Introduction

Malta officially known as the Republic of Malta is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, 80 km (50 mi) south of Sicily, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya, with Gibraltar 1,755 km (1,091 mi) to the west and Alexandria 1,508 km (937 mi) to the east. Malta covers just over 316 km2 (122 sq mi) in land area, making it one of the world's smallest states. It is also one of the most densely populated countries worldwide. The de facto capital city of Malta is Valletta; the largest town, Birkirkara. The main island comprises many towns, which together form one Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) with a population of 368,250 according to Eurostat. The country has two official languages, Maltese and English.

Economic Force
Malta is classified as an advanced economy together with 32 other countries according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).Until 1800 Malta depended on cotton, tobacco and its shipyards for exports. Once under British control, they came to depend on the dockyard for support of the Royal Navy, especially during the Crimean War of 1854. The military base benefited craftsmen and all those who served the military. In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal gave Malta's economy a great boost, as there was a massive increase in the shipping which entered the port. Ships stopping at Malta's docks for refuelling helped the Entrept trade, which brought additional benefits to the island. End of the 19th century the economy began declining, and by the 1940s Malta's economy was in serious crisis. One factor was the longer range of newer merchant ships that required less frequent refuelling stops.

Malta,s major resources: Limestone Favorable geographic location Productive labor force

Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies and has no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade (serving as a freight trans-shipment point), manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles) and tourism. Film production is a growing contributor to the Maltese economy, with several big-budget foreign films shooting in Malta each year. The country has increased the exports of many other types of services such as banking and finance. The government is investing heavily in education, including college. Largest commercial Bank: Bank of Valletta HSBC Bank

The Central Bank of Malta has two key areas of responsibility:

Economic condition GDP(PPP) 2011 estimated

Market based Economy Total $10.757 billion Per capita $25428

GDP(Nominal) 2011 estimated

Total $8.896 billion Per capita $21028

Gini(2007) HDI(2011) Currency

27.02(Low) 0.832(Very high) Euro ()

Sociocultural Force
1.Aesthetics:

1.1.Music:
There are few theatres that are very much popular in Malta Manoel Theatre. Europe's third-oldest working theatre. Malta's National Theatre. Home to the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. While Maltese music today is largely Western, traditional Maltese music includes what is known as gana. This consists of background folk guitar music, while a few people, generally men, take it in turns to argue a point in a sing-song voice. The aim of the lyrics, which are improvised, is to create a friendly yet challenging atmosphere, and it takes a number of years of practice to be able to combine the required artistic qualities with the ability to debate effectively.

1.2. Literature:
Documented Maltese literature is over 200 years old. However a recently unearthed love ballad testifies to literary activity in the local tongue from the Medieval period. Malta followed a Romantic literary tradition, culminating in the works of Dun Karm, Malta's National Poet. Subsequent writers like Ruzar

Briffa and Karmenu Vassallo tried to estrange themselves from the rigidity of formal themes and versification.

Names of significant poets: Mario Azzopardi Victor Fenech Oliver Friggieri Joe Friggieri

Typical architecture built in recent years in Malta Peter Serracino Inglott

Oliver Friggieri

Charles Briffa

1.3.Media:
1.3.1.Newspaper:
The most widely read and financially the strongest newspapers are published by Allied Newspapers Ltd. The Times (27%) and The Sunday Times (51.6%).

Due to bilingualism half of the newspapers are published in English and the other half in Maltese.

1.3.2 Radio stations :

There is a great a presence of the institutions church, political parties, trade unions in the print media, though not as in the broadcasting media. Trade Unions are not represented in the broadcasting media, but are in the print media, and only the General Workers Union owns a newspaper. The UHM, the second-biggest union, has no newspaper, TV, or radio stations.

1.3.3.Television :
There are six notorious major nationwide television channels in Malta:

TVM
One Television NET Televisn Smash Television Favourite Channel Calypso Music TV and Education 22

2 .Education:
Primary schooling has been compulsory since 1946; secondary education up to the age of sixteen was made compulsory in 1971. Education in Malta is based on the British model. Primary school lasts six years. At the age of 11 pupils sit for an examination to enter a secondary school, either a church school (the Common Entrance Examination) or a state school. Pupils sit for SEC O-level examinations at the age of 16, with passes obligatory in certain subjects such as mathematics, English and Maltese. Pupils may opt to continue studying at a sixth form college such as Junior College, St Aloysius' College, De La Salle College, St Edward's College or else at another postsecondary institution such as MCAST. The sixth form course lasts for two years, at the end of which students sit for the Matriculation examination.

Subject to their performance, students may then apply for an undergraduate degree or diploma.

Compulsory Education Literacy rate Secondary level Italian France Others

Primary lavel 99.5% Used foreign language Takes 51% Takes 38% German, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic

3. Religion:

Main religion Roman Catholicism Churches Muslim Jewish population

Roman Catholicism 98%(People believe) 360 3ooo 500

4. Language:

Main language Official Language Maltese spoken Speak English Speak French Speak Italian

Maltese: Malti English 100% people 88% people 17% people 66% people

5. Political Structures:
Malta is a republic, whose parliamentary system and public administration is closely modeled on the Westminster system. Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world (and the highest for nations without mandatory voting), based on election turnout in national lower house elections from 1960 to 1995. The unicameral House of Representatives, (Maltese: Kamra tad-Deputati), is elected by direct universal suffrage through single transferable vote every five years, unless the House is dissolved earlier by the President on advice of the Prime Minister.