Malta History

Malta history informs the people about the foundation and subsequent growth of the country. The island of Malta is located in the Mediterranean Sea. The country of Malta is surrounded by Tunisia, Libya and Sicily from all the sides. The history of Malta can be traced back to the period of 5200 BC. The civilization of Malta is very old. The name of the island of Malta was adopted from the Phoenicians who named this country as "Malat" which means "safe heaven".

The history of human inhabitation in Malta is very old, and dates back to the Neolithic age. However, Malta history features a series of foreign invasions and subsequent colonizations. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and the Carthaginians were the early rulers of Malta. The Arabians started ruling the place from 870 AD. The Normans belonging to Sicily captured the island in circa 1090. In 1530 Malta was handed over to the knights by Charles V of Hapsburg.

From the period of 19th century Malta was under the authority of a military governor. After the establishment of the Suez Canal in 1869, Malta turned to be a popular coaling hub in East Asia. In the year 1921 self government was finally accorded to Malta after long revolt against the rule of British. But in the year 1936 this self government was lifted up. In 1964 Malta became an independent country and in 1974 it turned into republic.