Repubblika ta' Malta
Republic of Malta
Flag Coat of arms

Anthem: L-Innu Malti
("The Maltese Anthem")

Location of Malta (dark green)
– on the European continent (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (light green)
Capital Valletta (de facto)
35°53′N 14°30′E / 35.883, 14.5
Largest city Birkirkara
Official languages Maltese, English
Demonym Maltese
Government Parliamentary Republic
 -  President Edward Fenech Adami
 -  Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi
Independence  
 -  from the United Kingdom September 21, 1964 
 -  Republic December 13, 1971 
EU accession May 1, 2004
Area
 -  Total 316 km² (185th)
121 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 0.001
Population
 -  2007 estimate 410,290 (174th)
 -  2005 census 404,5001 
 -  Density 1,282/km² (7th)
3,339/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2007 estimate
 -  Total $9.396 billion (140th)
 -  Per capita $22,907 (38th)
GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate
 -  Total $5.39 billion (120th)
 -  Per capita $13,408 (35th)
HDI (2007) ▲0.878 (high) (34th)
Currency Euro (€)2Banks (EUR)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 -  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD .mt 3
Calling code +356
1 Total population includes foreign residents. Maltese residents population estimate at end 2004 was 389,769. All official population data provided by the NSO [2].
2Before 2008: Maltese lira
3 Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states.

Malta [ˈmɔːltə] (help·info), officially the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a small and densely populated European microstate island, comprising an archipelago of seven islands, three of which are inhabited. Situated in Southern Europe, 93 km (58 mi) off the coast of Sicily (Italy), it is located in the Mediterranean Sea, giving the country a warm, Mediterranean climate, while a further 288 km (179 mi) to the island's south is Libya.[1][2] The nation's de facto capital city is the historic Valletta.

Throughout much of its history, Malta has been considered a crucial strategic location due in large part to its position in the Mediterranean Sea.[3] It was held by several ancient cultures including Sicilians, Romans, Phoenicians, Byzantines and others. The island is commonly associated with the Knights of St. John who ruled it. This, along with the historic Biblical shipwreck of St. Paul on the island, ingrained the strong Roman Catholic legacy which is still the official and most practised religion in Malta today.

The country's official languages are Maltese and English, the latter a legacy from Malta's period as a British colony – the United Kingdom is the most recent outside ruling power. Malta gained independence in 1964 and is currently a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the European Union which it joined in 2004. Malta is a developed country with the 35th highest GDP per capita, the 28th-highest quality-of-life index, and the 34th-highest Human Development Index rating in the world.