Malta

American  

[mawl-tuh] / ˈmɔl tə /

noun

1. an island in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Africa. 95 sq. mi. (246 sq. km).

2. a former British colony consisting of this island and two small adjacent islands: now an independent sovereign state and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 122 sq. mi. (316 sq. km). Valletta.

---

Malta British  

/ ˈmɔːltə /

noun

1. a republic occupying the islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, in the Mediterranean south of Sicily: governed by the Knights Hospitallers from 1530 until Napoleon's conquest in 1798; French driven out, with British help, 1800; became British dependency 1814; suffered severely in World War II; became independent in 1964 and a republic in 1974; joined the EU in 2004; a member of the Commonwealth. Official languages: Maltese and English. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: euro (from January 2008 replacing the Maltese lira). Capital: Valletta. Pop: 411 277 (2013 est). Area: 316 sq km (122 sq miles)

---

Malta Cultural  

1. Republic in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily, made up of five small islands.

---

Discover More

Malta, strategically located, has belonged to a succession of civilizations, including the ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire. In 1800, the British established control of Malta, which, since its independence in 1964, has continued to maintain close ties with Britain.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Malta

Light morning rain boosted that outlook, though firefighters remained wary given previous flare-ups from smouldering embers in the devastated land, covering a bigger area than the island of Malta.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Within the cables, Giaka places Megrahi in Malta - where the bomb was said to have been planted - at a key time in the Lockerbie plot.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The aircraft - believed to have been an 18 year-old-plane - was operated by Ryanair's subsidiary Malta Air.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

The death of the popular journalist and blogger described as a "one-woman WikiLeaks" sparked outrage around the world and put Malta, the European Union's smallest member state, in the spotlight over its apparent rule-of-law failings.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Milo had been knighted, commissioned a major in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and named Assistant Governor-General of Malta because he had brought the egg trade there.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller