described in the Book of Acts ( and ) as the place where Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked on his way to Rome, awaiting trial. Freedom House and the World Factbook report that 98% of the Maltese are Catholic (mostly Roman-rite, with a Byzantine-rite minority), making the nation one of the most Catholic countries in the world. Emigration Malta has long been a country of emigration, with big Maltese communities in English-speaking countries abroad as well as in France. Mass emigration picked up in the 19th century, reaching its peak in the decades after World War II. Migration was initially to north African countries (particularly Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt); later Maltese migrants headed towards the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. There is little trace left of the Franco-Maltese communities in north Africa, most of them having been displaced, after the rise of independence movements, to places like France (especially Marseille and the Riviera), the United Kingdom or Australia. The Franco-Maltese are culturally distinct from the Maltese from Malta, in that the former have remained attached to the use of the Italian language (often, but not always, alongside Maltese) as well as speaking French. Although migration has ceased to be a social phenomenon of significance there are still important Maltese communities in Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Emigration dropped dramatically after the mid-1970s and has since ceased to be a social phenomenon of significance. Since Malta joined the EU in 2004 expatriate communities emerged in a number of European countries particularly in Belgium and Luxembourg. Notable Maltese Individuals The following is an incomplete list of Maltese people who are historically significant or of particular importance to Maltese people. Pietru Caxaro (c. 1400 - 1485) – philosopher, poet, author of Il-Kantilena (oldest known poem in the Maltese language). Toni Bajada (c. 16th century) – spy, folk hero, participant in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. Ġlormu Cassar (c. 1520 - 1592) – architect, military engineer, involved in the construction of Valletta. Iacob Heraclid (c. 1527 - 1563) – soldier, usurper and despot of the Principality of Moldavia. Klement Tabone (c. 1575 - 1665) – member of the Maltese militia, land owner and participant in the Raid on Żejtun in 1614. Ġan Franġisk Abela (c. 1582 - 1655) – historian, author of Della Descrittione di Malta (1647). Lorenzo Gafà (c. 1639 - 1703) – Baroque