By
Laura Sheridan
www.internationalliving.com
Once a year, every year, we at International
Living consider all of the different countries around the
globe to determine its Global Retirement Index, which ranks
and details the very best overseas retirement destinations
in the world.
To create our yearly survey, we first investigate
statistics on topics ranging from Real Estate to Special Benefits,
from Culture to Infrastructure, and from Climate to Health
Care, which come from official government websites and Interpol
data.
We use the statistics we have found as a
starting point for further research on the Internet. Next,
we move from the Internet to the streets…to hear the
real-life story. We ask our various correspondents and contributors
who are residing and spending time in various nations to review
our compiled data…and to give us the real scoop.
The heart of the Med
Malta, which is, in fact, twin islands of
Malta and Gozo, together promoted as "the heart of the
Mediterranean,” takes silver in this year’s Retirement
Index. Steeped in history and tradition, these small islands,
with near-perfect climates year-round, offer a simple, relaxed
lifestyle.
The cost of living remains low on these islands,
and permanent foreign residents can take advantage of a 15%
tax rate. Plus, property taxes don’t exist. Crime, too,
is practically non-existent. The locals are helpful and friendly—and
everyone speaks English. You can fill your days with golf,
tennis, sailing, and horse riding.
The climate and opportunities for recreation
should keep you fit and healthy, but, should you require medical
care, you’ll find yourself in good hands. The World
Health Organization ranks Malta 10th in the world for its
medical standards.
Don’t be embarrassed if you can’t
pinpoint Malta on a map. It’s not on everyone’s
radar. However, it’s tiny sister island of Gozo is even
less well-known. Only a mile of sea separates Malta from Gozo,
but the two islands are distinctly different, each appealing
to a different type of retiree. If you enjoy people, choose
Malta—this bursting-at-the-seams island is effectively
a city-state.
Home to about 30,000 inhabitants, a miniscule
26 square miles in size, tranquil Gozo, on the other hand,
provides a nostalgic escape. This is a world of deep-blue
seas and hidden coves…green fields and scattered windmills…church
spires and ancient, sleepy villages.
Home prices on Gozo are cheaper than in most
parts of Malta, but word is getting out about slow-paced Gozo.
Increasingly sought-after by foreign buyers, its flat-roofed,
honey-hued stone farmhouses today are changing hands for around
$150,000.
Malta—seven things you may not know:
1 |
Malta
has limited natural water resources—there are
no lakes or rivers, and most of the water used is desalinated. |
2 |
The University of
Malta is one of the oldest universities in the world,
founded in 1592. |
3 |
The Maltese drive
on the left, like the British, but a little more recklessly. |
4 |
The second-oldest
theater in Europe is the Manoel Theatre, in the capital
of Malta, Valletta. In the cooler months, October through
May, you can see opera, theater, music, and ballet there. |
5 |
Malta has perhaps
one of the best examples of a bilingual population in
Europe, with English and Maltese commonly spoken. Maltese
is fundamentally a Semitic language, but it’s
written using the Latin alphabet. |
6 |
Every Sept. 8, in
the Grand Harbor regatta is held to celebrate Malta’s
survival during the Great Siege of 1565, and, later,
World War II. There’s a brightly colored local
sea craft, parades, a water carnival, boat races, and
a fireworks display. |
7 |
Although the most
visible traces of Malta’s history date from 1800,
coinciding with the British occupation, and the 16th
century, the time of the Order of the Knights of St.
John, there is evidence of human life dating back 7,000
years on the islands. |
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