<Li> ^ Also . eu, shared with other European Union member states </Li> <P> Coordinates: 35 ° 53 ′ N 14 ° 30 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 35.883 ° N 14.500 ° E ﻿ / 35.883; 14.500 </P> <P> Malta (/ ˈmɒltə, ˈmɔːl - / (listen); Maltese: (ˈmɐltɐ)), officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a Southern European island country consisting of 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 . Malta is one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries, at over 316 km (122 sq mi) with a population of about 475,000 . Its capital is Valletta, which is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area at 0.8 km . Its largest town is Birkirkara, while its chief economic centre is Sliema . The official languages are Maltese and English, with Maltese also recognised as the national language . Maltese is the only Semitic language to be officially recognised in the European Union . Italian is also spoken by most of the population . </P> <P> Malta has been inhabited since approximately 5900 BC . Its location in the centre of the Mediterranean has historically given it great strategic importance as a naval base, with a succession of powers having contested and ruled the islands, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights of St. John, French, and British . Most of these foreign influences have left some sort of mark on the country's ancient culture . </P>

Where is malta on the map of europe
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