Hype for the Future 49W: Malta, the Forgotten Island Nation

Though the Order of Malta and the Maltese nation may each serve complicated yet complementary stories, Maltese communications are very Arabized yet also very Christian, using effectively the same script as the Italian language. As a side effect, Maltese people write from left to right, rather than from right to left as in nearby Algeria 🇩🇿 or Tunisia 🇹🇳. Even the Maltese flag 🇲🇹 is quite interesting, sitting at the crossroads between Christianity ✝️ and Islam ☪️ and with strong Muslim heritage even despite being a relatively Christian nation.

Hype for the Future 49F: Southern Spain

Spain is located near the western edge of the Mediterranean Sea, as Portugal to the west is entirely located to the west of the Strait of Gibraltar. As such, much of Spanish identity is influenced by the Mediterranean, though interestingly the driest part of the Mediterranean region by geography. More typically associated with the Mediterranean region, of course, are nations such as Italy, Portugal, or Greece, though the Spanish presence on the Mediterranean is also of significance. Perhaps the most iconic of the influences south of Catalonia along the Mediterranean is the region including Valencia, as the regional culture is effectively continuous with the culture associated with the aforementioned Catalonia and even Occitania up into France further north.