Malta is a sovereign nation in Southern Europe consisting of an archipelago of three small islands in the Mediterranean Sea- the main island Malta where most of the population lives, the rural and rustic Gozo, and uninhabited Comino with its famous Blue Lagoon. Malta’s location 80km south of Italy, 284km east of Tunisia, and 333km north of Libya gifts it with year-round warm weather and sunshine, and it enjoys excellent transport links by sea and air to continental Europe. A member of the United Nations and Commonwealth of Nations, Malta became independent from the United Kingdom in 1964 before declaring itself a republic in 1974 and later joining the European Union in 2004. Inhabited for millennia since approximately 5900 BC, Malta’s central location in the Mediterranean, along with its position at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, has historically given it great strategic importance and left it with a wealth of foreign influences, with a succession of powers having contested and ruled the islands including the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of St. John, French, and British, all of whom left their mark on Malta’s architecture, cuisine, and language. As such, Malta boasts an impressive history and ancient culture on par with or surpassing countries far greater in size, and remains the most attractive option for individuals wishing to obtain citizenship in a dynamic and wealthy European country.