Research Project: History of Malta

Edit: 01/31/2010 Pictures added

History of Malta -- interactions with other countries and cultures;

defining national moments; Mediterranean? European?; role of Catholic
church; architecture; etc. plus current population demographics

Maltese Demographics:

The country of Malta consists of the three inhabited islands

of Malta, Gozo and Comino although it should be noted that there are quite a few more

islands that are significantly smaller and uninhabited. The islands are formed from the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and Northern Africa.

Population: ~400,000 (extremely high population density at only 121 square miles)

Capital: Valletta (~half the population of Malta)

Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic 91-98%

Primary Ethnic Groups: Maltese with th

e seco

nd most population being British

Currency: The Euro (~1.36 USD: 1 Euro)

Current Maltese Flag:

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

The Maltese flag (1) was adopted September 21, 1964, the same day as Malta’s independence from Great Britain (2). The vertical white and red colors have their origins from the badge of the Knights of St. John (3)

When researching the Maltese flag, picture (4) came up on many occasions and you will notice the 4 white

arrows pointing to the center, a clear reference to the badge of the Knights of St. John(3).

Architecture:

http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=FA3UPqX-b14

After watching the aerial fly-through of Vall

etta, the capital city of Malta, it is clear that some type of limestone dominates the architectural layout of the buildings. The buildings here are very monochromatic and demonstrate the Baroque style found in Rome, Italy. The Baroque styl

e is characteristic of high ceilings, minute details and the most common shape of choice is the oval. To demonstrate these styles please note the pictures below of St. Johns Co-Cathedral located in Valletta, Malta. This cathedral exemplifies the Baroque style and was built in the late 16^th century following the establishment of the Knights of Malta.

The Roman Catholic Church took to this style

of architecture due to its larger than life feel, creating an awe-inspiring display of craftsmanship commitment to the smallest of details.

With the peaceful takeover by the British at the onset of the 19^th century, the style of architecture shifted away from the High Baroque style to a more “modern” style of neoclassical. Simply put, the lavish and dramatic architectural style of the Baroque era gave way to a more symmetrical, simple (by comparison), and calm architectural appearance of the neoclassical era brought from the British. One thing to note here is the differences are far more profound on the inside of the building as opposed to the façade or outside of the

building. To the untrained eye, these styles look similar but once you enter the building the architectural differences should become clear and distinct. A neoclassical example is provided below using the Rotunda of St. Marija Assunta (also referred to as “The Mosta Dome”) (5). This style is clearly an imitation of the world famous Pantheon of Rome, Italy (6).

(5) (6)

Sources:

Demographics

http://www.fact-index.com/d/de/demographics_of_malta.html

Flag Information

http://www.worldflags101.com/m/malta-flag.aspx

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/europe/malta.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Malta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venerable_Order_of_Saint_John

Architecture

http://www.airmalta.com/baroque_malta?l=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA3UPqX-b14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Co-Cathedral

http://www.victorborg.com/html/architecture_malta___gozo.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotunda_of_Mosta

http://www.mmdtkw.org/RT04-Pantheon.html

http://www.crystalinks.com/romepantheon.html

Research Progress Report #1 Engineering in Turkey

For my country based research project I am going to take an in depth look at how the history of Turkey and its attempt at assimilation into the culture of Europe, has influenced the formation of engineering practices.

In large part the formation of Turkey's engineering education was in response to the Ottoman Empire's loss of power as the nations of Europe rose in world power in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The French model of engineering highly influenced the blueprint of Turkish engineering, for example French became a required language in the military schools! After World War I the Ottoman lands were divided among the nations of Europe, increasing Europe's influence on Turkey. However soon after Turkey fought for its Independence and became the first republic in the Middle East in 1923. Quickly moving through its history, after World War II, the number of engineering students in Turkey continued to grow and therefore more and more universities were being established. One specific term I will be discussing in this project in the concept of liberalization. In the 1970's Turkey experienced one of its worst economic crisis, which included high inflation and unemployment rates. However what occurred consequently benefited the country exponentially. The government began a process of liberalizing the economy, which meant the economic focus became exporting instead of importing. The results of this shift in focus included, modernization in infrastructure (bridges, roads, etc. which calls for more engineers!) and an explosion of universities. These historical events play a prominent role in the development of engineering education. Turkey was prompted by Europe to engage in advancement for its engineers, but was also highly influenced by European methods, especially the French.

Another unique characteristic of engineering practices in Turkey is the inclusion of women in the engineering work force. After the establishment of the Republic, the government installed a series of legislation to "modernize" Turkey and the head of the country thought that reforms which gave women more rights was crucial. This not only paved the way for women in engineering but, began with a series of legislation to give women social rights. By 1930 women were given full political rights.

The European influence on Turkey has led the country to apply for acceptance into the European Union. Turkey's history as a former territory of the multiethnic Ottoman Empire sets it apart from the rest of its primary Islamic neighbors and its possible assimilation into the European Union would set it apart even more. I would like to examine how Europe influenced Turkey's engineering practices and how its movement towards European practices affects society as well. Turkey is a unique case because its engineering history includes the progressive notion of advancement of women in the field of engineering, which sets it a part from the engineering model of Europe. In an article by IEEE Technology and Society Magazine 2006, they examine "how the emergence of the engineering profession in different locations in the world tends to depend upon local ideas of societal development and progress…Because distinct images of progress are taken up within different countries, becoming key features of national identities, the emergence of the engineering profession becomes a key constituent feature of emerging nation states" (9). Therefore in this report I will look at how the engineering practices of Turkey have been formed by a conglomeration of ideas from Turkish society but also those of European societies. I will look into the question of whether this mix of engineering practices has addressed the needs of the Turkish people or whether it was simply a replication of that which was done in Europe.

Tantekin-Ersolmaz, S. Birgul and Ekinci Ekrem. "Engineering and Education Practices in Turkey" IEEE Society and Technology Magazine. Summer 2006: 26-35.