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98-652: HMS Kelly ( pennant number F01) was a K-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy , and flotilla leader of her class. She served through the early years of the Second World War ; in Home Waters, off Norway and in the Mediterranean . Throughout her service, Kelly was commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten , as commander ( Captain (D) ) of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla . She was lost in action in 1941 during

196-452: A 3 feet (0.91 m) deep band as a flotilla leader. As a divisional leader they had a 2 feet (0.61 m) wide vertical band the same colour as, and extending 6 feet (1.8 m) below, the upper flotilla band. Leaders bands were white for Home Fleet, red for Mediterranean Fleet, and the system of flotilla bands changed to; Flotilla bands were used throughout the war although war-losses, operational requirements, and new construction broke up

294-636: A crowd protesting against new taxes, killing four. The event, known as Sette Giugno ("7 June"), is commemorated every year and is one of five National Days. Until the Second World War , Maltese politics was dominated by the Language Question fought out by Italophone and Anglophone parties. Before the Second World War, Valletta was the location of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet headquarters; however, despite Winston Churchill 's objections,

392-408: A fairly systematic basis, later allocations were on the basis of re-allocating numbers made available by the disposal of older vessels. The next major revision took place in the late 1930s, when the volume of new construction was such that insufficient 'spare' numbers were now available for new ships. Accordingly, older cruisers had the flag-superior 'I' added in front of their existing plain numbers; as

490-464: A flag superior. The Royal Navy first used pennants to distinguish its ships in 1661 with a proclamation that all of his majesty's ships must fly a union pennant. This distinction was further strengthened by a proclamation in 1674 which forbade merchant vessels from flying any pennants. The system of numbering pennants was adopted prior to the First World War to distinguish between ships with

588-607: A military organisation, the AFM provides backup support to the Malta Police Force (MPF) and other government departments/agencies in situations as required in an organised, disciplined manner in the event of national emergencies (such as natural disasters) or internal security and bomb disposal. In 2020, Malta signed and ratified the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . Malta

686-451: A month in dry dock following storm damage. Repairs were completed on 28 February 1940, and Kelly returned to the fray. Astonishingly, she was involved in a collision with HMS  Gurkha just two days later on 2 March, necessitating a further 8 weeks in dry dock, this time on the Thames . She was released on 27 April, in time to assist with the evacuation of allied forces from Namsos . On

784-420: A new number. The Admiralty took the situation in hand and first compiled a "Naval Pendant List" in 1910, with ships grouped under the distinguishing flag of their type. In addition, ships of the 2nd and 3rd (i.e. reserve) fleets had a second flag superior distinguishing from which naval depot they were crewed: "C" for Chatham , "D" for Devonport , "N" for Nore and "P" for Portsmouth . A completely new system

882-709: A number of small political parties in Malta which have no parliamentary representation. Malta has had a system of local government since 1993, based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government . The country is divided into six regions (one of them being Gozo), with each region having its own Regional Council, serving as the intermediate level between local government and national government. The regions are divided into local councils , of which there are currently 68 (54 in Malta and 14 in Gozo ). The six districts (five on Malta and

980-417: A pennant number system based on that of the Royal Navy. The system guarantees that, amongst those navies and other navies that later joined, all pennant numbers are unique. The United States and Canada do not participate in this system; their ships are identified by unique hull classification symbols . Participating countries, with their assigned number ranges, include: The NATO pennant number system added

1078-539: A portion of his checkered red-and-white banner and presented it to the Maltese in gratitude for having fought on his behalf, forming the basis of the modern flag of Malta , is founded in myth. Malta became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Sicily , which also covered the island of Sicily and the southern half of the Italian Peninsula . The Roman Catholic Church was reinstated as the state religion, with Malta under

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1176-474: A public house by the name of "The Kelly" while the local Tyne & Wear metro station features artwork depicting the ship herself. 34°40′N 24°10′E  /  34.667°N 24.167°E  / 34.667; 24.167 Pennant number In the current system, a letter prefix , called a flag superior , identifies the type of ship, and numerical suffix , called a flag inferior, uniquely identifies an individual ship. Not all pennant numbers have

1274-464: A referendum held on 28 May 2011 . Abortion in Malta is illegal. It and Poland are the only European Union members with near-total bans on the procedure. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. On 21 November 2022, the government led by the Labour Party proposed a bill that "introduces a new clause into the country's criminal code allowing for the termination of a pregnancy if the mother's life

1372-409: A result, submarines, which had previously used 'I', were given a new scheme of flags-inferior. Other changes were also made at this time. The next major change took place in 1940, when there was a wholesale set of changes to flags-superior, including the old cruisers changing from 'I' to 'D'. Traditionally, a pennant number was reported with a full stop "." between the flag superior or inferior and

1470-675: A small Greek garrison. While the bulk of population continued to be constituted by the old, Latinized dwellers, during this period its religious allegiance oscillated between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople . The Byzantine rule introduced Greek families to the Maltese collective. Malta remained under the Byzantine Empire until 870, when it was conquered by the Arabs . Malta became involved in

1568-628: A submarine base. It was also used as a listening post, intercepting German radio messages including Enigma traffic. The bravery of the Maltese people during the second siege of Malta moved King George VI to award the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis on 15 April 1942. Some historians argue that the award caused Britain to incur disproportionate losses in defending Malta, as British credibility would have suffered if Malta had surrendered, as British forces in Singapore had done . A depiction of

1666-513: Is Valletta , which is the smallest capital city in the EU by both area and population. With a population of about 542,000 over an area of 316 km (122 sq mi), Malta is the world's tenth-smallest country by area and the ninth most densely populated . Various sources consider the country to consist of a single urban region, for which it is often described as a city-state . Malta has been inhabited since about 5900 BC. Its location in

1764-524: Is a republic, the head of state in Malta is the president of the republic . The current president of the republic is Myriam Spiteri Debono , who was elected on 27 March 2024, by members of parliament in an indirect election . The 80th article of the Constitution of Malta provides that the president appoint as prime minister "the member of the House of Representatives who, in his judgment, is best able to command

1862-502: Is at risk or if her health is in serious jeopardy". As of 2023, an exception was added to allow abortion only if the mother's life is at risk. Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean (in its eastern basin ), some 80 km (50 mi) from southern Italy across the Malta Channel . Only the three largest islands— Malta (Maltese: Malta ), Gozo ( Għawdex ), and Comino ( Kemmuna )—are inhabited. The islands of

1960-425: Is not used (for instance the helicopter carrier Ocean  (L12) was followed by Albion  (L14) ). From 1925, flotilla leaders were issued with but did not paint on pendant numbers. Instead, a broad band 4 feet (1.2 m) deep was painted round their fore-funnel. Divisional leaders wore a pendant number and had a narrower 2 feet (0.61 m) deep band on the fore-funnel, painted 3 feet (0.91 m) from

2058-691: Is now in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. Another archaeological feature of the Maltese Islands often attributed to these ancient builders is equidistant uniform grooves dubbed "cart tracks" or "cart ruts" which can be found in several locations throughout the islands, with the most prominent being those found in Misraħ Għar il-Kbir . These may have been caused by wooden-wheeled carts eroding soft limestone. The culture apparently disappeared from

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2156-417: Is presumed the population arrived from Sicily because of the similarity of Maltese dolmens to some small constructions found there. Phoenician traders colonised the islands under the name Ann ( 𐤀𐤍𐤍‎ , ʾNN ) sometime after 1000 BC as a stop on their trade routes from the eastern Mediterranean to Cornwall . Their seat of government was apparently at Mdina , which shared the island's name;

2254-523: Is regarded as one of the most LGBT -supportive countries in the world, and was the first nation in the European Union to prohibit conversion therapy . Malta also constitutionally bans discrimination based on disability. Maltese legislation recognises both civil and canonical (ecclesiastical) marriages. Annulments by the ecclesiastical and civil courts are unrelated and are not necessarily mutually endorsed. Malta voted in favour of divorce legislation in

2352-609: The Arab–Byzantine wars , and the conquest of Malta is closely linked with that of Sicily that began in 827 after Admiral Euphemius ' betrayal of his fellow Byzantines, requesting that the Aghlabids invade the island. The Muslim chronicler and geographer al-Himyari recounts that in 870, following a violent struggle against the defending Byzantines, the Arab invaders, first led by Halaf al-Hadim, and later by Sawada ibn Muhammad, pillaged

2450-775: The Battle of Crete . Kelly was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company at Hebburn on the River Tyne . She was laid down on 26 August 1937, launched on 25 October 1938 and commissioned on 23 August 1939, just 11 days before commencement of hostilities. She was named after Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Kelly . On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were brought from France, where they were living, back to Britain on board HMS Kelly . On

2548-572: The Book of Acts in the Bible 's New Testament . English translations including the 1611 King James Version long used the Vulgate Latin form Melita , although William Tyndale 's 1525 translation from Greek sources used the transliteration Melite instead. Malta is widely used in more recent versions. The name is attested earlier in other languages, however, including some medieval manuscripts of

2646-512: The European Union in 2004 and the eurozone monetary union in 2008. Malta's long history of foreign rule and close proximity to both Europe and North Africa have influenced its art, music, cuisine, and architecture. Malta has close historical and cultural ties to Italy and especially Sicily ; between 62 and 66 percent of Maltese people speak or have significant knowledge of the Italian language , which had official status from 1530 to 1934. Malta

2744-775: The European Union  (light green)  –  [ Legend ] Malta ( / ˈ m ɒ l t ə / MOL -tə , / ˈ m ɔː l t ə / MAWL -tə , Maltese: [ˈmɐːltɐ] ), officially the Republic of Malta , is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea , between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago 80 km (50 mi) south of Italy, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya. The two official languages are Maltese and English . The country's capital

2842-533: The French Revolutionary Wars in 1798. During 12–18 June 1798, Napoleon resided at the Palazzo Parisio in Valletta. He reformed national administration with the creation of a Government Commission, twelve municipalities, a public finance administration, the abolition of all feudal rights and privileges, the abolition of slavery and the granting of freedom to all Turkish and Jewish slaves. On

2940-639: The Grand Harbour and its primary settlement at Cospicua following the sea level rise that separated the Maltese islands and flooded its original coastal settlements in the 10th century   BC. The name was then applied to all of Malta by the Greeks and to its ancient capital at Mdina by the Romans. Malta and its demonym Maltese are attested in English from the late 16th century. The Greek name appears in

3038-612: The Great Siege of Malta by the Ottomans in 1565. The knights, with the help of Portuguese, Spanish and Maltese forces, repelled the attack. After the siege they decided to increase Malta's fortifications , particularly in the inner-harbour area, where the new city of Valletta , named in honour of Valette, was built. They also established watchtowers along the coasts – the Wignacourt , Lascaris and De Redin towers  – named after

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3136-551: The Hohenstaufen dynasty from 1194 until 1266. As Emperor Frederick II began to reorganise his Sicilian kingdom, Western culture and religion started to exert their influence more intensely. Malta was declared a county and a marquisate , but its trade was totally ruined. For a long time it remained solely a fortified garrison . A mass expulsion of Arabs occurred in 1224, and the entire Christian male population of Celano in Abruzzo

3234-525: The Kelly , the Kelly left us!" The 1942 film In Which We Serve starring Noël Coward and John Mills and telling the story of "HMS Torrin ", is based on the career of Kelly . The HMS Kelly Association hosts reunions and commemorations. Notable supporters of the association have included Charles III and Sir John Mills . In Hebburn, the town in South Tyneside where HMS Kelly was built, there remains

3332-498: The See of Palermo , and some Norman architecture sprang up around Malta, especially in its ancient capital Mdina . King Tancred made Malta a fief of the kingdom and installed a Count of Malta in 1192. As the islands were much desired due to their strategic importance, it was during this time that the men of Malta were militarised to fend off attempted conquest; early Counts were skilled Genoese privateers . The kingdom passed on to

3430-771: The Western Roman Empire declined , Malta was conquered or occupied a number of times. From 454 to 464 the islands were subdued by the Vandals , and after 464 by the Ostrogoths . In 533, Belisarius , on his way to conquer the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa, reunited the islands under Imperial ( Eastern ) rule. Little is known about the Byzantine rule in Malta : the island depended on the theme of Sicily and had Greek Governors and

3528-741: The Westminster system . The unicameral parliament is made up of the president of Malta and the House of Representatives ( Maltese : Kamra tad-Deputati ). The president of Malta, a largely ceremonial position, is appointed for a five-year term by a resolution of the House of Representatives carried by a simple majority. The House of Representatives has 65 members, elected for a five-year term in 13 five-seat electoral divisions, called distretti elettorali , with constitutional amendments that allow for mechanisms to establish strict proportionality amongst seats and votes of political parliamentary groups. Members of

3626-975: The Y (for yard ) symbol for tugboats, floating cranes, docks and the like. The Royal Navy uses a single letter (typically the first letter of the ship's name) for aircraft carriers and large vessels operating aircraft, and pairs of letters (usually, letters from the ship's name) for smaller vessel. Albion class River class Daring class Duke class Invincible class Queen Elizabeth class Bay class Tide class Wave class Fort Rosalie Class Individual ships De Zeven Provinciën class Holland class Amphibious support ships Halifax class Harry DeWolf-class (Deck codes of decommissioned ships) St. Laurent-class Annapolis-class Iroquois-class HMCS Provider — PR Protecteur-class Braunschweig class Sachsen-class frigate Malta – in Europe  (light green & dark grey) – in

3724-552: The dwarf hippos , giant swans and dwarf elephants has been linked to the earliest arrival of humans on Malta. Prehistoric farming settlements dating to the Early Neolithic include Għar Dalam . The population on Malta grew cereals , raised livestock and, in common with other ancient Mediterranean cultures, worshipped a fertility figure . A culture of megalithic temple builders then either supplanted or arose from this early period. Around 3500 BC, these people built some of

3822-423: The "H" and "L", and some transferred American vessels, were not issued names, only numbers. In these cases, the pendant number was simply the hull number inverted (i.e. L24 was issued pendant "24L"). Pre-war photos show the pendants painted correctly, with the flag inferior, but wartime photos show that the numbers tend to be painted "backwards", in that the inferior was painted on as a superior. For obvious reasons,

3920-454: The Arab rulers of Sicily in 1038. The Arab Agricultural Revolution introduced new irrigation, cotton, and some fruits. The Siculo-Arabic language was adopted on the island from Sicily; it would eventually evolve into the Maltese language . The Normans attacked Malta in 1091, as part of their conquest of Sicily . The Norman leader, Roger I of Sicily , was welcomed by Christian captives. The notion that Count Roger I reportedly tore off

4018-456: The British. The British transferred the island to the locals that day, and it was administered by Archpriest Saverio Cassar on behalf of Ferdinand III of Sicily . Gozo remained independent until Cassar was removed by the British in 1801. General Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois surrendered his French forces in 1800. Maltese leaders presented the main island to Sir Alexander Ball, asking that

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4116-594: The Count, the Maltese voiced their loyalty to the Sicilian Crown , which so impressed King Alfonso that he did not punish the people for their rebellion. Instead, he promised never to grant the title to a third party and incorporated it back into the crown. The city of Mdina was given the title of Città Notabile . On 23 March 1530, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor , gave the islands to the Knights Hospitaller under

4214-735: The Evangelist were shipwrecked on the islands. Paul remained for three months, preaching the Christian faith . The island is mentioned at the Acts of the Apostles as Melitene ( Ancient Greek : Μελιτήνη ). In 395, when the Roman Empire was divided for the last time at the death of Theodosius I , Malta, following Sicily, fell under the control of the Western Roman Empire . During the Migration Period as

4312-581: The George Cross now appears on the Flag of Malta and the country's arms . Malta achieved its independence as the State of Malta on 21 September 1964 ( Independence Day ). Under its 1964 constitution, Malta initially retained Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta and thus head of state, with a governor-general exercising executive authority on her behalf. In 1971, the Malta Labour Party led by Dom Mintoff won

4410-626: The Grand Masters who ordered the work. The Knights' presence on the island saw the completion of many architectural and cultural projects, including the embellishment of Città Vittoriosa (modern Birgu ) and the construction of new cities including Città Rohan (modern Ħaż-Żebbuġ ). However, by the late 1700s the power of the Knights had declined and the Order had become unpopular. The Knights' reign ended when Napoleon captured Malta on his way to Egypt during

4508-584: The Greek and Roman name for the island. Punic influence, however, remained vibrant on the islands with the famous Cippi of Melqart , pivotal in deciphering the Punic language , dedicated in the second century BC. Local Roman coinage, which ceased in the first century BC, indicates the slow pace of the island's Romanisation: the last locally minted coins still bear inscriptions in Ancient Greek and Punic motifs, showing

4606-468: The House of Representatives are elected by direct universal suffrage through single transferable vote every five years, unless the House is dissolved earlier by the president either on the advice of the prime minister or through a motion of no confidence. Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world (and the highest for nations without mandatory voting ), based on election turnout in national lower house elections from 1960 to 1995. Since Malta

4704-647: The Latin Antonine Itinerary . Malta has been inhabited from circa 5900 BC, since the arrival of settlers originating from European Neolithic agriculturalists. Pottery found by archaeologists at the Skorba Temples resembles that found in Italy, and suggests that the Maltese islands were first settled in 5200 BC by Stone Age hunters or farmers who had arrived from Sicily, possibly the Sicani . The extinction of

4802-569: The Maltese that they rebelled, forcing the French to depart. Great Britain, along with the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily , sent ammunition and aid to the Maltese, and Britain also sent its navy , which blockaded the islands. On 28 October 1798, Captain Sir Alexander Ball successfully completed negotiations with the French garrison on Gozo for a surrender and transfer of the island to

4900-438: The Mediterranean, arriving at Malta in April 1941. In April 1941 she joined HM ships Abdiel , Dido , Jackal , Jersey , Kashmir , Kelvin and Kipling at Gibraltar to form Force S, an escort for reinforcements to the Mediterranean Fleet ( Operation Salient ). She arrived in Malta on the 28th and was deployed with her flotilla to join Force K for attacks on Axis shipping to North Africa. On 8 May, following

4998-497: The aftermath of the departure of the remaining British troops in 1979, the country intensified its participation in the Non-Aligned Movement . Malta adopted a policy of neutrality in 1980. In that same year, three of Malta's sites, including the capital Valletta , were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List . In 1989, Malta was the venue of a summit between US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev , their first face-to-face encounter, which signalled

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5096-448: The afternoon of 14 December 1939, the tanker Atheltemplar struck a mine laid by German destroyers off the Tyne Estuary . Kelly and the Tribal-class destroyer HMS  Mohawk were dispatched as escorts for the rescue tugs Great Emperor , Joffre and Langton . During the operation, Kelly also struck a mine and sustained damage to her hull . While Mohawk put a party aboard Atheltemplar , and Joffre and Langton took

5194-486: The archipelago lie on the Malta plateau, a shallow shelf formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa that became isolated as sea levels rose after the last ice age . The archipelago is located on the African tectonic plate . Malta was considered an island of North Africa for centuries. The seabed surrounding Malta's islands retains traces of ancient geomarine features, suggesting potential archaeological discoveries that could shed light on

5292-418: The central government such as the collection of government rents and funds and answer government-related public inquiries. Additionally, a number of individual towns and villages in the Republic of Malta have sister cities . The objectives of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) are to maintain a military organisation with the primary aim of defending the islands' integrity according to the defence roles as set by

5390-450: The centre of the Mediterranean has historically given it great geostrategic importance, with a succession of powers having ruled the islands and shaped its culture and society. These include the Phoenicians , Carthaginians , Greeks , and Romans in antiquity ; the Arabs , Normans , and Aragonese during the Middle Ages ; and the Knights Hospitaller , French , and British in the modern era . Malta came under British rule in

5488-409: The combining form of méli ( μέλι , "honey" or any similarly sweet thing) and the suffix -ē ( -η ). The ancient Greeks may have given the island this name after Malta's endemic subspecies of bees . Alternatively, other scholars argue for derivation of the Greek name from an original Phoenician or Punic Maleth ( 𐤌𐤋𐤈 , mlṭ ), meaning "haven" or "port" in reference to

5586-402: The command was moved to Alexandria , Egypt, in 1937 out of fear that it was too susceptible to air attacks from Europe. During the war Malta played an important role for the Allies ; being a British colony, situated close to Sicily and the Axis shipping lanes, Malta was bombarded by the Italian and German air forces. Malta was used by the British to launch attacks on the Italian Navy and had

5684-437: The early 19th century and served as the headquarters for the British Mediterranean Fleet . It was besieged by the Axis powers during World War II and was an important Allied base for North Africa and the Mediterranean. Malta achieved independence in 1964, and established its current parliamentary republic in 1974. It has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations since independence; it joined

5782-457: The end of the Cold War . Malta International Airport was inaugurated and became fully operational on 25 March 1992, boosting the local aircraft and tourism industry. A referendum on joining the European Union was held on 8 March 2003, with 53.65% in favour. Malta joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 and the eurozone on 1 January 2008. Malta is a republic whose parliamentary system and public administration are closely modelled on

5880-465: The first letter of the ship's name) for aircraft carriers and large vessels operating aircraft, and pairs of letters (usually letters from the ship's name) for smaller vessels. The United States Navy , with its larger fleet, uses the numeric part of the hull classification number (a system analogous to pennant numbers). Deck codes used by contemporary major British naval warships include: Several European NATO and Commonwealth navies agreed to introduce

5978-412: The funnels. Flotilla leaders continued to display a large band at the top of the funnel and half leaders would carry a thin black band around the funnel. Aircraft carriers and vessels operating aircraft have a deck code painted on the flight deck to aid identification by aircraft attempting to land. This is in a position clearly visible on the approach path. The Royal Navy uses a single letter (typically

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6076-402: The general elections, resulting in Malta declaring itself a republic on 13 December 1974 ( Republic Day ) within the Commonwealth . A defence agreement was signed soon after independence, and after being re-negotiated in 1972, expired on 31 March 1979 ( Freedom Day ). Upon its expiry, the British base closed and lands formerly controlled by the British were given to the Maltese government. In

6174-468: The good seamanship of the officers and men but also on account of the excellent workmanship which ensured the watertightness of the other compartments. A single defective rivet might have finished her." She was repaired and returned to service. On return to Hebburn shipyard, she was de-commissioned before undergoing extensive repairs; she was not fit for active service until December 1940. Her bad luck had seen her on active service for less than two weeks over

6272-617: The government in an efficient and cost-effective manner. This is achieved by emphasising the maintenance of Malta's territorial waters and airspace integrity. The AFM also engages in combating terrorism, fighting against illicit drug trafficking, conducting anti-illegal immigrant operations and patrols, and anti-illegal fishing operations, operating search and rescue (SAR) services, and physical or electronic security and surveillance of sensitive locations. Malta's search-and-rescue area extends from east of Tunisia to west of Crete , an area of around 250,000 km (97,000 sq mi). As

6370-478: The homogeneity of the destroyer flotillas. Vessels were deployed as and when they were needed or available, and were often incorporated into mixed "escort groups" containing a range of vessel types such as sloops , corvettes , frigates and escort carriers . A few of the escort groups adopted funnel bands; others (like the B7 escort group) wore letters on their funnels. Post-war Flotillas were no longer identified by bands, but by large cast metal numbers bolted to

6468-469: The inferior "U" was not used so as not to confuse friendly ships with German U-boats . For similar reasons "V" was not used. Pendant numbers 00–10, 13, and those ending in a zero were not allocated to flag inferiors. After the Second World War, in 1948, the Royal Navy adopted a rationalised "pennant" number system where the flag superior indicated the basic type of ship as follows. "F" and "A" use two or three digits, "L" and "P" up to four. Again, pennant 13

6566-432: The island become a British Dominion . The Maltese people created a Declaration of Rights in which they agreed to come "under the protection and sovereignty of the King of the free people, His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland". The Declaration also stated that "his Majesty has no right to cede these Islands to any power...if he chooses to withdraw his protection, and abandon his sovereignty,

6664-425: The island fell back in the hands of Carthage, only to be conquered again during the Second Punic War in 218 BC by the Roman consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus . After that, Malta became a Foederata Civitas , a designation that meant it was exempt from paying tribute or the rule of Roman law , and fell within the jurisdiction of the province of Sicily . Its capital at Mdina was renamed Melita after

6762-403: The island, destroying the most important buildings, and leaving it practically uninhabited until it was recolonised by the Arabs from Sicily in 1048–1049. It is uncertain whether this new settlement resulted from demographic expansion in Sicily, a higher standard of living in Sicily (in which case the recolonisation may have taken place a few decades earlier), or a civil war which broke out among

6860-400: The islands around 2500 BC, possibly due to famine or disease. After 2500 BC, the Maltese Islands were depopulated for several decades until an influx of Bronze Age immigrants, a culture that cremated its dead and introduced smaller megalithic structures called dolmens . They are claimed to belong to a population certainly different from that which built the previous megalithic temples. It

6958-517: The judicial level, a family code was framed and twelve judges were nominated. Public education was organised along principles laid down by Bonaparte himself, providing for primary and secondary education. He then sailed for Egypt, leaving a substantial garrison in Malta. The French forces left behind became unpopular with the Maltese, due particularly to the French forces' hostility towards Catholicism and pillaging of local churches to fund war efforts. French financial and religious policies so angered

7056-492: The leadership of Frenchman Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam , in perpetual lease for which they had to pay an annual tribute of a single Maltese Falcon . These knights, a military religious order also known as the Order of St John and later as the Knights of Malta, had been driven out of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire in 1522. The Knights Hospitaller ruled Malta and Gozo between 1530 and 1798. During this period,

7154-405: The loss of HMS Jersey to a mine and the subsequent clearance of her wreck, the flotilla left Malta and joined Ajax , Dido , Orion and Perth to escort supply convoys to Egypt and Greece (Operation Tiger). On 10 May she led the destroyers to bombard Benghazi before returning to Malta. On 21 May she was despatched to Crete with Kashmir and Kipling and began patrols north of the island

7252-426: The next day. On 23 May, during the evacuation of Crete , she was bombed and sunk, with half her crew killed. Kelly did succeed in shooting down three of the attacking Stukas , while another was badly damaged and crashed upon returning to base. The survivors were deeply affected by the loss of their ship; Mountbatten shared their loss and tried to console the ship's company by reminding them all that "we didn't leave

7350-591: The night 9 May/10 May 1940, during the Battle of Norway , Kelly was torpedoed amidships by the German E-boat S 31 , under command of Oberleutnant zur See Hermann Opdenhoff (for which action Oblt.z.S. Opdenhoff was awarded the Knight's Cross ). Severely damaged, she was taken under tow by the tug Great Emperor and for four days she was attacked by E-boats and bombers as she struggled back to port at three knots. The Navy Controller wrote that she survived "not only by

7448-492: The number was increased by 100, 200 or 300, as necessary. The 1948 system was later taken over by NATO, and a single pennant list set up for all NATO navies, apart from the USA and Canada. During the 1970s, the service stopped painting pennant numbers on submarines on the grounds that, with the arrival of nuclear boats, they spent too little time on the surface, although submarines do continue to be issued numbers. HMS  Lancaster

7546-499: The number, although this practice has gradually been dropped, and inter-war photos after about 1924 tend not to have the full stop painted on the hull. The system was used throughout the navies of the British Empire so that a ship could be transferred from one navy to another without changing its pennant number. Pennant numbers were originally allocated by individual naval stations and when a ship changed station it would be allocated

7644-410: The oldest existing free-standing structures in the world in the form of the megalithic Ġgantija temples on Gozo ; other early temples include those at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra . The temples have distinctive architecture, typically a complex trefoil design, and were used from 4000 to 2500 BC. Tentative information suggests that animal sacrifices were made to the goddess of fertility, whose statue

7742-563: The oldest free-standing structures in the world. The English name Malta derives from Italian and Maltese Malta , from medieval Arabic Māliṭā ( مَالِطَا ), from classical Latin Melita , from latinised or Doric forms of the ancient Greek Melítē ( Μελίτη ) of uncertain origin. The name Melítē —shared by the Croatian island Mljet in antiquity—literally means "place of honey" or "sweetness", derived from

7840-525: The previous 14 months. During this period her captain, Louis Mountbatten, as Captain (D), was forced to lead his flotilla from temporary placement in other ships of the flotilla; for a time he led from HMS  Javelin , until she too succumbed to damage. Kelly re-joined 5th Flotilla after re-commissioning in December 1940; after working-up trials and some service in the Channel, she and 5th Flotilla sailed for

7938-478: The primary port was at Cospicua on the Grand Harbour , which they called Maleth. After the fall of Phoenicia in 332 BC, the area came under the control of Carthage . During this time, the people on Malta mainly cultivated olives and carob and produced textiles. During the First Punic War , the island was conquered after harsh fighting by Marcus Atilius Regulus . After the failure of his expedition,

8036-499: The resistance of the Greek and Punic cultures. In the second century, Emperor Hadrian (r. 117–38) upgraded the status of Malta to a municipium or free town: the island's local affairs were administered by four quattuorviri iuri dicundo and a municipal senate, while a Roman procurator living in Mdina represented the proconsul of Sicily. In AD 58, Paul the Apostle and Luke

8134-667: The right of electing another sovereign, or of the governing of these Islands, belongs to us, the inhabitants and aborigines alone, and without control." In 1814, as part of the Treaty of Paris , Malta officially became a part of the British Empire and was used as a shipping way-station and fleet headquarters. After the Suez Canal opened in 1869, Malta's position halfway between the Strait of Gibraltar and Egypt proved to be its main asset, and it

8232-565: The same or similar names, to reduce the size and improve the security of communications, and to assist recognition when ships of the same class are together. During the First World War, pennant numbers were changed on a regular basis, with only those for ships in Home waters centrally controlled; those on foreign stations were allocated on a local basis. However, in November 1919 a new navy-wide system

8330-421: The single transferable vote. Due to system reforms, no elections were held before 2012. Since then, elections have been held every two years for an alternating half of the councils. Local councils are responsible for the general upkeep and embellishment of the locality (including repairs to non-arterial roads), allocation of local wardens, and refuse collection; they also carry out general administrative duties for

8428-432: The sixth being Gozo) serve primarily statistical purposes. Each council is made up of a number of councillors (from 5 to 13, depending on and relative to the population they represent). A mayor and a deputy mayor are elected by and from the councillors. The executive secretary, who is appointed by the council, is the executive, administrative and financial head of the council. Councillors are elected every four years through

8526-695: The strategic and military importance of the island grew greatly as the small yet efficient fleet of the Order of Saint John launched their attacks from this new base targeting the shipping lanes of the Ottoman territories around the Mediterranean Sea. In 1551, the population of the island of Gozo (around 5,000 people) were enslaved by Barbary pirates and taken to the Barbary Coast in North Africa. The knights, led by Frenchman Jean Parisot de Valette , withstood

8624-599: The support of a majority of the members of that House". Maltese politics is a two-party system dominated by the Labour Party ( Maltese : Partit Laburista ), a centre-left social democratic party, and the Nationalist Party ( Maltese : Partit Nazzjonalista ), a centre-right Christian democratic party. The Labour Party has been the governing party since 2013 and is currently led by Prime Minister Robert Abela , who has been in office since 13 January 2020. There are

8722-458: The tanker under tow, Kelly herself was taken in tow by Great Emperor and returned to the Tyne. Reaching the Tyne just before midnight, Kelly was assisted upriver by the tugs Robert Redhead and Washington . She was towed to Hawthorn Leslie's yard for repairs, which took just a little over three months. This was the second of Kelly ' s misfortunes, having just returned to active service after

8820-459: The title Count of Malta . During this time much of the local nobility was created. By 1397, however, the bearing of the comital title reverted to a feudal basis, with two families fighting over the distinction. This led King Martin I of Sicily to abolish the title. The dispute over the title returned when the title was reinstated a few years later and the Maltese, led by the local nobility, rose up against Count Gonsalvo Monroy. Although they opposed

8918-482: The top. The Mediterranean Fleet wore black leader bands and the Atlantic – later Home Fleet wore white bands. The flotillas wore combinations of bands on their after funnel to identify them. From 1925 the following bands were worn; When single funnelled destroyers entered the fleet with the J class in 1939 and with an expansion in the number of flotillas, the system was changed accordingly. Single funnelled ships wore

9016-403: Was adopted in 1948, when flags-superior specific to a type of ship were introduced. For example, cruisers had the flag-superior 'C', destroyers 'D', frigates 'F' and carriers 'R'. In general, the existing numerical part of a ship's number was kept, except where this would lead to duplication (especially in the case of frigates, where 'F' now absorbed the former 'K', 'L' and 'U' lists), in which case

9114-581: Was an early centre of Christianity , and Roman Catholicism is the state religion , although the country's constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religious worship. Malta is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy . It is heavily reliant on tourism, attracting both travelers and a growing expatriate community with its warm climate, numerous recreational areas, and architectural and historical monuments, including three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum , Valletta, and seven megalithic temples which are some of

9212-582: Was considered an important stop on the way to India, a central trade route for the British. A Turkish Military Cemetery was commissioned by Sultan Abdul Aziz and built between 1873 and 1874 for the fallen Ottoman soldiers of the Great Siege of Malta . Between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War , Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers who were accommodated there. In 1919, British troops fired into

9310-530: Was deported to Malta in the same year. In 1249 Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor , decreed that all remaining Muslims be expelled from Malta or compelled to convert. For a brief period, the kingdom passed to the Capetian House of Anjou , but high taxes made the dynasty unpopular in Malta, due in part to Charles of Anjou 's war against the Republic of Genoa, and the island of Gozo was sacked in 1275. Malta

9408-490: Was initially allocated the pennant number F232, until it was realised that in the Royal Navy, form number 232 is the official report for ships that have run aground; sailors being superstitious, it was quickly changed to F229. Pendant number 13 was not allocated. Pendant numbers 13 were not allocated to flag superiors. The letters J and K were used with three number combinations due to the number of vessels. Flags inferior were applied to submarines. Royal Navy submarines of

9506-504: Was introduced, with the intention that ships should now carry a permanent number. In most cases, plain numbers were given to capital ships and cruisers, and ones with flags-superior to smaller ships. While the numbers allocated to major warships (except for a few older vessels) would generally remain stable into the 1930s, destroyers were subject to further revisions, stability being reached in January 1922. While 1919/1922 numbers were allocated on

9604-619: Was ruled by the House of Barcelona , the ruling dynasty of the Crown of Aragon , from 1282 to 1409, with the Aragonese aiding the Maltese insurgents in the Sicilian Vespers in the naval battle in Grand Harbour in 1283. Relatives of the kings of Aragon ruled the island until 1409 when it formally passed to the Crown of Aragon. Early on in the Aragonese ascendancy, the sons of the monarchs received

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