Malta (/ËmÉltÉ/ ; [ËmÉltÉ]), officially the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a Southern European island country comprising an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea.It lies 80 km (50 mi) south of Italy, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya.alta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI in 1942, for the country's bravery in the Second World War. The George Cross continues to appear on Malta's national flag.