Malta, an archipelago of three small islands right in the middle of the middle sea, the Mediterranean, has a population of around 400,000. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, yet can still boast of a unique, if small, countryside.

After Luxembourg it ranks as the smallest country in the EU. Its strategic location has given it a chequered history and no other country in the world has as wide a range of historical and archaeological sites compressed into such a small area.

The Island is 97% Roman Catholic and at least one church is visible from practically all over the island. Maltese is the language spoken by the inhabitants but English is also an official language and widely spoken.