Malta

Valletta serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Malta, positioned in Southern Europe. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Birkirkara, Qormi, Mosta — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Valletta is the smallest capital city in the EU and possibly the most historically dense — its 320 metres by 600 metres fortified peninsula contains co-Cathedrals, the Grand Master's Palace, and dozens of baroque churches built by the Knights of St John between 1530 and 1798, creating a UNESCO World Heritage streetscape where every alley opens onto a view that would anchor most European cities' entire old town.

With a population of approximately 530,000, Malta is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Maltese, English, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Malta is reached via the dialling code +356. Maltese people developed one of the world's most unusual languages — Maltese (Malti) is the only Semitic language written in Latin script and an EU official language, evolving from medieval Arabic left by Arab rulers of 870-1091 AD and subsequently absorbing Sicilian, Italian, and English vocabulary in a linguistic stratification that traces Malta's succession of rulers without fully belonging to any of them.

Malta spans 316 km², in the Southern Europe subregion of Europe. Geographically centred around 35.9°N, 14.4°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the left-hand rule, in line with surrounding Europe convention.

The official currency is the euro (€), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Malta's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+01:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Malta's national identity. Football is Malta's primary sport, competing in UEFA qualifiers as one of Europe's smallest football nations — the national team's draw against Czechoslovakia in a 1975 World Cup qualifier remains the most celebrated result in Maltese football history — while water polo in the Mediterranean's warm waters and diving on the island's offshore reefs reflect a maritime sporting culture as natural as football on an island.

The highest point in Malta is Ta' Dmejrek, rising to 253 metres above sea level. The Maltese Islands' Blue Lagoon on Comino Island, the Azure Window sea arch (collapsed in 2017), and the clear visibility of the Mediterranean Sea above prehistoric Ġgantija temples on Gozo — older than Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids — place Malta in the extraordinary position of having some of Europe's oldest above-ground human structures on islands with some of its clearest coastal waters.