What is it all about?
Malta’s Independence Day is on the 21st September, which celebrates Malta’s separation from British rule in 1964. Since then, Malta like many other former British Colonies has enjoyed a healthy relationship with the UK and is still a member of the Commonwealth.
In Malta, the day is celebrated like many feasts, but history could have been quite different. Prior to Malta’s Independence, Malta’s relationship was so close with Britain that there was an idea that Malta could have officially become part of the United Kingdom as is the case with Gibraltar, which is an island off the coast of Spain. However, a disagreement over the price the UK government was prepared to pay to dock its war ships in Malta’s Grand Harbour became an issue, and as a compromise wasn’t reached, it became one of several factors that lead to Malta becoming an Independent state. Just like any breakup, initially Malta faced some tough economic and social challenges. What added to this difficulty was the fear that the Cold War between the West and Russia presented, as various political ideas contributed to the change in politics on the island. Despite the challenges that followed, Malta has used its British connection wisely and AM Language itself is partly a product of that history. As part of the British Commonwealth, the English language was seen as a first language, which has played its role in Malta becoming one of the main countries in the world that people go to in order to learn English.
So, where does the word Independence, which is pronounced /ɪndɪˈpɛnd(ə)ns/, come from? It came into being in the Mid-17th Century, partly due to French Independence. The term Independence Day came about following America’s infamous Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day where America gained Independence from British rule in 1776.