Malta
POPULATION 397,499
ROMAN CATHOLIC: 97.7 percent
PROTESTANT: 1.0 percent
OTHER: 1.3 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
The Republic of Malta is an archipelago at the center of the Mediterranean, about 60 miles south of mainland Europe. It consists of three main islands that have a total area of 122 square miles. The islands have a series of low hills and terraced fields but no mountains or rivers. Malta's indented coastline provides numerous harbors, bays, and sandy and rocky beaches.
Archaeological remains indicate that in Malta there was a prehistoric temple civilization dating back to 5200 B.C.E. and then a Phoenician (c. 800 B.C.E.) and a Carthaginian presence (c. 480 B.C.E.). Later the islands were ruled by Roman, Arab, and Norman powers. The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights of Malta, left a rich cultural heritage (1530–1798). During successive foreign occupations that lasted until it achieved independence from British colonial rule in 1964, Malta developed a nationalism rooted in its language, cultural heritage, and religion. Malta was declared a republic in 1974. The vast majority of Maltese are Roman Catholic.
Religious Tolerance
The constitution of the Republic of Malta designates the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church as the official religion of the country.
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