Coordinates: 35°53′N 14°30′E / 35.883°N 14.500°E / 35.883; 14.500 Malta (/ˈmɒltə/; Maltese: [ˈmɐltɐ]), officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a Southern 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. The country covers just over 316 km (122 sq mi), with a population of just under 450,000, making it one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries. The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km, is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area. Malta has one national language, which is Maltese, and English as an official language.