The people
The islands' ethnic and linguistic composition reflects the heritage of many rulers. A European atmosphere predominates as a result of close association particularly with southern Europe. About 95 percent of the islanders are Maltese-born, and the remainder includes mostly persons of English and Italian descent. During the 20th century, the increasing rate of Anglo-Maltese marriages added a new dimension to the ethnic structure of the population.
Maltesethe medium of daily conversationis a distinct language that resulted from the interaction and fusion of North African Arabic and a Sicilian form of Italian. It is the only Semitic language that is officially written in Latin script; it became an official language of Malta in 1934. English, the other official language, is the medium of instruction in the schools. Italian was the language of church and government until 1934 and is still understood by a sizable sector of the population.
Although Roman Catholicism is the state religion, there is full freedom for all religious beliefs. The islands are an independent province of the church, with two dioceses at Malta and Gozo and two bishops serving the cathedrals at Valletta and Rabat (Victoria). There are two Roman Catholic cathedrals, at Mdina and Valletta, and an Anglican cathedral, at Valletta. There is a mosque at Corradino Heights.
Malta has one of the highest population densities in the world. The population has somewhat stabilized, however, with a considerable decline in the birthrate since the 1950s. The death rate has remained fairly stable, having fallen only slightly, while the infant mortality rate has dropped significantly. Emigration, formerly encouraged and even financed by the government, has also tapered off; the primary destination of emigration is Australia. The majority of the country's immigrants are repatriates. The age structure of the population is fairly evenly distributed, and the life expectancy is about 74 years.
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