|  Malta
- Accession to the EU: 2004
- Accession to the Council of Europe: 1965
- Surface area: 316 km2 for the 3 islands (Malte, Gozo, Comino)
- Population: 412 970(Eurostat-January 2010)
- Capital city: Valletta (6,315 inhabitants)
- Official languages: Maltese and English
- Listen to Maltese
- Main religion: Catholic
- Currency: Euro (since January 2008)
- Political system: Republic
- Head of state: George Abela (since 2009)
- Head of government: Lawrence Gonzi (since 2004, reelected 2008 - Nationalist Party)
- International code: +356
- National holiday: 21 September (Independence Day)
- The of the European Parliament
 OT Malte As a strategic crossroads between Europe and Africa, located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta was occupied by the British in 1799 and officially became a colony of the British Empire in 1814. - 1849 A constitution is introduced by the colonial authorities, establishing the Anglo-Saxon parliamentary system which gradually leads to Maltese self-government. This experience of power leads to the emergence of the two main current political parties: the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party.
- 1962 A majority of electors votes for pro-independence parties, following which a conference for independence gets underway.
- 1964 Following a referendum, independence is granted by Great Britain. Malta becomes a Constitutional Monarchy.
- 1974 The constitution is partially amended and Malta becomes a Republic. The first President is Anthony Mamo.
- 1979 The last British forces leave the island and Malta reaffirms its status as an independent and neutral State, refusing all foreign interference.
- 1990 Request to join the European Economic Community, at the initiative of the Nationalist Party (centre-right, pro-European) which was then in power.
- 1996 The Labour Party comes to power and decides to freeze the pre-membership phase.
- 1998 The Nationalist Party wins new elections and reactivates the application to join the European Union.
- 2000 The European Union opens negotiations with Malta.
- 2003 The Nationalist Party is re-elected.
- 2004 Malta joins the European Union.
- 2008 Adoption of the Euro.
- 2008 The national party wins the legislative elections. Lawrence Gonzi rests Prime Minister.
- 2009 George Abela becomes Head of state.
 Valetta Ot Malte The capital of Malta, Valletta is located on a rocky spur running along the northeastern coast of the main island. With only 7100 inhabitants, it is not the most populous town in the archipelago. However, the history of Malta is closely associated with that of Valletta. The town was founded in 1565 by one of the Grand Masters of the Order of Malta, Jean Parisot de La Valette, with the aim of strengthening the island’s defences against the increasingly threatening influence of Islam in the Mediterranean. However, there was no question of him building an austere fortress. The town he created was one built “for gentlemen by gentlemen”, and the fortress rapidly became one of the most attractive baroque cities in Southern Europe. Largely preserved, Valletta has a wealth of monuments including the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Saint John’s Cathedral or the superb “knight’s hospital”: the Sacra Infirmeria. Valletta is a major cultural centre, as shown by its Manoel Theatre dating from the time of the knights and by its many museums. Festivals are regularly held here, such as the Maltafest summer festival devoted to art.  Megaliths OT Maltes Upon discovering Malta in 1785, the archaeologist Brochtorff supposedly said that it was Malta which best justifies the expression “a faith to move mountains”. Indeed, Malta and Gozo boast around 30 spectacular megalithic sites. These temples are believed to have been built between 5000 and 2000 BC, in other words well before the Egyptian pyramids of Gizeh (around 2800 BC). These rank among the first stone temples built in the world. The stones often weigh several tonnes and some of them measure 6 metres in height. The Hypogeum (troglodytic temple) of Hal Saflieni is one of the most amazing prehistoric buildings in the world: its rooms are located 12 metres below the ground and the archaeologists have discovered numerous human remains there, in addition to stone altars and a statue of a goddess, proving that this was at once a collective burial site and place of worship. We know very little about the people who built these temples other than that they came from Sicily and that they used rudimentary implements including sharpened flints and wooden tools. Each of these construction projects must have taken them several decades!  The order of Malta OT Malte The Order of Malta was derived from the monastic Order of the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem founded during the first crusade in 1113 in order to care for pilgrims. The hospitallers’ mission was widened to include the protection of western Christians threatened by Muslims. Knights from all over Christian Europe were engaged in the struggle. They wore a white uniform decorated with the famous cross which would go on to become the Maltese cross, the universally recognised symbol of the order. The flag of Malta, (red and white embellished with a cross) would be the oldest in the world. From 1530 onwards, the date on which Charles the Fifth gave up the island to the knights, the order set up its headquarters in Malta and afterwards bore the name of the Order of Malta. The knights defended the West against the Ottoman Turks, who they repulsed during the siege of Valletta in 1565. For two centuries, the order’s fleet protected Christian traders in the Mediterranean. The order also carried out impressive construction work on the island including palaces, fortifications, etc, and succeeded in turning Malta into a key crossroads for Mediterranean trade until the 18th century. The order remained in Malta until the island was taken by Bonaparte in 1798. It subsequently relocated to Rome, and today has approximately 11500 knights and more than one million associated members. It still carries out various activities including hospital and ambulance services, etc. Ulysses and the island of Gozo  The island of Gozo OT Malte According to Homer’s Odyssey, it was on the island of Gozo that the Greek hero Ulysses was held for seven years by the nymph Calypso. Traffic drives on the left On Malta, traffic drives on the left (thanks to its British heritage) and speeds are limited to 80 km/h on the roads and 40 km/h in the towns. In the Maltese version of the game of chess, the Queen does not wear a crown. | European diary
-
From
13 february 2012 to
16 february 2012
The plenary
session of the European Parliament is where the Parliament formally sits to
vote on EU legislation and adopt its position on political issues. The plenary
sessions take place 12 times a year in Strasbourg
and there are also 6 mini-plenary sessions held in Brussels.
-
Place:
European Parliament
Strasbourg
-
From
12 march 2012 to
15 march 2012
The plenary
session of the European Parliament is where the Parliament formally sits to
vote on EU legislation and adopt its position on political issues. The plenary
sessions take place 12 times a year in Strasbourg
and there are also 6 mini-plenary sessions held in Brussels.
-
Place:
European Parliament
Strasbourg
|
