- Population:
- 460,891
- Religion:
- Christianity
'Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. It''s a nation known for historic sites related to a succession of rulers including the Romans Moors Knights of Saint John French and British. It has numerous fortresses megalithic temples and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum a subterranean complex of halls and burial chambers dating to circa 4000 B.C.'
Great Britain formally acquired Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964; a decade later it declared itself a republic. Since about the mid-1980s the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point a financial center and a tourist destination while its key industries moved toward more service-oriented activities. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.
