Its geographical location provided a base to control part of the Mediterranean. Do you know what language is spoken in Malta?
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an archipelago made up of 3 islands located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The two most important islands are Malta and Gozo.
Malta is an independent country.
The island of Malta is located in the center of the Mediterranean, south of the Italian island of Sicily, east of the coast of Tunisia and north of Libya.
Its geographical location (junction point between the European and African continents) explains why Malta has been a strategic place for different cultures, since it was a base to control part of the Mediterranean. For this reason, the archipelago has been disputed by many countries throughout history; In fact, until 1964 it was part of the islands subject to the British crown.
Since 2004, it is one of the twenty-seven sovereign states that make up the European Union.
Its capital is Valletta or Valletta which, although it is not the most populated city in the country, has historically been the most important urban center in the entire archipelago. Its inhabitants are known as Maltese or Maltese.
What language is spoken in Malta?
The national and official language of the Republic of Malta is Maltese. The Maltese speak a unique language, a Semitic language (subfamily of Afroasiatic languages) written with Latin characters. Furthermore, Maltese is greatly influenced by Sicilian.
The influence of the Arabs, who were in the Islands from the 9th century to the 13th century, is evident in the Maltese language, whose roots are closely linked to the Arabic language. Place names and numbers are the most obvious examples of Arabic influence on the Maltese language.
It is the only language of Arabic origin that is written with Latin characters.
Over the ages, many foreign words, especially English and Italian, have become part of the language.
What other languages are spoken in Malta?
English, which is also the official language, is widely spoken and written and is the language used in international business relations.
As it is the official language, all laws are also written in English. The country's newspaper, Times of Malta, is also published in English.
Malta is the only country in the Mediterranean where English is an official language.
The reason that English is the country's second official language is because the British Empire was the last conquering power to colonize it. Hence, it is a highly sought after destination for those who want to learn English.
Italian is also widely spoken. This is because, until 1934, it was the official language of the country. Little by little, with the influence of English, Italian gradually disappeared.
In which other country is Maltese spoken?
Maltese is mainly spoken in Malta. However, there are minorities in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
You can now add Maltese to the list of languages to learn, right?
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