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The country's official languages are Maltese and English, although there are strong historical ties to the Italian language on the islands. Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and is currently a member of the European Union which it joined in 2004.

Gozo (Maltese: Għawdex). Compared to its neighbour island, Gozo is more rural and known for its scenic hills, which feature on its coat of arms.

A popular nickname of Gozo is the Isle of Calypso, derived from the location of Ogygia in Greek mythological poem Homer's Odyssey. In the myth, the island was controlled by nymph Calypso who detained the hero of the story Odysseus there as prisoner of love for seven years; Gozo is thought to be modern day Ogygia.

The island itself has a population of around 31,000 people (all of Malta combined has 402,000), and its inhabitants are known as Gozitans (Maltese: Għawdxin). It is rich in historical locations such as the Ġgantija temples, which are the world's oldest free-standing structures, as well as the world's oldest religious structures.