miércoles, 25 de noviembre de 2009

Main characteristics of people in Malta

The Maltese are an ethnic group associated with the Southern European nation of Malta.

The Maltese people are over medium height. They have dark eyes and dark hair,
The children of Malta usually attend school between the ages of 6 and 16.

Over 50% of the Maltese people are farmers. Many Maltese people work in the dockyards and in the building industries. The men are expected to live about 74 years. However, the women are expected to live more. They are expected to live about 79 years.

The Maltese people are known worldwide for their friendly nature and for their generosity.
However, their Mediterranean temperament is very evident in every day life and although it rarely ever results in conflict, the locals can easily get too worked up on what they’re most passionate about … be it family, religion, politics or anything else.

The languages in Malta

Languages of Malta:


The current national language of Malta is Maltese, which along with English, is one of the official languages.

Before independence in 1964, Malta was a British possession, and a result of this is that English is still an official language, with government business being carried out in both English and Maltese. Most Maltese learn English in school, this being obligatory in most cases. Secondary and tertiary education are given exclusively in English. Today, 88% of Malta's population speak English. Along with Maltese, English is the only other official language of the country. Although standard English is official, the variety of English commonly spoken in Malta is heavily influenced by Italian, not only in vocabulary (most commonly by pronouncing English words of Franco-Latin origin in an Italian style) but extending to phonology, with the English being heavily accented; however, Received Pronunciation remains standard amongst Maltese individuals of a certain socioeconomic bracket.



Some per cents:


Official languages:

Maltese (100%)

English (88%)


Significant unofficial language:

Italian (66%)


Main foreign language:

French (17%)

Valletta, Malta´s Capital City

Valletta Location
• Officially the name for Valletta is II-Belt Valletta
• Valletta is located on Malta's North East coast, 10 km from Luqa airport
• To the North is Marsamxett Harbour, to the east the Mediterranean Sea and to the south the magnificent Grand Harbour

Valletta Description
• Valletta is the capital of Malta. As capital cities go it is relatively modern, being built after the "Great Siege of Malta by the Ottoman Turks in 1565".
• Valletta is a fortified town, and are supposedly the best and most powerful old fortifications in the world
• The fortifications were started in 1566 by Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valetta, 3 years later the fortifications were almost complete before the building of the city itself. Valletta was built using a grid layout
• As you walk down Republic Street you will notice that the shops become less frequent after the Palace and the lower end towards St Elmo fort is far more residential. There are still a few attractions to be found in this lowers end. But do look upwards to see the marvelous wooden balconies, especially in the side and narrower streets
Valletta Attractions
• Valletta has a vast array of attractions and tourist placesof interest to visit. Many of the attractions are about Malta's dramatic history and it's defence following it's two great sieges. The first siege by the Ottoman turks in 1565 when the Knights of St. John repelled the invaders and the second in the Second World War when the German & Italian forces bombed and attempted to unsuccessfully starve the island into submission.

Valletta is built on top of a hill Mount Sceberras, and surrounded by harbours or the ses on 3 sides giving magnificent view from strategic points of it's formidable fortifications, possibly the best medieval fortifications in the world, and still almost entirely intact.

Valletta Seafront & Valletta Rock Beaches
• Harbours and the sea surrounds Valletta on 3 sides all of the sea frontage lies outside of the fortifications which forms a barrier between the city and the seafront. Great views of the harbours are obtainable from high vantage points in Valletta's fortifications. There are only a few places that attract tourists to the seafront
o The ferry stage on the north side with a very popular passenger ferry service to & from Sliema. Note The ferry service often has concessionary reduced price tickets to some of Valletta's attractions. There is a short but very steep hill between the ferry and Valletta's town centre
o The water polo / swimming pool near the Sliema ferry
o The ferry service on the south side to the 3 cities located near the custom house
o The fish market
• There are no sandy beaches in Valetta, but there are rocks to sun bathe on between the Sliema ferrylanding stage and the Jews Sally port located towards Fort St Elmo
Shopping in Valletta
o Valletta is Malta's main shopping centre. Republic street that runs downhill from Valletta's city gate, where the bus station is located on the outer side of the gate
o Running parallel to Republic street is Merchant street, the location of the market, ideal for those on self catering holidays, and more shops.
Nightlife in Valletta
o There are quiet bars and restaurants. Valletta is a hive of activity in the day, but at night the city relaxes. For those wanting a more exiting or noisier nightlife head for Sliema, St Julians or for Malta's nightlife capital, the Paceville (pronounced Patchy Vill, as in Villa) area of St. Julian's

Valletta Restaurants & Cuisine
o http://www.malta-info.co.uk/resorts/valleta/pages/open-air-restaurant-1548.htm Valletta has a good choice of restaurants for a quiet evening meal. The city itself boasts a number of cafes for convenient dining.
o The Main square next to the Palace and other squares in the same area are very popular with open air restaurants.
o There are a few cafes or restaurants with great views located around the city ramparts

Sports in Valletta

o Scuba Diving for beginners and experienced divers is available from Diving schools
o Snorkeling in the sea
o Many hotels & aparthotels have their own sporting facilities.


Valletta Bus Station
Valletta Bus Station is located just outside Valletta's city gate and the fortified walls and surround the Triton fountain. The bus station is the hub of Malta's transport system. The majority of busses, depart and return to this bus station
A bus route map and timetable is available from information kiosks. There are about 4 transport information kiosks scattered around the bus station amongst the stalls selling food, drinks etc.



Population of Malta

Total population in Malta at end of 2008 stood at 413,609

The total population at the end of 2008 stood at 413,609 persons, up by nearly 1 per cent when compared to the previous year’s total. 50.2 per cent of the total population were females. Changes in the total population are a result of natural increase, which is the difference between birth and death counts, and migration, which is the difference between immigration and emigration. Nearly 75 per cent of this population increase is due to migration.

23 per cent of the total population were under 20 years of age, while another 14 per cent were 65 and over. According to projections, in 2050, these two percentages are expected to become 17 and 24 per cent respectively. These changes are in line with current population trends, which demonstrate a continually ageing population.

There was a total of 4,126 live births in 2008, an increase of 6.6 per cent over 2007, bringing the crude birth rate to 10.0. 52 per cent of the babies born were boys. The majority of the mothers were aged between 25 and 29, with 34 per cent of the mothers falling within this age bracket. Another 31 per cent were aged between 30 and 34. Fathers tended to be slightly older than mothers. In fact, the largest category of fathers fell within the 30-34 year old category and accounted for 35 per cent of the total.

There were 2,482 registered marriages involving both Maltese and foreign couples during 2008, with a resulting crude marriage rate of 6.0. 193 marriages occurred in Gozo, an increase of 26 per cent over 2007. 34 per cent of all marriages were civil. The majority of the brides and grooms were 25-29 years old. There were also 20 grooms and 13 brides aged 65 or over.

Area of the country





Area:

The territory of the Island of Malta is approximately 457 square kilometers. The state is comprised of 3 islands, which are, in descending order, Malta (approximately 390 square kilometers), Gozo and Comino. The islands are located some 290 kilometers north of the African continent and about 100 kilometers from Sicily.

lunes, 23 de noviembre de 2009

Location of the country in the world & map:



Specific location:

It is situated centrally in the Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of Sicily (Italy) and 288 km north-east of Tunisia. Gibraltar is 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria, Egypt, 1,510 km to the east.


General location:

Officially, the Republic of Malta belongs to the European Union . The Southern European island nation is an archipelago that includes the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, along with a number of smaller, uninhabited islands.