The Republic of Malta is an island country member of the European Union (EU), densely populated, consisting of an archipelago and located in the center of the Mediterranean. Its location which puts it between Italy to the North, Tunisia to the East, and Libiya to the South – provides an enviable crossroads for global shipping routes. Since 1964 it is independent and has joined the EU in 2004. In 2011 (at the last official census), the country had a population of 452,215 inhabitants with a population density of 1,431 habitants per km2, the highest among the countries of the European Union.
