Malta ( [ ˈmɒltə ] [ ˈmɐltɐ ] ) , officially known as the Republic of Malta ( Repubblika ta ' Malta ) , is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea . Malta has a long Christian legacy and its Archdiocese of Malta is claimed to be an apostolic see because , according to Acts of the Apostles , St Paul was shipwrecked on `` Melita '' , now widely taken to be Malta .
Malta claims to be the historical Melita where Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked.