Nilqgħukom fil-Gżejjer Tagħna; Nagħtukom Merħba Tip: CLICK F11 key for screen optimization Warm and Friendly Environmental Hazard Valletta's skyline Il-ħobża Maltija (Maltese Loaf) Malta's beautiful seabed (Calypso Diving, Gozo) Horse and Cart Joyride

Indeed, who are We? And what are we made of? One might say that we're "one part" Semitic, to "one part" European and "three parts" Mediterranean. Overall, we are a healthy mixture of cultures and genetic origins. We ... the people of these tiny Islands in the middle of the Ancient World are perhaps amongst the friendliest, most fun-loving and warmest peoples in the entire universe. Yet, to be frank, we are also rather excessive, very noisy and generally undisciplined.   The majority of the Maltese people are (still) shamelessly, environmentally careless!   And a lot of our drivers continue to emulate their Grand Prix heros. Yes, we are a nation of extremes. Historically, we are known as one of the more welcoming peoples on earth, yet that usually ONLY manifests itself when we're in contact with foreigners ! Between ourselves ...we can be very difficult and sometimes even hostile. We argue amongst ourselves both over local and foreign soccer teams, over village feasts and especially over party politics !! The 2 sides of the Maltese coin ... Maltese migrants have spread worldwide our national trait of being a hard working people. And yet, on the other extreme of the spectrum, so many of us are more worried about their rights and about earning some 'extra income' rather than about giving an honest day's work ! We're proud of our impeccably clean homes. And yet many individuals wouldn't think twice before throwing an empty pack of cigarettes or an ice cream wrapper on the ground   ... in the street ...   oblivious of their insult to the rest of us!! Visited twice by Pope John Paul II, the Maltese population is thought to be very enthusiastically Christian, possibly even seen as the last line of defence for the ailing Catholic Faith. Yet few other nations, Christian or otherwise, are as 'careless' in their speech as we are ! But, having said that, we are probably as good as they come ! Not all is extreme in Malta. Of course, there also exist shades of grey, which make us amongst the most versatile of nations. We are generally highly competent, we are instinctively resourceful and, above all, we are relentless survivors.   It is possibly fair to say that the Maltese are, to varying degrees, a street-wise people. Dingli a typical Maltese biker (endowed with good looks an' all) courtesy of the anonymous and secretive 'Friends of Dingli' community

. . . and there's More We are blessed with (generally) excellent weather, safe beaches, short distances and plenty of entertainment spots; anything from quiet evening promenades to a rowdy night life for the younger generation. But more on this anon. Nanna's B'day at Hank's, an American-styled diner On the downside, Malta is amongst the more 'densely' populated nations in the entire world (per sq.mile or sq.Km), with almost more cars than people, and that's not to mention our creative style of bravado driving. Back to the 'positives'... we maintain close ties with the entire family and enjoy the company of friends; something which our social environment allows. The Village Square, meeting place for the older generation "Our National character - something from our past and our present." Perhaps it is because we are right here in the centre of things; in the melting pot of some of the world's oldest cultures, in the midst of the Mediterranean blue sea. With desert Nomads to our south and fashion-loving Italians to our north, with warring states to our east and bull-fighting lovers to our west, we ourselves are a nation of many colours. "So what do we look like?" Like most Mediterranean peoples, we tend to have a darker complexion than other Europeans. Yet, having been subjected to various dominions in our past, we share some of the northern European and North African aesthetic characteristics too. This too has left its affect on our language and our surnames (family names). Generally speaking, though, we are of a tanned complexion, albeit many Maltese people are blond or even redheaded. "Our environment; We make it as much as it makes us" Malta's miniscule size is an advantage in many ways and, yes, it can be a disadvantage too. You'll have guessed by now that everything usually comes in the two extremes.   We have short distances, which could be confining in some ways, but which also means that little time is lost commuting to work and, for the tourist, between historic sites or even between night spots. And now that we've mentioned them, the Maltese Islands are peppered with prehistoric temples, churches and fortifications. Similarly, bars and restaurants may be found in good concentration (in walking distance), particularly in Malta's entertainment areas, and just as well too because public transport is no joyride, most taxis are very expensive and weekend traffic around the St.Julians and Bugibba areas is a nightmare. As you can see, the Environment we are referring to here is not simply our natural, but our national environment.   Our urban areas, workplaces and our roads form an essential part that environment too.   But, allow us to take you in the open spaces for a moment. We have very little woodland though efforts are made towards afforestation by volunteer organization who maintain the few Bird Sanctuaries and Natural Reserves that we do have. During Spring, the terraced fields of Malta, Comino and Gozo provide mind-soothing scenes emulating wide, carpeted stairs in green grass and brighly coloured flowers. One cannot, however, omit to mention the ugly stone quarries that ruin the countryside wherever they exist, or the bird trappers' hides dominating the terrain irrespective of their licitness. The Maltese Islands are also blessed with quite a few bays and beaches where, as long as they are fit to swim in, locals and tourists alike spend most of the Summer months. "Can we conclude ... please?" That said, and without wishing to generalize, one might sum up the lifestyle of the people of Malta as rather laid back, slower than in most European countries (except in business perhaps) and rather like a year-round holiday. But, as explained in the description of our local character, the Maltese personality is often one with a flaring temper, especially on the roads and in Summer, or when discussing politics, and often careless in language, both morally- and linguistically-speaking.   It is safe to say that the Maltese generally loathe paying taxes, but that is probably due to the strong public opinion regarding Malta's lack of law-enforcement (with the financially powerful, of course) and the nation's inability to understand the benefits of paying taxes ...in a country where the streets feel like rough terrain and civil service is often a grave misnomer. And yet, please let us not forget: friendly, helpful, loudly cheerful, colourful (in many ways), expressive, humble, compassionate, able, intelligent and shrewd. True, all this may be said of everyone, but somehow it fits the people of the Maltese Islands like a glove. Come visit us and feel first hand what we struggle to explain.

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