Malta is the smallest member state of the European Union by total area, covering about 316 square kilometres.
The Republic of Malta is an island country in the central Mediterranean. Its principal inhabited islands are Malta, Gozo and Comino, along with smaller uninhabited islets. Valletta, on the main island, is the capital.
Malta joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, during the EU’s major enlargement that year. It adopted the euro in 2008, replacing the Maltese lira. English and Maltese are the country’s official languages, reflecting both its local history and British colonial past.
Luxembourg is the EU’s smallest member by some economic and geographic comparisons people sometimes use, but it is larger in area than Malta. Cyprus is also an island EU member, while Slovenia is a mainland European country; both have substantially greater territories.