[vuh-let-uh] 
| a seaport in and the capital of Malta, on the NE coast. 14,049. |
[mawl-tuh] | 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. 379,365; 122 sq. mi. (316 sq. km). Capital: Valletta. |
| Val·let·ta (və-lět'ə) The capital of Malta, on the northeast coast of the main island. Dating to the 16th century, it contains many relics of the Knights of Malta. Population: 6,300. |
Republic in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily, made up of five small islands.
Note: 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.
ə