December 13 is Republic Day in Malta, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. Nearly twice the size of Washington, D.C., Malta was at one time owned by Great Britain. Malta is an archipelago, which is a group of islands. People live on only three of Malta's islands. Malta has very little freshwater, so salt must be removed from seawater to make it drinkable. Have you been to Malta? The Maltese economy depends on tourists like you.