Malta's unique 7000 years old cultural and historical heritage has left a visible mark on the Maltese landscape.  In fact, apart from Rome, Malta has the highest concentration of heritage sites. Maltese culture originates largely from the islands' history of domination and colonization by multiple foreign influences.
These include Arab, Norman, European and English influences together with the widespread prevalence of Roman Catholic Church. Malta became independent in 1964 and finally in 1974 it was granted Republic status. On 1st  May 2004, Malta was accepted as an EU Member State along with nine other countries.