Malta is a Tier II nation in the Mediterranean Sea, located south of Sicily, Italy. It can form the 
Knights Hospitaller and the 
European Union. It is usually relatively left alone except for when nations need a source of money, a base, or a formable.
Background
Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta and formerly Melita, is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km (50 mi) south of Italy, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya. With a population of about 515,000 over an area of 316 km2 (122 sq mi), Malta is the world's tenth smallest country in area and fourth most densely populated sovereign country. Its capital is Valletta, which is the smallest national capital in the European Union by area at 0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi). The official and national language is Maltese, which is descended from Sicilian Arabic that developed during the Emirate of Sicily, while English serves as the second official language. Italian and Sicilian also previously served as official and cultural languages on the island for centuries, with Italian being an official language in Malta until 1934 and a majority of the current Maltese population being at least conversational in the Italian language.
Malta has been inhabited since approximately 5900 BC. Its location in the centre of the Mediterranean has historically given it great strategic importance as a naval base, with a succession of powers having contested and ruled the islands, including the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of St. John, French, and British. Most of these foreign influences have left some sort of mark on the country's ancient culture.
Malta became a British colony in 1813, serving as a way station for ships and the headquarters for the British Mediterranean Fleet. It was besieged by the Axis powers during World War II and was an important Allied base for operations in North Africa and the Mediterranean. The British parliament passed the Malta Independence Act in 1964, giving Malta independence from the United Kingdom as the State of Malta, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and queen. The country became a republic in 1974. It has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations since independence, and joined the European Union in 2004; it became part of the eurozone monetary union in 2008.
Malta has had Christians since the time of Early Christianity, though was predominantly Muslim while under Arab rule, at which time Christians were tolerated. Muslim rule ended with the Norman invasion of Malta by Roger I in 1091. Today, Catholicism is the state religion, but the Constitution of Malta guarantees freedom of conscience and religious worship.
Base Statistics
Economy
Malta's starting income is only $124,550 which makes it hard to maintain a large army.
Resources
Malta produces no resources.
Military
Malta has a manpower gain of 156 with a cap of 60,000.
| Base Manpower Capacity of Malta per Conscription Law | |
|---|---|
| The following columns below present the manpower capacity from lowest (Disarmed) to highest (Required). RP stands for "Recruitable Population". | |
| Disarmed [1% RP] |
|
| Volunteer [2% RP] |
|
| Limited [5% RP] |
|
| Extensive [10% RP] |
|
| Required [25% RP] |
|
Population
Malta has a total population of 368,250.
Cities
Malta only has one city which is its capital, Valletta. It has a population of 368,250.
Terrain
Malta is all flat terrain, making it quick to move through. However, Malta is a small island, making this completely useless.
Resources
Malta produces no resources.
Threats
United Kingdom wanting you for the 
British Empire (RARE).
Tunisia may try to form 
Carthage. (RARE)
Kabylia attempting to form the 
Fatimid Caliphate. (RARE)
Aragon wanting to form the 
Crown of Aragon. (RARE)- Other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea wanting to conquer you simply for expanding (COMMON-UNCOMMON).
Strategy
In order to prevent a British or Italian invasion, you need to do the following:
Hold left shift on your only city and spawn 30k more troops (you should then have 50k)
Justify on 
Albania, then invade and annex it. Albania is a pretty easy nation to invade, given you have enough troops.
If 
Italy has justified on you now (they probably won't because they aren't interested in a small island, but they can), buy gold and 
Copper from other countries and build electronics factories. Buy some oil from 
Saudi Arabia or any other AI that has oil (10 units of 
Oil every turn is enough). Build 2 subs, given you have enough money from selling electronics. Switch to Nationalist ideology if you have enough political power. Then, Italy will probably have declared war on you. They probably have not checked your trades, and thus, in doing so, are thinking you don't have anything but a handful of troops. However, move your sub on top of your island and watch, as Italy's troops get demolished. If Italy realizes you are using submarines and decides to build frigates/destroyers, buy 100 
Steel units 1 time from a nation, and build a battleship immediately. DO NOT RUSH. Once your battleship is done, destroy their anti-submarine ships! The Italy player will probably soon rage quit or sue for peace, allowing you to survive. Once you have shown your dominance, Invade Tunisia and 
Libya.
