Malta is an island nation in Southern Europe that is situated in the Mediterranean Sea. Its official name is the Republic of Malta [14]. It is comprised of an archipelago spanning Libya, Tunisia, and Italy. It is located 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 80 km (50 mi) south of Sicily and Italy. English and Maltese, the only Semitic language recognized as official in both the European Union and a European nation, are the two official languages. Valletta serves as the nation’s capital.

Malta, with 316 km 2 (122 sq mi) of land and a population of approximately 519,000[8], is the tenth-smallest country by area[18][19] and the fifth most densely inhabited sovereign state. The smallest capital city in the European Union is Valletta, the capital of Malta.