Malta is a small archipelago nation in the central Mediterranean Sea, roughly 93 kilometers south of Sicily. Despite covering only about 316 square kilometers, it holds some of the oldest freestanding stone structures on Earth and today ranks as the most densely populated country in the European Union.

Where Is Malta Located?

Malta sits in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and North Africa, historically a strategic crossroads between Europe and North Africa. The country comprises three main islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino.

Geography of Malta

Malta’s total land area is about 316 square kilometers, with a population of roughly 574,250 at the end of 2024, making it, according to Eurostat, the most densely populated country in the European Union at 1,766 people per square kilometer, more than three times the density of the next most crowded EU country. Density varies sharply even within Malta itself: the locality of Sliema reaches 17,539 people per square kilometer, while rural Ghasri on Gozo has just 103.

A Brief History of Malta

Between the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE, Malta’s inhabitants built a series of megalithic temple complexes, including Ggantija, Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, and Tarxien, which UNESCO describes as ranking among the earliest freestanding stone buildings in the world, older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Successive powers, including Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs, controlled the islands before the Order of St John ruled from 1530 to 1798. The Knights founded Valletta in 1566 after the Great Siege of 1565, building it, in UNESCO’s words, as an ideal creation of the late Renaissance, packing 320 monuments into just 55 hectares. A brief French period from 1798 to 1800 gave way to British rule from 1814. Malta became independent from Britain in 1964 and a republic in 1974.

Government and Economy

Malta is a republic with a single chamber parliament, a Cabinet led by the Prime Minister as head of government, and a President serving as ceremonial head of state. It joined the European Union in 2004, adopted the euro in 2008, and joined the Schengen area in 2007.

According to the World Bank, Malta’s GDP reached roughly 27.8 billion dollars in 2025, with GDP per capita around 47,900 dollars and growth of about 4 percent, among the strongest in the EU. Eurostat data places Malta’s per capita output above the EU average, even though its economy represents only about 0.1 percent of the bloc’s total GDP given its small population.

Culture and People

Maltese and English are Malta’s official languages, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. According to Malta’s National Statistics Office, the resident population was 574,250 at the end of 2024, about 70.6 percent Maltese citizens and 29.4 percent non-Maltese, with population growth driven almost entirely by net migration.

What Is Malta Known For?

Malta is best known for two things that both carry UNESCO World Heritage status: its megalithic temples, among the oldest standing stone structures anywhere, and the fortified capital city of Valletta, whose bastioned walls and skyline rising above the Grand Harbour form the image most consistently used to represent the country internationally. Within Valletta, St John’s Co-Cathedral holds particular renown as home to Caravaggio’s only signed work, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

Why Malta Matters

Malta matters as a living record of an unusually long and layered history concentrated into a very small space, from prehistoric temple builders through Phoenician, Roman, Arab, and Crusader era rule to a modern parliamentary republic fully integrated into the European Union, the eurozone, and the Schengen area. Its extreme population density, combined with a strategic Mediterranean location that has drawn outside powers for millennia, also makes it a useful case study in how small states adapt to constant geopolitical pressure.

Key Takeaways

• Malta is a small archipelago nation in the central Mediterranean comprising Malta, Gozo, and Comino, covering about 316 square kilometers.
• It is the most densely populated country in the European Union, at 1,766 people per square kilometer as of 2023.
• Its megalithic temples, built in the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE, rank among the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world.
• Valletta, founded in 1566 by the Knights of St John, is a UNESCO World Heritage capital city.
• Malta gained independence from Britain in 1964, became a republic in 1974, and joined the EU in 2004.

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Malta,” https://www.britannica.com/place/Malta
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “Megalithic Temples of Malta,” https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/132/
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “City of Valletta,” https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/131/
• European Union official portal, “Malta,” https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/eu-countries/malta_en
• European Commission/Eurostat, “Demography of Europe 2025,” https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/interactive-publications/demography-2025
• World Bank, Malta data, https://data.worldbank.org/country/malta
• NSO Malta, “World Population Day 2025,” https://nso.gov.mt/population/world-population-day-11-july-2025/
• Parliament of Malta, “Historical Background,” https://www.parlament.mt/en/menues/about-parliament/how-parliament-works/historical-background/

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed September 28, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue