Malta claims to be the historical Melita where Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked.
Malta -LRB- -LSB- ˈmɒltə -RSB- -LSB- ˈmɐltɐ -RSB- -RRB- , officially known as the Republic of Malta -LRB- Repubblika ta ' Malta -RRB- , is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea .. island country. island country. archipelago. archipelago. Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km south of Italy , 284 km east of Tunisia , and 333 km north of Libya .. Italy. Italy. Tunisia. Tunisia. Libya. Libya. The country covers just over 316 km2 , with a population of just under 450,000 , making it one of the world 's smallest and most densely populated countries .. smallest. Microstate. most densely populated. List of countries by population density. The capital of Malta is Valletta , which at 0.8 km2 , is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area .. European Union. European Union. Valletta. Valletta. smallest. Microstate. national capital. national capital. Malta has one national language , which is Maltese , and English as an official language .. Maltese. Maltese language. English. English language. national language. national language. official. state religion. Malta 's location in the middle of the Mediterranean has historically given it great strategic importance as a naval base , and a succession of powers , including the Phoenicians , Carthaginians , Greeks , Romans , Byzantines , Moors , Normans , Sicilians , Spanish , Knights of St. John , French and British , have ruled the islands .. Carthaginians. Ancient Carthage. Greeks. Greeks. Romans. Ancient Rome. Byzantines. Byzantine Greeks. Moors. Emirate of Sicily. Normans. County of Sicily. Sicilians. Kingdom of Sicily. Spanish. Habsburg Spain. Knights of St. John. Knights Hospitaller. French. French First Republic. British. British Empire. King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to Malta in 1942 for the country 's bravery in the Second World War .. United Kingdom. United Kingdom. King George VI. George VI. awarded the George Cross to Malta. award of the George Cross to Malta. Second World War. Second World War. George Cross. George Cross. The George Cross continues to appear on Malta 's national flag .. George Cross. George Cross. Under the Malta Independence Act , passed by the British Parliament in 1964 , Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom as an independent sovereign Commonwealth realm , officially known from 1964 to 1974 as the State of Malta , with Elizabeth II as its head of state .. United Kingdom. United Kingdom. Commonwealth realm. Commonwealth realm. British. British Empire. British Parliament. British Parliament. State of Malta. State of Malta. Elizabeth II. Elizabeth II. The country became a republic in 1974 , and although no longer a Commonwealth realm , remains a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations .. republic. republic. Commonwealth realm. Commonwealth realm. member state. Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. Commonwealth of Nations. Commonwealth of Nations. Malta was admitted to the United Nations in 1964 and to the European Union in 2004 ; in 2008 , it became part of the Eurozone .. European Union. European Union. United Nations. United Nations. Eurozone. Eurozone. Malta has a long Christian legacy and its Archdiocese of Malta is claimed to be an apostolic see because , according to Acts of the Apostles , St Paul was shipwrecked on `` Melita '' , now widely taken to be Malta .. Christian. Christian. Archdiocese of Malta. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta. apostolic see. apostolic see. Acts of the Apostles. Acts of the Apostles. St Paul. Paul the Apostle. Catholicism is the official religion in Malta .. Catholicism. Catholic Church. official. state religion. religion in Malta. religion in Malta. Malta is a popular tourist destination with its warm climate , numerous recreational areas , and architectural and historical monuments , including three UNESCO World Heritage Sites  : Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum , Valletta , and seven Megalithic Temples , which are some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world .. Valletta. Valletta. UNESCO World Heritage Sites. World Heritage Site. Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni. Megalithic Temples. Megalithic Temples of Malta