomimes and one
  musical. She also taught drama, acted on
  television and hosted her own chat show. She
  played in the popular TV series Villa Sunset on
  TVM and L-Erbgha l Huma on One Television.

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Maltese Cities
By the usual standards that most other countries
use when designating a city, Malta's cities would
be too small to be considered. There are,
however, a small number of communities
traditionally regarded as cities, by virtue of
receiving the "cittá" designation during the rule
of the Knights of St John. In Maltese law, there
is no distinction made between cities, towns, and
villages the status is purely traditional. All
local councils in Malta have equivalent powers
and responsibilities.
Birgu (Vittoriosa), the maritime city of Malta.
It is also known as Citta Vittoriosa. It was
granted this title in 1565 after the siege of
Malta by the Ottoman Turks. (Population
2,691) Bormla (Cospicua), is one of the Three
Cities. It is also known as Citta Cospicua. It
was granted this title by grand master
Marc'Antonio Zondadari in 1722. (Population
5,642) Mdina, the old capital city of Malta and
the Silent City. It is also known as Citta
Notabile. (Population 258) Qormi, the city of
Maltese Bread. It is also known as Citta Pinto.
It was granted this title by Grand Master Emanoel
Pinto de Fonseca in 1743. (Population
16,576) Rabat in Gozo, also known as Citta
Vittoria. It was given this name in 1887 by
Britain to mark Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.
(Population 6,414) Senglea, is one of the
Three Cities. It is also known as Citta Invicta
or Isla. Senglea is the most populated density
city in Malta. (Population 3,500) Siggiewi,
the countryside city, is on the west coast. It is
also known as Citta Ferdinand. It was granted
this title in 1797. (Population
7,903) Valletta, the capital city of Malta. It
is also known as Citta Umilissima. It was founded
in 1566. (Population 6,315) Zabbar, the city of
bikes pilgrimage. It is also known as Citta
Hompesch. It was granted this title in 1797. This
city also exist from the other city of Zejtun.
(Population 14,694) Zebbug, also known as
Cittá Rohan. It was granted this title in 1777 by
Grandmaster Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc.
(Population 11,425) Zejtun, the city of
Maltese Folk Music 'Ghana'. It is also known as
Cittá Beland. It was granted this title in 1797.
(Population 11,425)
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Farewell our friends

• We wish you a successful end of the school year
• A very nice holiday
• And a lot of beautiful days in your life