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'''Malta''', officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta) and formerly Melita, is a Southern [[Europe|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]]. With a population of about 475,000 over an area of 316 km2 (122 sq mi), Malta is the world's tenth smallest country in area and fifth most densely populated sovereign country. Its capital is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valletta Valletta], which is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area at 0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi). The official and national language is Maltese, which is descended from Sicilian Arabic that developed during the Emirate of Sicily, while English serves as the second official language.

== Zones ==