History of Malta

Over the 7000 years that Malta’s history spans, three epochs stand out in terms of playing a major role in shaping the present-day islands: the Arab Occupation, from 870 to 1090, which provided the basis of the Maltese language,
the Order of St John, which occupied the islands from 1530 to 1798 and moulded the islands artistically, socially and culturally, and the British period, from 1801 to 1964, which introduced the concept of British justice with a unified code of laws, democracy and administration. The latter helped launch the islands into the modern industrial world and linked them with the worldwide community of English-speaking countries, with the result that the islands present a kaleidoscope of past and present; a fascinating mélange of European culture and rural Mediterranean traditions.