Malta has been inhabited since 5900 BC. DNA analysis indicates that the first inhabitants originated from various European and African regions of theMediterranean. They practiced mixed farming after clearing most of the existingconifer forest that dominated the islands, but their agricultural methods degraded the soil until the islands became uninhabitable.^[1][2][3] The islands were repopulated around 3850 BC by a civilization that at its peak built theMegalithic Temples, which today are among the oldest surviving buildings in the world. Their civilization collapsed in around 2350 BC; the islands were repopulated byBronze Age warriors soon afterwards.

Malta's prehistory ends in around 700 BC, when the islands were colonized by thePhoenicians. They ruled the islands until theyfell in 218 BC to theRoman Republic. The island was acquired by the Eastern Romans orByzantines in the 6th century AD, who were expelled byAghlabids following asiege in 870 AD. Malta may have been sparsely populated for a few centuries until being repopulated byArabs in the 11th century. The islands wereinvaded by the NormanCounty of Sicily in 1091, and a gradual Christianization of the islands followed. At this point, the islands became part of theKingdom of Sicily and were dominated by successive feudal rulers, including theSwabians, theAragonese, and eventually theSpanish. The islands were given to theOrder of St. John in 1530, whichruled them as avassal state of Sicily. In 1565, theOttoman Empire attempted to take the islands in theGreat Siege of Malta, but the invasion was repelled. The Order continued to rule Malta for over two centuries, and this period was characterized by a flourishing of the arts and architecture and an overall improvement in the social order [citation needed]. The Order was expelled after theFrench First Republicinvaded the islands in 1798, marking the beginning of theFrench occupation of Malta.

After a few months of French rule, the Malteserebelled and the French were expelled in 1800. Malta became aBritish protectorate, becoming ade factocolony in 1813. The islands became an important naval base for the British, serving as the headquarters of theMediterranean Fleet. During the last quarter of the 19th century, there were advancements in technology and finance. In subsequent years, the Anglo-Egyptian Bank was established in 1882 and the Malta Railway began operating in 1883. In 1921, London granted self-government to Malta. This resulted in the establishment of a bicameral parliament consisting of a Senate (which was later eliminated in 1949) and an elected Legislative Assembly. The Crown Colony of Malta was self-governing in 1921–1933, 1947–1958, and 1962–1964.

DuringWorld War II British forces in Malta wereheavily attacked by Italian and German air power, but the British held firm. In 1942the island was awarded theGeorge Cross, which today appears on Malta's flag and coat of arms.

In 1964 Malta became an independentCommonwealth realm known as theState of Malta, and in 1974 it became a republic while remaining in theCommonwealth. Since 2004 the country has been a member state of theEuropean Union.

Malta stands on an underwater ridge that extends from North Africa toSicily. At some time in the distant past, Malta was submerged, as shown by marinefossils embedded in rock in the highest points of Malta. As the ridge was pushed up and theStrait of Gibraltarclosed through tectonic activity, the sea level was lower, and Malta was on a bridge of dry land that extended between the twocontinents, surrounded by large lakes. Some caverns in Malta have revealed bones ofelephants,hippopotamuses, and other large animals now found inAfrica, while others have revealed animals native toEurope.

While until recently, it was believed that Malta's first inhabitants arrived in the islands in 5700  BC, it has now been established that this occurred around 5900 BC, as is evidenced by studies of ancient soils.^[3][2] These firstNeolithic people have generally been assumed to have arrived from Sicily (about 80 kilometres or 50 miles north),^{[citation needed]} but DNA analysis shows that they originated from different parts of the Mediterranean, including both Europe and Africa.^[3]

They were mainly farming and fishing communities, with some evidence of hunting activities. They apparently lived in caves and open dwellings. During the centuries that followed there is evidence of further contacts with other cultures, which left their influence on the local communities, evidenced by their pottery designs and colours.^{[citation needed]} The farming methods degraded the soil; at the same time prolonged drought set in, and the islands became too dry to sustain agricultural practices. This occurred partly due to climate change and drought, and the islands were uninhabited for about a millennium.^[3]

Research carried out as part of the FRAGSUS project, comprising analysis of soil cores from valleys, which contained ancient pollen and animal evidence from past environments, revealed that "climate change fluctuations made Malta uninhabitable in some periods of prehistory. There was a substantial break of around 1,000 years between the first settlers and the next group who settled permanently on the Maltese islands and eventually built the megalithic temples."^[3]

A second wave of colonization arrived from Sicily in around 3850 BC.^[3] Prof. Caroline Malone has said: "Given the restricted land space of Malta, it is remarkable that the second colonisation survived for 1,500 years. This sort of settlement stability is unheard of in Europe and is impressive in terms of how they were able to live on an ever-degrading land for such a period of time."^[3]

One of the most notable periods of Malta's history is the temple period, starting around 3600 BC. TheĠgantija Temple in Gozo is one of the oldest free-standing buildings in the world. The name of the complex stems from the Maltese wordġgant, which reflects the magnitude of the temple's size. Many of the temples are in the form of fivesemicircular rooms connected at the centre. It has been suggested that these might have represented the head, arms, and legs of a deity, since one of the commonest kinds of statue found in these temples comprises obese human figures, popularly termed "fat ladies" despite their ambiguity of gender, and often considered to represent fertility.^{[citation needed]}

The civilization which built the temples lasted for about 1,500 years until about 2350 BC, at which point the culture seems to have disappeared. There is speculation about what might have happened and whether they were completely wiped out or assimilated,^{[citation needed]} but it is thought that the collapse occurred due to climate conditions and drought.^[3]

Prof. Malone has stated: "We can learn a lot from the mistakes made by the first Maltese. The lack of water, coupled with the destruction of soil that takes centuries to form, can cause the failure of a civilisation. The second group of inhabitants to Malta in 3850–2350 BC managed their resources adequately and harnessed soil and food for over 1,500 years. It was only when climate conditions and drought became so extreme that they failed."^[3]

Between 2600 and 2400 BC, half of those who died were children.^[4]

After the Temple period came theBronze Age. From this period there are remains of a number of settlements and villages, as well asdolmens — altar-like structures made out of very large slabs of stone. They are claimed to belong to a population certainly different from that which built the previous megalithic temples.

It is presumed the population arrived from Sicily because of the similarity to the constructions found in the largest island of the Mediterranean sea.^[5]

One survivingmenhir, which was used to build temples, still stands atKirkop; it is one of the few still in good condition.

Among the most interesting and mysterious remnants of this era are the so-called cart ruts as they can be seen at a place on Malta calledMisraħ Għar il-Kbir (informally known as Clapham Junction). These are pairs of parallel channels cut into the surface of the rock, and extending for considerable distances, often in an exactly straight line. Their exact use is unknown. One suggestion is that beasts of burden used to pull carts along, and these channels would guide the carts and prevent the animals from straying. The society that built these structures eventually died out or at any rate disappeared.^{[citation needed]}

Between 1400 BC and 1200 BC there was a Mycaenaean influence on the Malta, which is evidenced by presence of Mycaenaean artefacts.^[6]

Phoenicians—possibly fromTyre—began tocolonize the islands around the early8th century BC^{[citation needed][dubious –discuss]}, using it as an outpost from which they expanded sea exploration and trade in the Mediterranean. They called the principal island Ann (Phoenician:𐤀𐤍𐤍,ʾNN).^[7][8][9] Necropolises have been found atRabat on Malta andRabat on Gozo, suggesting the main settlements were at present-dayMdina on Malta andCittadella on Gozo.^[10] The former settlement was also known as Ann,^[7][8] suggesting it served as the colony's seat of government. The principal port, meanwhile, was atCospicua on theGrand Harbor. Known simply as Maleth (𐤌𐤋𐤈,MLṬ, "The Port"), it was probably the namesake of the Greeks' and Romans' names for the entire island.^[9]

The Maltese Islands fell under the hegemony ofCarthage around the middle of 6th century BC,^{[citation needed]} along with most other Phoenician colonies in the western Mediterranean. By the late 4th century BC, Malta had become a trading post linking southern Italy andSicily toTripolitania. This resulted in the introduction ofHellenistic features in architecture and pottery. It is not known if Malta was settled like a traditional Greekapoikia, so some support that Malta was never a Greek colony.^[11] Hellenistic architectural features can be seen in the Punic temple atTas-Silġ anda tower inŻurrieq. The Greek language also began to be used in Malta, as shown in the bilingual Phoenician and Greek inscriptions found on theCippi of Melqart. In the 18th century, French scholarJean-Jacques Barthélemy deciphered the extinctPhoenician alphabet using the inscriptions on these cippi.^[10]

In 255 BC, theRomans raided Malta during theFirst Punic War, devastating much of the island.^[10]

According to Latin historianLivy, the Maltese Islands passed into the hands of the Romans at the start of theSecond Punic War in the year218 BC. Livy reports the commander of the Punic garrison on the Islandsurrendered without resistance toTiberius Sempronius Longus, one of the twoconsuls for that year, who was on his way to North Africa. The archipelago—known to the Romans as Melita or Melite—became part of theprovince ofSicily, but by the 1st century it had its own local senate and people's assembly. By this time, both Malta and Gozo minted distinctive coins based onRoman weight measurements.^[12]

Serving as the administrative hub of the islands, Mdina also became known asMelita. Its size grew to its maximum extent, occupying the entire area of present-dayMdina and large parts ofRabat, extending to what is nowSt Paul's Church. Remains show that the city was surrounded by thick defensive walls and was also protected by a protective ditch that ran along the same line of St Rita Street, which was built directly above it. Remains hint that a religious centre with a number of temples was built on the highest part of the promontory. The remains of one impressive residence known as theDomus Romana have been excavated, revealing well-preservedPompeian style mosaics. Thisdomus seems to have been the residence of a rich Roman aristocrat, and it is believed to have been built in the 1st century BC and abandoned in the 2nd century AD.^[13]

The islands prospered under Roman rule, and were eventually distinguished as aMunicipium and a FoederataCivitas. Many Roman antiquities still exist, testifying to the close link between the Maltese inhabitants and Sicily.^[15] Throughout the period of Roman rule,Latin became Malta's official language, andRoman religion was introduced in the islands. Despite this, the local Punic-Hellenistic culture and language is thought to have survived until at least the 1st century AD.^[12]

In AD 60, theActs of the Apostles records thatSaint Paul was shipwrecked on an island named Melite, which many Bible scholars and Maltese conflate with Malta; there is a tradition that the shipwreck took place on the shores of the aptly named "St. Paul's Bay". InActs 28, Saint Paul is welcomed by the islanders who build him a fire. As Paul is gathering wood for the fire, a poisonous viper in the wood is driven out by the heat and bites Paul. Paul is unaffected by the bite, leading the people of Malta to believe he is a god. This assumption allows Paul the opportunity to introduce theGospel to the island.

Malta remained part of the Roman Empire until the early 6th century.^[12] TheVandals and later theOstrogoths might have briefly occupied the islands in the 5th century,^[16] but there is no archaeological evidence to support this.^[17]

In 533,Byzantine generalBelisarius may have landed at Malta while on his way fromSicily to North Africa, and by 535, the islands were integrated into the Byzantine province ofSicily. During the Byzantine period, the main settlements remained the city of Melite on mainland Malta and theCitadel on Gozo, whileMarsaxlokk,Marsaskala,Marsa andXlendi are believed to have served as harbours. The relatively high quantity of Byzantine ceramics found in Malta suggests that the island might have had an important strategic role within the empire from the 6th to 8th centuries.^[18]

From the late 7th century onward, the Mediterranean was being threatened byMuslim expansion. At this point, the Byzantines probably improved the defences of Malta, as can be seen by defensive walls built around the basilica atTas-Silġ around the 8th century. The Byzantines might have also built theretrenchment which reduced Melite to one-third of its original size.^[19]

In 870 AD, Malta was occupied by Muslims fromNorth Africa. According toAl-Himyarī,Aghlabids led by Halaf al-Hādimbesieged the Byzantine city of Melite, which was ruled by governor Amros (probably Ambrosios). Al-Hādim was killed in the fighting, and Sawāda Ibn Muḥammad was sent fromSicily to continue the siege following his death. The duration of the siege is unknown, but it probably lasted for some weeks or months. After Melite fell to the invaders, the inhabitants were massacred, the city was destroyed and its churches were looted. Marble from Melite's churches was used to build the castle ofSousse.^[20]According to Al-Himyarī, Malta remained almost uninhabited until it was resettled in around 1048 or 1049 by a Muslim community and their slaves, who rebuilt the city of Melite as Medina, making it "a finer place than it was before". However, archaeological evidence suggests that Melite/Medina was already a thriving Muslim settlement by the beginning of the 11th century, so Al-Himyarī's account might be unreliable.^[21]In 1053–54, the Byzantinesbesieged Medina but they were repelled by its defenders.^[20]Although their rule was relatively short, the Arabs left a significant impact on Malta. In addition to their language,Siculo-Arabic,cotton,oranges andlemons and many new techniques in irrigation were introduced. Some of these, like thenoria (waterwheel), are still used, unchanged, today. Many place names in Malta date to this period.

A long historiographic controversy loomed over Medieval Muslim Malta. According to the "Christian continuity thesis", spearheaded byGiovanni Francesco Abela and still most present in popular narratives, the Maltese population continuously inhabited the islands from the early Christian Era up to today, and a Christian community persisted even during Muslim times. This was contested in the 1970s by the medieval historianGodfrey Wettinger, who claimed that nothing indicated the continuity of Christianity from the late 9th to the 11th century on the Maltese Islands – the Maltese must have integrated into the new Arab Islamic society. The Christian continuity thesis had a revival in 2010 following the publication ofTristia ex Melitogaudo byStanley Fiorini, Horatio Vella and Joseph Brincat, who challenged Wettinger's interpretation based on a line of a Byzantine poem (which later appeared to have been mistranslated). Wettinger subsequently reaffirmed his thesis, based on sources from the Arab historians and geographers Al Baqri,Al-Himyarī, Ibn Hauqal, Qazwini, who all seemed to be in agreement that "the island of Malta remained after that a ruin without inhabitants" – thus ruling out any continuity whatsoever between the Maltese prior to 870 and after. This is also consistent withJoseph Brincat’s finding of no further substrata beyond Arabic in theMaltese language, a very rare occurrence which may only be explained by a drastic lapse between one period and the following. To the contrary, the few Byzantine words in Maltese language can be traced to the 400Rhodians coming with the knights in 1530, as well as to the influx of Greek rite Christians from Sicily.^[22]

Malta returned to Christian rule with theNorman conquest. It was, withNoto on the southern tip of Sicily, the last Arab stronghold in the region to be retaken by the resurgent Christians.^[23] In 1091, CountRoger I of Sicily,invaded Malta and turned the island's Muslim rulers into his vassals. In 1127, his sonRoger II of Sicily fully established Norman rule in Malta, paving the way for the islands' Christianization.^[24]

Malta was part of theKingdom of Sicily for nearly 440 years. During this period, Malta was sold and resold to various feudal lords and barons and was dominated successively by the rulers ofSwabia,Anjou,^[25] theCrown of Aragon, theCrown of Castile and Spain. Eventually, the Crown of Aragon, which then ruled Malta, joined with Castile in 1469, and Malta became part of theSpanish Empire.^[26]Meanwhile, Malta's administration fell in the hands of local nobility who formed a governing body called theUniversità.

The islands remained largely Muslim-inhabited long after the end of Arab rule. The Arab administration was also kept in place^[27] and Muslims were allowed to practise their religion freely until the 13th century.^[28] Muslims continued to demographically and economically dominate Malta for at least another 150 years after the Christian conquest.^[29][a]

In 1122, Malta experienced a Muslim uprising and in 1127Roger II of Sicily reconquered the islands.^[30]

Even in 1175,Burchard, bishop of Strasbourg, an envoy ofFrederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, had the impression, based upon his brief visit to Malta, that it was exclusively or mainly inhabited by Muslims.^[31][32]

In 1192,Tancred of Sicily appointedMargaritus of Brindisi the firstCount of Malta, perhaps for his unexpected success in capturingEmpress Constance contender to the throne. Between 1194 and 1530, theKingdom of Sicily ruled the Maltese islands and a process of fulllatinisation started in Malta. The conquest of the Normans would lead to the gradualRomanization andLatinization and subsequent firm establishment ofRoman Catholicism in Malta, after previous Islamic domination.^[33][34]

In 1224,Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, sent an expedition against Malta to establish royal control and prevent its Muslim population from helping a Muslim rebellion in theKingdom of Sicily.^[35]

After theNorman conquest, the population of the Maltese islands kept growing mainly through immigration from the north (Sicily and Italy), with the exile to Malta of the entire male population of the town ofCelano (Italy) in 1223, the stationing of a Norman and Sicilian garrison on Malta in 1240 and the settlement in Malta of noble families from Sicily between 1372 and 1450. As a consequence of this, Capelli et al. found in 2005 that "the contemporary males of Malta most likely originated from Southern Italy, including Sicily and up to Calabria."^[36]

According to a report in 1240 or 1241 byGililberto Abbate, who was the royal governor of Frederick II of Sicily during theGenoese Period of the County of Malta,^[37] in that year the islands of Malta and Gozo had 836 Muslim families, 250 Christian families and 33 Jewish families.^[38]

Around 1249, some Maltese Muslims were sent to the Italian colony ofLucera, established for Sicilian Muslims.^[b] For some historians, including Godfrey Wettinger, who follow on thisIbn Khaldun, this event marked the end of Islam in Malta. According to Wettinger, "there is no doubt that by the beginning ofAngevin times [i.e. shortly after 1249] no professed Muslim Maltese remained either as free persons or even as serfs on the island."^[39][c] TheMaltese language nevertheless survived – an indication that either a large number of Christians already spoke Maltese, or that many Muslims converted and remained behind.

In 1266, Malta was turned over infiefdom toCharles of Anjou, brother of France's King Louis IX, who retained it in ownership until 1283. Eventually, during Charles's rule religious coexistence became precarious in Malta, since he had a genuine intolerance of religions other than Roman Catholicism.^[29] However, Malta's links with Africa would still remain strong until the beginning ofAragonese and Spanish rule in 1283, following theWar of the Sicilian Vespers.^[29]: 31

In September 1429,Hafsid Saracensattempted to capture Malta but were repelled by the Maltese. The invaders pillaged the countryside and took about 3,000 inhabitants as slaves.^[40]

By the end of the 15th century, all Maltese Muslims would be forced to convert to Christianity and had to find ways to disguise their previous identities by Latinizing or adopting new surnames.^[29][d]

Malta was ruled by theOrder of Saint John as a vassal state of theKingdom of Sicily from 1530 to 1798.

In the early 16th century, theOttoman Empire started spreading over the region, reaching South East Europe. The Spanish kingCharles V feared that if Rome fell to the Turks, it would be the end of Christian Europe. In 1522,Suleiman I drove theKnights Hospitaller of St. John out ofRhodes. They dispersed to their commanderies in Europe. Wanting to protect Rome from invasion from the south, in 1530,Charles V handed over the island to these knights.

For the next 275 years, the "Knights of Malta" made the island their domain and made theItalian language official. They built towns, palaces, churches, gardens, and fortifications, they embellished the island with numerous works of art, and enhanced cultural heritage.

The order of the Knights of St. John was originally established to set up outposts along the route to the Holy Land, to assist pilgrims going in either direction. Owing to the many confrontations that took place, one of their main tasks was to provide medical assistance, and even today the eight-pointed cross is still in wide use in ambulances and first aid organisations. In return for the many lives they saved, the Order received many newly conquered territories that had to be defended. Together with the need to defend the pilgrims in their care, this gave rise to the strong military wing of the knights. Over time, the Order became strong and rich. From hospitallers first and military second, these priorities reversed. Since much of the territory they covered was around the Mediterranean region, they became notable seamen.

From Malta the knights resumed their seaborne attacks of Ottoman shipping, and before long theSultan Suleyman the Magnificent ordered a final attack on the Order. By this time the Knights had occupied the city ofBirgu, which had excellent harbours to house their fleet. Birgu was one of the two major urban places at that time, the other most urban place beingMdina the old capital city of Malta. The defences around Birgu were enhanced and new fortifications built on the other point where now there isSenglea. A small fort was built at the tip of the peninsula where the city ofValletta now stands and was namedFort Saint Elmo.

On 18 May 1565,Suleiman the Magnificent laid siege to Malta. By the time the Ottoman fleet arrived the Knights were as ready as they could be. First, the Ottomans attacked the newly built fort of St. Elmo and after a whole month of fighting the fort was in rubble and the soldiers kept fighting until they were wiped out. After this the Turks started attacking Birgu and the fortifications at Senglea but to no gain.

After a protracted siege ended on 8 September of the same year, which became known in history asGreat Siege of Malta, theOttoman Empire conceded defeat as the approaching winter storms threatened to prevent them from leaving. The Ottoman Empire had expected an easy victory within weeks. They had 40,000 men arrayed against the Knights' 9,000, most of them Maltese soldiers and simple citizens bearing arms. Their loss of thousands of men was very demoralising. The Ottomans made no further attempts to conquer Malta and the Sultan died in the next year.

The year after, the Order started work on a new city with fortifications like no other, on the Sciberras Peninsula which the Ottomans had used as a base during the siege. It was namedValletta afterJean Parisot de Valette, the Grand Master who had seen the Order through its victory. Since the Ottoman Empire never attacked again, the fortifications were never put to the test, and today remain one of the best-preserved fortifications of this period.

Unlike other rulers of the island, the Order of St. John did not have a "home country" outside the island. The island became their home, so they invested in it more heavily than any other power. Besides, its members came from noble families, and the Order had amassed considerable fortunes due to its services to those en route to the Holy Land. The architectural and artistic remains of this period remain among the greatest of Malta's history, especially in their "prize jewel" — the city of Valletta.

However, as their mainraison d'être had ceased to exist, the Order's glory days were over. In the last three decades of the eighteenth century, the Order experienced a steady decline. This was a result of a number of factors, including the bankruptcy that was a result of some lavish rule of the last Grand Masters, which drained the finances of the Order. Due to this, the Order also became unpopular with the Maltese.

Indeed, in 1775, a revolt known as theRising of the Priests occurred. Rebels managed to capture Fort St Elmo andSaint James Cavalier, but the revolt was suppressed and some of the leaders were executed while others were imprisoned or exiled.^[41]

Over the years, the power of the knights declined; their reign ended in 1798 whenNapoleon Bonaparte's expeditionary fleet stopped off there en route to hisEgyptian expedition. Napoleon asked for safe harbour to resupply his ships, and when they refused to supply him with water,Napoleon Bonaparte sent a division to scale the hills of Valletta. Grand MasterHompesch capitulated on 11 June. The following day a treaty was signed by which the order handed over sovereignty of the island of Malta to theFrench Republic. In return the French Republic agreed to "employ all its credit at thecongress of Rastatt to procure a principality for the Grand Master, equivalent to the one he gives up".^[42]

During his very short stay (six days), Napoleon accomplished quite a number of reforms, notably the creation of a new administration with a Government Commission, the creation of twelve municipalities, the setting up of a public finance administration, the abolition of all feudal rights and privileges, the abolition of slavery and the granting of freedom to all Turkish slaves (2000 in all). On the judicial level, a family code was framed and twelve judges were nominated. Public education was organised along principles laid down by Bonaparte himself, providing for primary and secondary education. Fifteen primary schools were founded and the university was replaced by an ’Ecole centrale’ in which there were eight chairs, all very scientific in outlook: notably, arithmetic and stereometry, algebra and stereotomy, geometry and astronomy, mechanics and physics, navigation, chemistry, etc.^[43]

He then sailed for Egypt leaving a substantial garrison in Malta. Since the Order had also been growing unpopular with the local Maltese, the latter initially viewed the French with optimism. This illusion did not last long. Within months the French were closing convents and seizing church treasures, most notably the sword of Jean de Valette which has since been returned to Malta in 2017, after a century in Paris, and for many years exhibited at theLouvre, inParis. The Maltese people rebelled, and the French garrison of GeneralClaude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois retreated into Valletta. After several failed attempts by the locals to retake Valletta, the British were asked for their assistance. Rear Admiral LordHoratio Nelson decided on a total blockade in 1799. The French garrison surrendered in 1800.

In 1800, Malta voluntarily became part of theBritish Empire as aprotectorate. Under the terms of the 1802Treaty of Amiens with France, Britain was supposed to evacuate the island, but failed to keep this obligation – one of several mutual cases of non-adherence to the treaty, which eventually led to its collapse and theresumption of war between the two countries.

Although initially the island was not given much importance, its excellent harbours became a prized asset for the British, especially after the opening of theSuez Canal in 1869. The island became a military and naval fortress, the headquarters of the British Mediterranean fleet.

Home rule was refused to the Maltese until 1921 although a partly elected legislative council was created as early as 1849 (the first Council of Government under British rule had been held in 1835), and the locals sometimes suffered considerable poverty.^[44] This was due to the island being overpopulated and largely dependent on British military expenditure which varied with the demands of war. Throughout the 19th century, the British administration instituted several liberal constitutional reforms^[45] which were generally resisted by the Church and the Maltese elite who preferred to cling to their feudal privileges.^[46] Political organisations, like theNationalist Party, were created or had as one of their aims, the protection of theItalian language in Malta.

In 1813 Malta was granted the Bathurst Constitution; in 1814 it was declared free of theplague, while the 1815Congress of Vienna reaffirmed the British rule under the 1814Treaty of Paris. In 1819, the local Italian-speakingUniversità was dissolved.

The year 1828 saw the revocation of the right of sanctuary, following the Vatican Church-State proclamation. Three years later, the See of Malta was made independent of the See ofPalermo. In 1839, press censorship was abolished, and the construction of St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral began.

Following the 1846 Carnival riots, in 1849 a Council of Government with elected members under British rule was set up. In 1870 areferendum was held on ecclesiastics serving on Council of Government, and in 1881 an Executive Council under British rule was created; in 1887, the Council of Government was entrusted with "dual control" under British rule. A backlash came in 1903, with the return to the 1849 form of Council of Government under British rule.

The last quarter of the century saw technical and financial progress in line with theBelle Époque: The following years saw the foundation of theAnglo-Egyptian Bank (1882) and the beginning of operation of theMalta Railway (1883); the first definitive postage stamps were issued in 1885, and in 1904 tram service began.In 1886 Surgeon MajorDavid Bruce discovered the microbe causing theMalta Fever, and in 1905Themistocles Zammit discovered the fever's sources.Finally, in 1912,Dun Karm Psaila wrote his first poem in Maltese.

Between 1915 and 1918, duringWorld War I, Malta became known asthe Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers who were accommodated in Malta.^[47]

In 1919, theSette Giugno (7 June) riots over the excessive price of bread led to greater autonomy for the locals during the 1920s. After Filippo Sciberras had convened a National Assembly, in 1921 self-government was granted under British rule. Malta obtained abicameralparliament with a Senate (later abolished in 1949) and an elected Legislative Assembly.Joseph Howard was named Prime Minister. In 1923 theInnu Malti was played for the first time in public, and the same year Francisco Buhagiar became Prime Minister, followed in 1924 by Sir Ugo Pasquale Mifsud and in 1927 by Sir Gerald Strickland.

The 1930s saw a period of instability in the relations between the Maltese political elite, the Maltese Catholic church, and the British authorities; the 1921 Constitution was suspended twice. First in 1930–1932, when British authorities assumed that a free and fair election would not be possible following a clash between the governingConstitutional Party and the Church^[48][49] and the latter's subsequent imposition of mortal sin on voters of the party and its allies, thus making a free and fair election impossible. Again, in 1933 the Constitution was withdrawn over the Government's budgetary vote for the teaching of Italian in elementary schools, after just 13 months of a Nationalist administration.^[50] Malta thus reverted to the Crown Colony status it held in 1813.

Before the arrival of the British, the official language since 1530 (and the one of the handful of educated elite) had been Italian, but this was downgraded by the increased use of English. In 1934Maltese was declared an official language, which brought the number up to three. Two years later, the Letters Patent of the 1936 constitution declared that Maltese and English were the only official languages, thereby legally settling the long-standing 'Language Question' that had dominated Maltese politics for over half a century.In 1934, only about 15% of the population could speak Italian fluently.^[51] This meant that out of 58,000 males qualified by age to be jurors, only 767 could qualify by language, as only Italian had until then been used in the courts.^[51]

In 1936 the Constitution was revised to provide for the nomination of members to Executive Council under British rule (similar to the 1835 constitution) and in 1939 to provide again for a partly elected Council of Government under British rule.

Before World War II, Valletta was the location of theRoyal Navy'sMediterranean Fleet's headquarters. However, despiteWinston Churchill's objections,^[53] the command was moved toAlexandria,Egypt, in April 1937 fearing it was too susceptible to air attacks from Europe.^{[53][54][55][page needed]} At the time of the Italian declaration of war (10 June 1940), Malta had a garrison of less than four thousand soldiers and about five weeks of food supplies for the population of about three hundred thousand. In addition, Malta's air defences consisted of about forty-twoanti-aircraft guns (thirty-four "heavy" and eight "light") and fourGloster Gladiators, for which three pilots were available.

Being a British colony, situated close to Sicily and theAxis 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, reading German radio messages includingEnigma traffic.^[56]

The first air raids against Malta occurred on 11 June 1940; there were six attacks that day. The island'sbiplanes ability to defend the island was limited due to theLuqa Airfield being unfinished;^[how?] however, the airfield was ready by the seventh attack. Initially, the Italians would fly at about 5,500 m, then they dropped down to three thousand metres (in order to improve the accuracy of their bomb-aiming).JournalistMabel Strickland spoke of the Italian bombing efforts as such: "The Italians decided they didn't like [theGladiators andAA guns], so they dropped their bombs twenty miles off Malta and went back."^[57] Despite these words, the accuracy of Italian bombers improved after repeated attempts, causing a great deal of devastation to both military and civilian infrastructure in Malta. However, these raids proved ineffective to the Axis siege efforts, as any damage incurred was eventually repaired before a new wave of bombers could launch bombing runs over the islands.^[58]

By the end of August, the Gladiators were reinforced by twelveHawker Hurricanes which had arrived viaHMSArgus.^[57] During the first five months of combat, the island's aircraft destroyed or damaged about thirty-seven Italian aircraft, while suffering even greater losses than the Italians. Italianfighter pilotFrancisco Cavalera observed, "Malta was really a big problem for us—very well-defended.".^[57] Nevertheless, the Italian bombing campaign was causing serious damage to the island's infrastructure and the ability of theRoyal Navy to operate effectively in the Mediterranean.^{[58](pp 60–67)}

On Malta, 330 people had been killed and 297 were seriously wounded from the war's inception until December 1941. In January 1941, the GermanX.Fliegerkorps arrived in Sicily as theAfrika Korps arrived inLibya. Over the next four months 820 people were killed and 915 seriously wounded.^[59]

On 15 April 1942,King George VI awarded theGeorge Cross (the highest civilian award for gallantry) "to the island fortress of Malta — its people and defenders".^[57]Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived on 8 December 1943, and presented a United States Presidential Citation to the people of Malta on behalf of the people of United States. He presented the scroll on 8 December but dated it 7 December for symbolic reasons. In part it read: "Under repeated fire from the skies, Malta stood alone and unafraid in the centre of the sea, one tiny bright flame in the darkness – a beacon of hope for the clearer days which have come."^[60] (The complete citation now stands on a plaque on the wall of the Grand Master's Palace on Republic Street, in the town square of Valletta.^[61])

In 1942, a convoy code-namedOperation Pedestal was sent to relieve Malta. Five ships, including the tankerSSOhio, managed to arrive in the Grand Harbour, with enough supplies for Malta to survive. In the following year Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill visited Malta. George VI also arrived in Grand Harbour for a visit.

During the Second World War,Ugo Mifsud andGeorge Borg Olivier were the only remaining Nationalist members of parliament of Malta. Mifsud fainted after delivering a very passionate defence against the deportation to concentration camps inUganda ofEnrico Mizzi and 49 otherItalian Maltese accused of pro-Italian political activities. He died a few days later.

In 1943, theAllies coordinated theinvasion of Sicily from theLascaris War Rooms in Valletta. Following theArmistice of Cassibile later in 1943, a large part of theItalian Navy surrendered to the British in Malta.

TheMalta Conference was held in 1945, in which Churchill and Roosevelt met prior to theYalta Conference withJoseph Stalin.

The 1946 National Assembly resulted in a new constitution in 1947. This restored Malta's self-government, withPaul Boffa as Prime Minister. On 5 September 1947, universal suffrage forwomen in Malta was granted. That year,Agatha Barbara was thefirst woman elected as a Maltese Member of Parliament.

After the Second World War, the islands achieved self-rule, with theMalta Labour Party (MLP) ofDom Mintoff seeking either full integration with the UK or else "self-determination" (independence) and thePartit Nazzjonalista (PN) ofGeorge Borg Olivier favouring independence, with the same "dominion status" that Canada, Australia and New Zealand enjoyed.

The 1953 Coronation incident (where, initially, no invitation was sent for a Maltese delegation to attend the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II), temporarily united Maltese politicians. After the MLP's electoral victory in 1955, in December Round Table Talks were held in London, on the future of Malta, namely the Integration proposal put forward by Mintoff. It was attended by the new Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, Borg Olivier, and other Maltese politicians, along with the BritishColonial Secretary,Alan Lennox-Boyd. The British government agreed to offer the islands their own representation inBritish Parliament, with three seats in theHouse of Commons, with theHome Office taking over responsibility for Maltese affairs from the Colonial Office.^[62]Under the proposals, the Maltese Parliament would retain authority over all affairs except defence, foreign policy, and taxation. The Maltese were also to have social and economic parity with the UK, to be guaranteed by the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) the islands' main source of employment.

AUK integration referendum was held on 11 and 12 February 1956, in which 77.02% of voters were in favour of the proposal,^[63] but owing to a boycott by the Nationalist Party and the Church, only 59.1% of the electorate voted, thereby rendering the result inconclusive.^[64]

There were also concerns expressed by British MPs that the representation of Malta at Westminster would set a precedent for other colonies, and influence the outcome of general elections.^[62]

In addition, the decreasing strategic importance of Malta to the Royal Navy meant that the British government was increasingly reluctant to maintain the naval dockyards. Following a decision by the Admiralty to dismiss 40 workers at the dockyard, Mintoff declared that "representatives of the Maltese people in Parliament declare that they are no longer bound by agreements and obligations toward the British government" (the 1958Caravaggio incident). In response, the Colonial Secretary sent a cable to Mintoff, stating that he had "recklessly hazarded" the whole integration plan.^[65]

Under protest, Dom Mintoff resigned as Prime Minister along with all the MLP deputies on 21 April 1958. Georgio Borg Olivier was offered to form an alternative government by Governor Laycock but refused. This led to the Governor declaring a state of emergency thus suspending the constitution and Malta was placed under direct colonial administration from London. The MLP had now fully abandoned support for integration (when Mintoff's demands for financial guarantees were not accepted) and now advocated full independence from Britain. In 1959, an Interim Constitution provided for an Executive Council under British rule.

While France had implemented a similar policy in its colonies, some of which becameoverseas departments, the status offered to Malta from Britain constituted a unique exception. Malta was the onlyBritish colony where integration with the UK was seriously considered, and subsequent British governments have ruled out integration for remaining overseas territories, such asGibraltar.^[66]

From 1959 Malta's British governor started to pursue a plan of economic development based on promotingtourism andtax competition, offering very low tax rates on pensions, royalties and dividends to attract British (referred to as ‘sixpenny settlers’) and former colonial pensioners. Malta saw a large influx of Britons fromRhodesia after 1967.^[67]

In 1961, theBlood Commission provided for a new constitution allowing for a measure of self-government and recognising the "State" of Malta.Giorgio Borg Olivier became Prime Minister the following year, when theStolper report was delivered.

Following the passage of the Malta Independence Act 1964 (c. 86) by theBritish Parliament and the approval of a newMaltese constitution by 54.5% of voters in areferendum, theState of Malta (Maltese:Stat ta’ Malta) was formed on 21 September 1964 as an independentconstitutional monarchy, withElizabeth II asQueen of Malta andhead of state. The date continues to be celebrated annually as Independence Day (Maltese:Jum l-Indipendenza), a national holiday in Malta. On 1 December 1964, Malta was admitted to theUnited Nations.

In the first two post-independence electoral rounds, in1962 and1966 theNationalist Party emerged as the largest party, gaining a majority of the Parliamentary seats. In these years,relations with Italy were of the utmost importance to secure independence and establish linkages with continental Europe. Malta signed four cooperation agreements with Italy in 1967, during a visit ofAldo Moro to the island.

In 1965 Malta joined theCouncil of Europe, and in 1970, Malta signed an Association Treaty with theEuropean Economic Community.

Theelections of 1971 saw theLabour Party (MLP) underDom Mintoff win by just over 4,000 votes.The Labour government immediately set out to re-negotiate the post-Independencemilitary and financial agreements with theUnited Kingdom. The government also undertooknationalization programmes and the expansion of thepublic sector and thewelfare state.Employment laws were updated withgender equality being introduced in salary pay. Concerning civil law,civil marriage was introduced andhomosexuality andadultery were decriminalised (1973);capital punishment formurder was abolished in 1971. The following year, Malta entered into a Military Base Agreement with theUnited Kingdom and otherNATO countries, after mediation by Italy'sAldo Moro.

Through a package of constitutional reforms, Malta became arepublic on 13 December 1974, with the last Governor-General, SirAnthony Mamo, as its firstPresident. TheĠieħ ir-Repubblika Act, promulgated the following year, abolished all titles ofnobility in Malta and mandated that they cease to be recognised.^[68]

The Party was confirmed in office in the1976 elections. Between 1976 and 1981 Malta went through difficult times and the Labour government demanded that the Maltese tighten their belts in order to overcome the difficulties Malta was facing. There were shortages of essential items; water and electricity supplies were systematically suspended for two or three days a week. Political tensions increased, notably onBlack Monday, when following an attempted assassination of the Prime Minister, the premises of theTimes of Malta were burned and the house of the Leader of Opposition was attacked.

On 1 April 1979 the last British forces left the island after the end of the economic pact to stabilise the Maltese economy. This is celebrated asFreedom Day (Jum Il-Ħelsien) on 31 March. Celebrations start with a ceremony inFloriana near theWar Memorial. A popular event on this memorable day is the traditional regatta. The regatta is held at the Grand Harbour and the teams taking part in it give it their best shot to win the much coveted aggregate Regatta Shield.

Under Mintoff's premiership, Malta began establishing close cultural and economic ties withMuammar Gaddafi'sLibya,^[69] as well as diplomatic and military ties withNorth Korea.^[70][71]

During theMintoff years, Libya had loaned several million dollars to Malta to make up for the loss of rental income which followed the closure of British military bases in Malta.^[69] These closer ties with Libya meant a dramatic new (but short-lived) development in Maltese foreign policy: Western media reported that Malta appeared to be turning its back onNATO, theUK, and Europe generally.^[72]History books were published that began to spread the idea of a disconnection between the Italian and Catholic populations, and instead tried to promote the theory of closer cultural and ethnic ties with North Africa. This new development was noted by Boissevain in 1991: "The Labour government broke off relations with NATO and sought links with the Arab world. After 900 years of being linked to Europe, Malta began to look southward. Muslims, still remembered in folklore for savage pirate attacks, were redefined as blood brothers".^[73]

Malta and Libya had entered into aFriendship and Cooperation Treaty, in response to repeated overtures byGaddafi for a closer, more formal union between the two countries^[when?]; and, for a brief period, Arabic had become a compulsory subject in Maltese secondary schools.^[74][75] In 1984 theMariam Al-Batool Mosque was officially opened by Muammar Gaddafi in Malta, two years after its completion.

In 1980 an oil rig of the Italian companySaipem commissioned byTexaco to drill on behalf of the Maltese government 68 nautical miles south-east of Malta had to stop operations after being threatened by a Libyan gunboat. Both Malta and Libya claimed economic rights to the area and this incident raised tensions. The matter was referred to theInternational Court of Justice in 1982 but the court's ruling in 1985 dealt only with the delineation of a small part of the contested territory.^[76][77]

In 1980, Malta signed aneutrality agreement withItaly, under which Malta agreed not to enter into any alliance and Italy agreed to guarantee Malta's neutrality.^[78] Malta's relations with Italy have been described as "generally excellent".^[79]

The1981 general elections saw theNationalist Party (NP) gaining an absolute majority of votes, yet the Labour winning the majority of parliamentary seats under theSingle Transferable Vote and Mintoff remained Prime Minister, leading to a political crisis. The Nationalists, now led byEddie Fenech Adami, refused to accept the electoral result and also refused to take their seats in Parliament for the first years of the legislature, mounting a campaign demanding that Parliament should reflect the democratic will of the people. Despite this, the Labour government remained in power for the full five-year term. Mintoff resigned as Prime Minister and Party leader and appointedKarmenu Mifsud Bonnici as his successor in 1984.

The Mifsud Bonnici years were characterised by political tensions and violence. After a five-year debate, Fenech Adami, through the intervention of Dom Mintoff, reached an agreement withKarmenu Mifsud Bonnici to improve the constitution. Constitutional amendments were made voted and made effective in January 1987 which guaranteed that the party with an absolute majority of votes would be given a majority of parliamentary seats in order to govern. This paved the way for the return of the Nationalist Party to government later that year.

Thegeneral elections that followed in 1987 saw the Nationalist Party achieve such a majority of votes. The new Nationalist administration of Edward Fenech Adami sought to improve Malta's ties withWestern Europe and theUnited States.TheNationalist Party advocated Malta's membership in the European Union presenting an application on 16 July 1990. This became a divisive issue, withLabour opposing membership.

A wide-ranging programme of liberalisation and public investments meant the confirmation in office of the Nationalists with a larger majority in the1992 elections. In 1993, local councils were re-established in Malta.

General elections were held in Malta on 26 October 1996; althoughLabour received the most votes, the Nationalists won the most seats. The 1987 constitutional amendments had to be used for the second time, and the Labour Party was awarded an additional four seats to ensure they had a majority in Parliament.Malta's EU application was subsequently frozen.A split in the Labour Party in 1998, between the PM Sant and the former PM Mintoff (died in 2012) resulted in the government losing the majority. Notwithstanding the President of the Republic's preference for a negotiated solution, all attempts proved futile, and he had no other option but to accept Sant and his government's resignation and a call for early elections.

On being returned to office in the1998 elections with a wide 13,000 vote margin, theNationalist Party reactivated the EU membership application. Malta was formally accepted as a candidate country at the Helsinki European Council of December 1999.^[80]In 2000,capital punishment was abolished also from the military code of Malta.

EU accession negotiations were concluded late in 2002 and areferendum on membership in 2003 saw 90.86% casting a valid vote of which 53.65% were "yes" votes.Labour stated that it would not be bound by this result were it returned to power in the following general election that year.^[81] In the circumstances, elections were called and theNationalist Party, led by Prime minister Fenech Adami,won another mandate,^[82] In April 2004, Eddie Fenech Adami was sworn in asPresident of Malta.Lawrence Gonzi succeeded him as Prime Minister and the leader of the Nationalist Party.^[83] The accession treaty was signed and ratified and Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004.^[84] A consensus on membership was subsequently achieved withLabour saying it would respect this result.Joe Borg was appointed as first MalteseEuropean commissioner in the firstBarroso Commission.^[85]

Malta's accession to the European Union in 2004 had important implications for the state's foreign policy. Notably, Malta was required to withdraw from theNon-Aligned Movement of which the state had been an active member since 1971.^[86]

In the context of EU membership, Malta joined theEurozone on 1 January 2008;^[87] the2008 election confirmed Gonzi in the premiership,^[88] while in 2009George Abela became President of Malta.^[89]

On 28 May 2011, the Maltese voted 'yes' in the consultativedivorce referendum.^[90] At that time, Malta was one of only three countries in the world, along with thePhilippines and theVatican City, in which divorce was not permitted. As a consequence of the referendum outcome, a law allowing divorce under certain conditions was enacted in the same year.^[91]

Following a corruption scandalJohn Dalli had to resign and was replaced byTonio Borg as Maltese commissioner in 2012.^[92] Asnap election was called for March 2013 after the Gonzi government lost the Parliamentary majority. The Nationalist Party lost the election after having governed Malta more than 15 years since 1987 (except for a period from 1996 to 1998).^[93] Labour Party leaderJoseph Muscat was elected as Prime Minister.^[94][95]

In April 2019, the parliament electedGeorge Vella as the 10thPresident of the Republic of Malta to succeedMarie-Louise Coleiro Preca.^[96]

On 16 October 2017, Maltesejournalist and anti-corruption activistDaphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in a car bomb near her residence inBidnija.^[97] Her murder caused an uproar of criticism for the Labour government and the judicial system on the islands. Following evidence of implication between Joseph Muscat's close circle and the arrest ofYorgen Fenech, a long series of protests on the islands and international criticism precipitated the2019–2020 political crisis. This resulted in the resignation of Prime MinisterJoseph Muscat, MinisterKonrad Mizzi, and Prime Minister's Chief of StaffKeith Schembri.^[98] An internal election on 11 January 2020 within theMaltese Labour party electedRobert Abela, son of former president George Abela, as party leader, and Prime Minister of Malta.^[99][100]

Malta became the first country in the European Union to legalizerecreational use of cannabis on 14 December 2021.^[101]

In March 2022, the ruling Labour party, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, won its third successiveelection. It gained even bigger victory than in 2013 and in 2017.^[102]

• Culture of Malta
• History of the Jews in Malta
• List of heads of state of Malta
• Malta Summit
• Norman-Arab-Byzantine culture
• Operation Pedestal
• Timeline of Maltese history

• "Malta Elections Data".

• "Study reveals how Malta looked 20,000 years ago".Malta Star. 3 January 2013.

• "History of Malta: Primary documents".Brigham Young University.