Historical developments

Malta boasts of a rich historical heritage dating back more than 7,000 years. Indeed, this is evident in a range of archaeological sites and an architectural legacy extending from the Stone Age with the magnificent megalithic temples to the more recent architecture of the British period. The Knights of Malta, noblemen from various Europe states, profoundly enriched the islands’ architectural and artistic heritage. When the Knights moved to Valletta in 1571 they entrusted the job of designing their buildings to the Maltese architect Girolmu Cassar, who proceeded to merge different styles in his designs for Valletta’s Grandmaster’s Palace, St John’s Co-Cathedral and the seven original auberges. A succession of powers including the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, French and the British ruled the Maltese Islands. The longest and most recent foreign reigns include those of the Knights of Malta (1530-1798) and the British (1800-1964).

Malta’s rich and distinct history is linked to its geographical location in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea offering an excellent strategic position both in terms of military and trading objectives. This factor, together with its fine ports, has made Malta a sought-after prize and colony to acquire by some of the major empires to dominate the Mediterranean basin and Europe at large, ranging from the Carthaginians and Romans, the Arabs, through to various other European powers, to the Knights of Malta and lately the British Empire. Indeed the present form of government and public administration know their roots from the times of British rule, when the British improved existing institutions and set up new ones in order to facilitate the administration of the Maltese Islands. The first Maltese parliament, with limited powers, was elected in 1921 with the Maltese Prime Minister being responsible for domestic affairs under the overall colonial rule of the Governor of Malta accountable to the British Crown. Following  the pivotal role played by Malta in the Second World War, the slow journey towards independence was initiated. Independence from the British Empire was acquired in 1964. Malta eventually became a Republic in 1974 with the Head of State being the President. Indeed Malta is a democratic republic founded on work and on respect to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, enshrined in the Maltese Constitution established in 1964. The main legislative body is the Maltese Parliament, whereby members are democratically elected through general elections held every five years. The Maltese Parliament comprises the President of Malta, the Speaker of the House, the Deputy Speaker and the Members of Parliament. 

In 1990 Malta lodged its application for membership of the then European Community. In May 2004, after the successful transposition of all EU directives into national legislation and the implementation of the EU Acquis, Malta became one of the present 28 Member States forming the European Union. This was followed by the successful adoption of the Euro as the National Currency on 1 January 2008. Since 2007 Malta is also a member of the Schengen area.