Malta (/ˈmɒltə/ (audio speaker iconlisten) MOL-tə, UK also /ˈmɔːltə/ MAWL-tə,[12] Maltese: [ˈmɐltɐ]), officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta [rɛˈpʊbːlɪkɐ tɐ ˈmɐltɐ]), is an island country in the European Union consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, and considered part of Southern Europe.[13] It lies 80 km (50 mi) south of Sicily (Italy), 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia,[14] and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya.[15] The official languages are Maltese and English, and 66% of the current Maltese population is at least conversational in the Italian language.