Malta
Information on Malta.
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (in Maltese Repubblika ta 'Malta, in English Republic of Malta), is an island country in southern Europe, a member of the European Union. It is an archipelago located in the Mediterranean, in the Malta channel, at 80 km from Sicily, 284 km from Tunisia and 333 km from Libya, including in the Italian physical region. With an extension of 315.6 km² it is one of the smallest and most densely populated states in the world. Its capital is Valletta and the most inhabited city is Birchircara. The main island is characterized by a large number of towns that, together with the capital, form a conurbation of 368 250 inhabitants.
The country has two official languages, Maltese and English. Italian, official language until 1934, is widespread, spoken correctly by more than 66% of Maltese.
During the course of history, the geographic position of Malta has given great importance to the archipelago, undergoing a succession of Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of Malta, French and English.
Malta is internationally known as a tourist resort, for leisure and especially for culture, given that there are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country: the capital Valletta, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and the megalithic temples. The entry into the European Union took place on 1 May 2004 and became a member of the Eurozone from 1 January 2008. Malta is also a member of the Commonwealth.
