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| Republic of Malta Repubblika ta' Malta | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| Anthem: L-Innu Malti ("The Maltese Anthem") | ||||||
 Location of Malta (dark green) – within the European Union (light green) on the European continent (dark grey) | ||||||
| Capital | Valletta (de facto) 35°53′N 14°30′E / 35.883°N 14.5°E / 35.883; 14.5 | |||||
| Largest city | Birkirkara | |||||
| Official languages | Maltese, English | |||||
| Demonym | Maltese | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary Republic | |||||
| - | President | Eddie Fenech Adami | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Lawrence Gonzi | ||||
| - | President-elect | George Abela | ||||
| Independence | ||||||
| - | from the United Kingdom | September 21, 1964 | ||||
| - | Republic | December 13, 1974 | ||||
| EU accession | May 1, 2004 | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 316 km2 (185th) 121 sq mi | ||||
| - | Water (%) | 0.001 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2007 estimate | 410,290 (174th) | ||||
| - | 2005 census | 404,9621 | ||||
| - | Density | 1,298/km2 (7th) 3,391/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $9.894 billion[1] (137th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $23,908 [1] (IMF) (37th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $8.584 billion[1] (118th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $20.744 [1] (IMF) (28th) | ||||
| HDI (2006) | ▲0.894 (high) (36th) | |||||
| Currency | Euro (€)2Banks (EUR) | |||||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Drives on the | left | |||||
| 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), an island nation comprised of an archipelago of seven islands, is a small and densely populated developed European microstate in the European Union.[3][4][5] Situated in the Southern European areas of the Mediterranean sea, 93 km (58 mi) off the coast of Sicily (Italy), 288 km (179 mi) east of Tunisia and 300 km (186 mi) north of Libya, the islands enjoy a Mediterranean climate.[6][7] Malta's capital city is Valletta.
Throughout much of its history, Malta's location in the Mediterranean Sea has had strategic importance.[8] Malta was conquered and ruled by a sequence of powers including the Phoenicians, Romans, Fatimids, Knights of St John and English. Malta gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. It is currently a member of the European Union, which it joined in 2004. It is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations.
The island is commonly associated with the Knights Hospitaller, who ruled it from the 16th through the 18th centuries. According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul was shipwrecked on the island. Malta has a long legacy of Roman Catholicism and it continues to be the official and dominant religion in Malta.
The country's official languages are Maltese and English.
