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The Republic of Malta is an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. Together, the islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino make up this Maltese archipelago.

Here’s a statistical snapshot of the Republic of Malta:

MALTA BY THE NUMBERS

• Gained independence from Great Britain in 1964
• 122 square miles
• Has three UNESCO sites

• More than 90 percent of the population is Roman Catholic
• Official languages are Maltese and English
• Capital is Valletta
• Became a member of the European Union in 2004

• Adopted euro currency in 2008
• Smallest member state in the European Union
• More than 1.7 million tourists visited in 2015
• Has more than 30 beaches and bays in the Maltese archipelago

• As of 2013, the population was 425,384: 94.1 percent were Maltese residents and 5.9 percent were foreigners
• As of 2014, 25,000 foreigners lived in Malta: nearly 6,600 were British and more than 1,000 were Somalis

Sources: The World Factbook, VisitMalta.com, Times of Malta, UNHCR