Malta is in the European Union and is the largest of the three major islands that constitute the Maltese archipelago. Malta is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea directly south of Italy and north of Libya. The island is 27 kilometres (17 mi) long and 14.5 kilometres (9 mi) wide, with a total area of 246 square kilometres (95 sq mi). The capital is Valletta.
The island is made up of many small towns, which together form one larger urban zone with a population of 442,062. The landscape is characterized by low hills with terraced fields.