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September 21 – Independence Day in Malta and Armenia

September 21, 2014

nPostednon September 21, 2014

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nTwonsmall nations – nations that are only about 1,700 miles (2,700 km)napart and within 5 degrees latitude of one another – celebratentheir Independence Days today.

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Maltandeclared its independence from Britain on this date in 1964. In thenearly morning hours, the Maltese flag had been raised at IndependencenArena, in Floriana—and the watching crowd cheered greatly. However,nit took more than a decade for Malta to become really, trulynindependent when—on March 31, 1979—British troops and thenRoyal Navy withdrew from Malta.

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nArmeniandeclared its independence from the Soviet Union (USSR) in August ofn1990. Although (as is common) the mere declaration did not ensurenindependence, the Soviet Union was beginning to break apart. InnAugust of 1991, a group of communists tried to take control of thenSoviet government and oust then-president Gorbachev, and shortlynafter that, Armenians held a referendum about whether or not tonsecede from the USSR. The people voted overwhelmingly to leave the union on thisndate in 1991, and by December of that year the USSR had entirely dissolved.

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nMaltanand Armenia are very different from one another. Malta is a warmnisland nation in the Mediterranean Sea. With more than 4,000 peoplenper square mile, it’s one of the most densely populated nations onnearth.

nMalta has a very strategic location between Europe, Asia, andnAfrica, so it was invaded and ruled by many different powers duringnits tumultuous past. But it was also a center of trading and, now,ntourism.

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nArmenia,non the other hand, is as far from being an island nation as possible,nsince it is landlocked and has no direct access to any sea or ocean!nIt is a mountainous country with dry, sunny summers and cold, snowynwinters. It is far less densely populated (only about 260 people pernsquare mile). Armenians, too, have been invaded and absorbed intonempires, including the Ottoman, Persian, and Russian empires, andnmany Armenians were victims of genocide. Today, there are about 8nmillion Armenians living in the various countries of the world, andnthere are only about 3 million Armenians still living in Armenia! n

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nHerenare a few special things about each nation:

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ThenMegalithic Temples of Malta were considered, until recently, to benthe oldest free-standing structures on earth, built between 3000 BCEnand 700 BCE. (Now they are the second oldest, I guess…)

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nArmenianis often called the “first Christian nation,” because it adoptednChristianity as a state religion around 301 C.E.
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nThensmallest of Malta’s three islands is Comino. It is uninhabited othernthan one hotel, and cars are not allowed. Blue Lagoon is its biggestnattraction. n

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Armenia’snDebed Canyon features two monasteries and lots of little villagesnwith old forts and churches. There are khachkars (stonencrosses) everywhere.

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