Architecture

Malta has a long history of architecture, influenced by many different mediterranean cultures over its history, and most recently, British architecture. The first settlers on the island constructed Ggantia, the oldest manmade freestanding structure in the world.

M-Towers impression
Malta is currently undergoing a large scale mass building project, which include constructions such as SmartCity Malta, the M-Towers, and Pendergardens, while areas like the Valletta Waterfront and Tigne Point are being rerenovated.

Culture
Main article: Culture of Malta
The culture of Malta is a reflection of various cultures that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighbouring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of time prior to its independence in 1964.

Cuisine
Main article: Maltese cuisine
Maltese cuisine is the result of a long relationship between the Islanders and the many foreigners who made Malta their home over the centuries. This marriage of tastes has given Malta an eclectic mix of Mediterranean cooking. While many dishes are native to the island, some popular Maltese recipes are Sicilian-Southern Italian or Middle Eastern in origin. Celebrated examples include ftira biż-żejt, ġbejniet and pastizzi.

Media
Further information: Radio stations in Malta
The presence of the institutions – church, political parties, unions - in the print media is not as large as their presence in the broadcasting media; moreover they are absent from the ownership of the newspapers published in English. Unions are not represented in the broadcasting media, but in the print media; and only the General Workers Union owns a newspaper, the UHM, the second biggest union, has no newspaper, TV, or radio stations.

Broadcasting
Further information: Digital television in Malta

PBS Building

Public Broadcasting Authority Emblem
There are 5 major nationwide television channels in Malta: TVM, One Television, NET Television, Smash Television and Family TV - currently transmitted by analogue terrestrial, free-to-air signals. The state and political parties subsidies most of the fundings of these television stations. The Public Broadcasting Services is the state owned station and is a member of the EBU. Media Link Communications Ltd and One Productions Ltd are affiliated with the Nationalist Party and Malta Labour Party respectively. Smash Communications Ltd is privately owned. The Broadcasting Authority supervises all local broadcasting stations and ensures their compliance with legal and licence obligations as well as the preservation of due impartiality; in respect of matters of political or industrial controversy or relating to current public policy; while fairly apportioning broadcasting facilities and time between persons belong to different political parties. The Broadcasting Authority ensures that local broadcasting services consist of public, private and community broadcasts that offer varied and comprehensive programming to cater for all interests and tastes.
The only commercial TV station attracts an audience of 2%. Cable, terrestrial and satellite reception are all available, though the cable service is the most diffused. Cable subscriptions reached almost 124,000 in February 2006 reaching about 80% of Maltese households

Print
Further information: List of newspapers in Malta
The most widely read and financially the strongest newspapers are published by Allied Newspapers Ltd., mainly the The Times (27%) and The Sunday Times (51.6%). Due to bilingualism half of the newspapers are published in English and the other half in Maltese. The Sunday newspaper It-Torċa (The Torch) published by the Union Press, a subsidiary of the GWU, is the paper with the biggest circulation in the Maltese language. Its sister paper, L-Oriżżont, is the Maltese daily with biggest circulation. Newspapers are definitively losing out to radio and television (and radio is losing to television) as preferred source of news. There is a high number of daily or weekly newspapers, there is one paper for every 28,000 people. Advertising, sales and subsidies are the three main methods of financing newspapers and magazines. However, most of the papers and magazines tied to institutions are subsidised by the same institutions, they depend on advertising or subsidies from their owners.

Music
Main article: Music of Malta
While Maltese music today is largely western, traditional Maltese music includes what is known as għana. This consists of background folk guitar music, while a few people, as a general rule men only, take it in turns to argue a point in a singsong voice. The aim of the lyrics, which are improvised, are to create a friendly yet challenging atmosphere, and it takes a number of years of practice to be able to combine the required artistic qualities with the ability to debate effectively.

Sports
Malta has its own national football stadium. It is generally noted that the population tends to be split half and half with regards to supporting Italy or England in sports games, due to the cultural affinities of the island.
Special activities
In the last decade the aviation sport of Microlight Flying has been introduced on the island by the Island Microlight Club. In under ten years there are a total number of twenty two microlight aircraft that operate out of the Malta International Airport.