Malta (/ˈmɒltə/), officially the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta, pronounced [rɛˈpʊbb.lɪ.kɐ ˈtɐ ˈmɐl.tɐ]), is a Southern European island country comprising an archipelago of a few islands in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km (50 mi) south of Sicily, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya. The country covers just over 316 km² (122 sq mi), with a population of around 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 km², is the smallest national capital in the European Union. Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English.