Malta Flag

The flag of Malta has two equal sized vertical stripes. The left half of the flag is white and the right half is red. In the top corner of the left side there is a grey King George Cross which is outlined in red.

King George VI of Great Britain awarded the George Cross, a military award for gallantry, to Malta in 1942, in honor of Maltese heroism during the early years of World War II.

The Maltese flag was enacted on September 21, 1964. This also was the same day that Malta gained independence from Britain. The vertical white and red stripes of the flag of Malta have its beginning origins in the badge of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798. The colors have also been linked, without any historical evidence, to Count Roger I, who captured the island from the Muslims in 1090. There is quite often a reference to the "Maltese Cross”. However, this is in reference to Malta's flag for merchants which have a different shaped cross than the national flag which has a King George Cross on it. These are Malta’s flags. This flag can be flown both nationally and civilly by its citizens.

Malta is made up of three islands, Malta, Gozo, and Comino. In 850 BC, the Phoenicians took over Malta. In 395, Malta became a part of the Byzantine Empire. In 870, Islam was brought in by an Arab invasion. However, in 1091 Roger I, Norman king of Sicily, brought back Christian rule. In 1530, the Holy Roman Empire gave Malta to a group, the Knights Hospitallers. In 1565, these Knights won against a Turkish Siege. In 1814, Malta became a part of the British Empire, and with that became an important military base. During World War II, Germany and Italian bombed the islands. In 1942, King George VI gave Malta the George Cross for its Maltese resistance. In 1964, Malta gained its independence. In 1974, Malta became a republic. In 1979, the last British base closed. Tourism is a large part of the economy. The number of visitors each year is three times the population.

Individuals can find pictures or information on the Malta flag on any one of several websites available on the internet.