Discover
The identity of the nation
Malta is a small archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa, and is today the smallest country in the European Union. Despite its size, its strategic position has made the island a crossroads of peoples and empires for millennia: Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, the Order of the Knights of St. John, and more recently the British Empire have left deep marks on the Maltese language, architecture, and culture. The result is a unique identity, bilingual in Maltese and English, proud of its long history of resilience.
The Christian faith in Malta dates back almost two thousand years. Local tradition links the beginning of Christianity on the island to the shipwreck of the apostle Paul, recounted in Acts 28, when he and other prisoners were cast ashore on the Maltese coast on their way to Rome. Since then, Catholicism has become the center of social life: each village has its own patron saint and annual feast, celebrated with processions, bands, and fireworks that bring the whole community together.
This Catholic heritage, however, now coexists with growing secularization, especially among the young. Many Maltese call themselves Catholic out of family tradition, but live apart from any personal religious practice. Evangelical churches are few, small, and discreet, representing less than 2% of the population: the missionary challenge in Malta is not so much presenting Christ for the first time, but helping a people of inherited faith find a personal, living faith.
At the same time, the growth of tourism, financial services, and online betting has drawn thousands of foreign workers to the island, coming from North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Many of these groups, some of them majority Muslim, live isolated from any community of faith, forming a new mission field within a nation that sees itself as Christian.
Malta has withstood great sieges and bombings throughout its history without losing its identity. Prayer for the country seeks something similar in the spiritual realm: that the ancient faith become alive again, and that the small island once more become, as in Paul’s time, a place of welcome and witness for those who arrive from the sea.
- The first agricultural settlements arrive on the island around 5900 BC, coming from Sicily.
- 3600-2500 BC Construction of the megalithic temples, among the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world.
- 60 Local tradition links the shipwreck of the apostle Paul on the island, recounted in Acts 28, to the beginning of Maltese Christianity.
- 870 Arab conquest, which shapes the Semitic roots of the Maltese language.
- 1530 Emperor Charles V grants the archipelago to the Knights Hospitaller of St. John.
- 1565 The Great Siege: the knights withstand a major Ottoman invasion, a milestone in national identity.
- 1798-1800 Napoleon takes the island; the Maltese seek British help and expel the French.
- 1814 Malta formally becomes a British colony.
- 1940-1943 Heavy bombing during World War II, due to the island's strategic position in the Mediterranean.
- 1964 Independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1974 The country becomes a republic.
- 2004 Accession to the European Union; the currency switches to the euro in 2008.
- Today A nation of strong Catholic tradition, today also a hub for tourism and financial services, facing challenges of secularization and welcoming migrant communities.
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Malteseofficial language, of Semitic (Arabic) roots written in the Latin alphabet, spoken by nearly the entire population
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Englishsecond official language, used in business, higher education, and government
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Italiannot official, but widely understood due to historical and cultural ties with Italy
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Maltese Sign Languageofficially recognized since 2016 as the language of the country's deaf community
Malta is a small archipelago in the center of the Mediterranean, about 80 km south of Sicily and not far from the North African coast. It is made up of three inhabited islands, Malta itself, Gozo, and Comino, along with smaller islets, together totaling just over 300 km². The terrain is low and rocky, with limestone plateaus, agricultural terraces, and a coastline carved by natural bays and coves. With no permanent rivers, life on the island has always been oriented toward the sea.
Major cities
- VallettaFortified 16th-century capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Sliema and St. Julian'sModern seafront area, hub for shopping and nightlife
- MdinaFormer walled capital, nicknamed the Silent City for its narrow, quiet streets
- Birgu (Vittoriosa)One of the historic Three Cities, linked to the Knights of St. John
- MarsaxlokkFishing village known for its colorful boats called luzzu
- Victoria (Rabat)Capital of the island of Gozo, built around the Citadel fortress
Climate and temperature
Pastizzi
Crispy flaky pastry filled with ricotta or pea purée, the country's most popular street snack.
Fenkata (Stuffat tal-Fenek)
Rabbit stew slow cooked in red wine, tomato, and garlic, considered the national dish.
Ftira
Round bread with a crispy crust and dense crumb, traditionally filled with tuna, tomato, olives, and capers.
Imqaret
Small fried pastry filled with date paste, the sweet fruit of the date palm, flavored with anise and sold at street markets.
Timpana
Pasta in meat sauce baked inside flaky pastry, a traditional dish for family gatherings.
Bragioli
Beef rolls filled with hard-boiled egg, herbs, and breadcrumbs, slow cooked in tomato sauce.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Faith in the village calendar
Each village has its own patron saint and annual feast, with processions, bands, and fireworks that bring the whole community together.
Legacy of the Knights of St. John
Centuries under the religious and military hospitaller order shaped the nation's architecture, language, and identity.
The luzzu and the sea
The colorful traditional fishing boats, with an eye painted on the bow for protection, symbolize the people's ancient relationship with the sea.
Bilingual identity
Maltese, a Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet, exists side by side with English, a legacy of the long British presence.
Layers of history
From the baroque Co-Cathedral of St. John to the megalithic temples, the island holds traces of more than five thousand years of human occupation.
Island hospitality
A small, close-knit community, where foreigners are usually well received, especially outside the most touristy areas.
- Treating the Catholic faith with indifference or irony Religious tradition is taken seriously and is part of national identity.
- Confusing Malta with Italy Despite the cultural closeness, the Maltese have their own language, history, and identity.
- Underestimating the size of the country The island is small, but proud of its long history of independence and resilience.
- Being impatient with the slower pace of village life Outside tourist areas, life moves at a calmer pace.
- Photographing religious processions and feasts without discretion These are moments of devotion, not just tourist attractions.
- Refusing an offered coffee or conversation Accepting is a sign of respect for local hospitality.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Many call themselves Catholic out of family tradition, but live without a personal, transforming faith.
The younger generation is moving away from the religious practice inherited from parents and grandparents.
The island is home to thousands of online betting companies, which normalizes gambling addiction among residents themselves.
The constant flow of visitors and foreign money fuels the pursuit of status and consumption.
Recent scandals have shaken public trust in the country's justice system and institutions.
Old beliefs, such as the evil eye, still influence habits even among those who call themselves Christian.
The rapid growth of the migrant population creates tension and resistance to those who are different.
Foreign workers from various nations live on the island with no contact with any local church.
The inherited Catholic identity sometimes replaces the pursuit of a personal, living relationship with God.
In Malta, religious freedom is guaranteed by law, and Christians, whether Catholic or from smaller churches, can gather and worship without restriction from the State. The pressure that exists is social and cultural, not legal: the Catholic Church still holds a central place in national identity, but it has been losing influence over the population’s actual behavior, especially among younger people, who drift away from religious practice while still keeping the Catholic label.
Those who decide to pursue a more personal path of faith, outside the tradition inherited from family and village, tend to face social distance rather than open hostility. Evangelical communities are small and discreet, and a conversion away from traditional Catholicism sometimes causes quiet tension within the family itself.
Foreign workers, many of them Muslim or of other religions, generally do not suffer outright persecution, but they also receive little attention from the local church, leaving them spiritually isolated within a society that sees itself as Christian.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Malta is a small country, and only four people groups make up its entire population. The Maltese people, more than 97% of the population, first heard the gospel almost two thousand years ago, but today live out a faith that is more cultural and traditional than personal, classified as reached only in a superficial sense. The small Maltese Jewish community is the only group on the island still considered unreached, and a small group of Arab origin, mostly Muslim, remains only minimally reached. Residents of British origin form the most reached group among non-Maltese.
- 100 Unreached 0,0%
- 3K Minimally reached 0,5%
- 519K Superficially reached 97,9%
- 9K Partially reached 1,6%
- 0 Significantly reached 0,0%
- 1 Unreached 25,0%
- 1 Minimally reached 25,0%
- 1 Superficially reached 25,0%
- 1 Partially reached 25,0%
- 0 Significantly reached 0,0%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Judeu Maltês Frontier
Árabe
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
especially due to rent
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn a few phrases in Maltese: English is widely spoken, but trying the local language is greatly appreciated.
- Bring sunscreen and light clothing: summers are long, dry, and very hot.
- Use public transport or walk: distances are short, but traffic can get slow during peak hours.
- Take part respectfully in village feasts: processions and religious celebrations are part of everyday life.
- Prefer bottled or desalinated water: tap water is safe, but has a strong taste.
- Be patient with the local pace: outside tourist areas, service is more relaxed.
- Research rental prices in advance: property prices have risen sharply in recent years.
- Bring a light jacket for winter: nights between December and February can be damp and windy.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.