Malta

Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km south of Italy, 284 km east of Tunisia and 333 km north of Libya. Malta is one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries, at over 316 km² with a population of about 475,000. Its capital is Valletta, which is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area at 0.8 km². Its largest town is Birkirkara, while its chief economic center is Sliema. The official languages are Maltese and English, with Maltese also recognized as the national language. Maltese is the only Semitic language to be officially recognized in the European Union. Italian is also spoken by most of the population.