Right above eastern Tunisia and under southern Italy rises a land that was a much-sought jewel by almost every empire and major civilization that’s ever existed: from the Greeks to the Normans, from the Romans to the Byzantines, from the Phoenicians to Napoleon’s France.

We are talking about Malta, a Mediterranean archipelago with one of the richest histories of its region. Its privileged location, its heavenly beaches, and its cultural mix makes it one of the top tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.

Going along Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua, known as the “three cities,” which have been inhabited since the Phoenician times and saw the birth of the Order of the Knights of Malta; a tour to the captivating Hypogeum, with all of its archeological wonders, or submerging in the beaches of Golden Bay, are just one of the few drivers of tourists, and culture-savvy expats to the island.

It’s not a coincidence that Malta is known as an open-air museum where you can travel through its ancient history, follow the footsteps of St. Paul, and of the Crusaders that shaped the island, all while moving around a tech-savvy country with a vibrant expat community.

What if we told you that all this also comes with a thriving, hungry for investment economy that offers plenty of tax optimizations possibilities? Add to that the fact that Malta has the most prestigious CBI program on the planet, world-renowned financial services, and a diversified, tech-savvy, service-oriented economy.

And that’s just the beginning. What if we also told you in Mundo, we work with the finest experts for CBI and RBI programs in Malta?

Due to its geostrategic position, Malta has always been in the sight of major empires. The country has an Ancient history of Greek, Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Roman presence. Afterward, during the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the Byzantine Empire, then by the Ottoman Empire, the Norman Empire, and the Crown of Aragon. During this period, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, gave the islands to the Knights Hospitaller, a formerly military religious order now known as the Knights of Malta.

The Knights shaped modern Malta. They built its capital, Valletta, under advanced architectonical planning, and said it would be a city for gentlemen, by gentlemen, and incorporated it into the Renaissance culture.

But they also lost the archipelago, this time, against Napoleon’s army in 1798. Afterward, they were given to the UK as part of the Treaty of Paris. The UK possessed the islands from the early 19th Century through 1964, when it officially became an independent state. Despite this tumultuous history, the country has been a stable democratic state for all its recent history. Malta is both a member of the Commonwealth and the European Union, which means that, along with Cyprus, it is the only country that is a member of both organizations.

However, the country is an EU member since 2004 and has a diversified, high-tech, and service-oriented technology. The country has implemented one of the most successful and prestigious RBI and CBI programs in the world since 2014, and that’s why many of Mundo’s clients are genuinely interested in this small archipelago.

To understand the potential and diversification of the Maltese economy, a quick look at its top exports will give you a sneak-peek: Integrated circuits, refined petroleum, packaged medicaments, stuffed animals, and low-voltage protection equipment. All these exports require a high degree of expertise and high-tech industry, meaning that for its size, Malta is playing in the big leagues. It’s not a coincidence that Singapore, China, Germany, and Hong Kong are among Malta’s top business partners.

Malta has a population of 494,000 stuffed in 312 sq km. That means Luxembourg is eight times larger and that Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It’s composed of three main islands: Malta (where the capital, Valletta, is located), Gozo, and Comino.

The islands have a Mediterranean temperate climate, with long, dry summers perfect for beach days, and short winters. During the winter, it is rare that the temperature falls under 5 ºC, which means that outdoor activities can be conducted throughout the whole year. That’s beneficial for tourism, which is still one of the drivers of Malta’s economy.