Malta is a small and densely populated European microstate comprising an archipelago of seven islands, making it an island nation. Situated in Southern Europe, 93 km off the coast of Sicily (Italy), it is located in the Mediterranean Sea, giving the country a warm, Mediterranean climate, while a further 288 km to the island's west is Tunisia and about 300 km south is Libya. The nation's capital city is in practice the historic Valletta.
Malta's official languages are Maltese and English, although there are strong historical ties to the Italian language on the islands. The Malta landscape is characterised by low hills with terraced fields.
