Flag of Malta

Last updated

Republic of Malta
Flag of Malta.svg
Use National flag and state and naval ensign
Proportion2:3
Adopted21 September 1964;60 years ago (1964-09-21)
DesignA vertical bicolour of white and red with the representation of the George Cross edged in red on the upper hoist-side corner of the white band.
Civil Ensign of Malta.svg
Use Civil ensign
DesignA red field with a white border, and a white Maltese cross in the center.
National flag of Malta alongside the flag of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Maltese flags.jpg
National flag of Malta alongside the flag of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

The flag of Malta (il-bandiera ta' Malta) is a bicolour, with white in the hoist and red in the fly. A representation of the George Cross, awarded to Malta by George VI in 1942, is carried, edged with red, in the canton of the white stripe. [1] The flag was first recognized in May of 1952. [2]

Contents

Design

Construction sheet

Flag of Malta (construction sheet).svg

Colours

The red hue in the Maltese flag is officially documented as Pantone 186 C, RGB (207,20,43), Hex #CF142B or Spot Colour - 50% rubine red • 50% warm red. [3]

The constitution of Malta also states that the white side must be on the hoist pole while the red side must be "in the fly". [4]

Tradition states that the colours of the flag were given to Malta by Roger I of Sicily in 1091. Roger's fleet landed in Malta on the completion of the Norman conquest of Sicily. [5] It is said that local Christians offered to fight by Roger's side against the Arab defenders. In order to recognize the locals fighting on his side from the defenders, Roger reportedly tore off part of his chequered red-and-white flag. [6] However, this story has been debunked as a 19th-century myth, [7] possibly even earlier due to Mdina, Malta's old capital, associating its colours with Roger's in the late Middle Ages. [8]

The white and red standard was reportedly used by Maltese insurgents during a rebellion against French occupation in September 1798. [9]

The flag of the Knights of Malta, a white cross on a red field, [10] was a more likely source of the Maltese colours, inspiring the red and white shield used during the British colonial period. [7] The flag used by the knights was also known to be the oldest still-in-use national flag. [11] [12] The blue canton present in the 1943 to 1964 version of the flag was removed after Maltese independence, with the George cross instead given a red fimbriation. [13]

The George Cross

The George Cross (National War Museum, Malta) George Cross Malta P1440218.jpg
The George Cross (National War Museum, Malta)

The George Cross originally appeared on the flag placed on a blue canton (see List of flags of Malta). The flag was changed on 21 September 1964 with Malta's independence when the blue canton was replaced by a red fimbriation, the intention being that the Cross appear less prominent. His Majesty King George the Sixth bestowed the George Cross to Malta on April 15, 1942. [14] in recognition of its courageousness during World War II. [15] [6] The symbol was later officially added to the Maltese flag on 28 December 1943 [16] despite symbolism being in circulation between April 1942 and December 1943 depicting the flag. [17]

Campaign

Every few years, the debate to remove the George Cross from the national flag comes up. In 1975 an act passed in parliament allowing the George Cross to be removed by a simple parliament majority [18] with the reasoning being that the cross ties Malta to its turbulent, colonial past. [19] [7] A campaign on social media in 2013 further emphasized this point, coming up with an alternative of replacing it with the Maltese cross. [20] [21]

Critics of the George Cross argue that the George Cross ties Malta to its Colonial history, and that no other nation has a military award on its national flag. Arguments in favour of keeping the George Cross on the national flag argue that the George Cross shows Maltese strength and determination during World War II.

In spite of the campaign, the removal of the George Cross from the Maltese Flag has been met with pushback by some members of the population. [22]

Civil ensign

The civil ensign shows a red field, bordered white and charged with a blank Maltese cross. It is also known as the Merchant's flag [23] and/or the maritime flag of Malta. [24] [25] [15]

Historical flags of Malta

A Graphical History of the Maltese Flag

History of the Maltese Flag.webp

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Jack</span> Flag of the United Kingdom

The Union Jack or Union Flag is the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. The flag continues to have official status in Canada, by parliamentary resolution, where it is known as the Royal Union Flag. However, it is commonly referred to in Canada as the Union Jack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Greece</span>

The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the Blue-and-White or the Cyan-and-White, is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has 5 equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolises Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The blazon of the flag is Azure, four bars Argent; on a canton of the field a Greek cross throughout of the second. The official flag ratio is 2:3. The shade of blue used in the flag has varied throughout its history, from light blue to dark blue, the latter being increasingly used since the late 1960s. It was officially adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus on 13 January 1822.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of New Zealand</span>

The flag of New Zealand, also known as the New Zealand Ensign, is based on the British maritime Blue Ensign – a blue field with the Union Jack in the canton or upper hoist corner – augmented or defaced with four red stars centred within four white stars, representing the Southern Cross constellation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Prince Edward Island</span>

The flag of Prince Edward Island consists of a golden lion passant on a red field in the upper portion and a white field charged with three oak saplings and a large oak tree on a green island in the bottom portion. This is bordered on three edges other than the hoist by a fimbriation of alternating red and white rectangles. Adopted in 1964 in the run-up to the Canadian Centennial, it has been the flag of the province since March 24 of that year. It is a banner of arms modelled after the province's coat of arms. When flown with the flags of other Canadian provinces and the national flag, it is eighth in the order of precedence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Ghana</span>

The national flag of Ghana consists of a horizontal triband of red, yellow, and green. It was designed in replacement of the British Gold Coast's Blue Ensign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Kenya</span>

The flag of Kenya is a tricolour of black, red, and green with two white edges imposed with a red, white and black Maasai shield and two crossed spears. The flag is mainly based on that of Kenya African National Union and was officially adopted on 12 December 1963 after Kenya's independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Mozambique</span>

The national flag of Mozambique is a horizontal tricolour of green, black, and gold with white fimbriations and a red isosceles triangle at the hoist. The triangle is charged with a five-pointed gold star in its center, above which there is a bayonet-equipped AK-47 crossed by a hoe, superimposed on an open book. The colours and symbols of the flag represent different aspects of the Mozambican people and their war of independence. The current design, adopted on 1 May 1983, is defined in Mozambique's constitution, and regulations regarding the flag's use are outlined in decree no. 47/2006, titled State Protocol Standards. The current Mozambican flag is a modified version of the first flag of FRELIMO, which has governed the country since its independence from Portugal on 25 June 1975. Since the democratisation of Mozambique in 1990, there have been calls to change the flag, particularly to remove the AK-47.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Ensign</span> Flags used in Royal Navy vessels

The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign because of the simultaneous existence of a crossless version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field, identical to the flag of England except with the Union Flag in the upper canton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Malta</span>

The coat of arms of Malta is the national coat of arms of the country of Malta.

The island nation of Malta has a variety of national flags and symbols, some current and some no longer in use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Patrick's Saltire</span> Red saltire on a white field

Saint Patrick's Saltire or Saint Patrick's Cross is a red saltire on a white field. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned argent, a saltire gules. Saint Patrick's Flag is a flag composed of Saint Patrick's Saltire. The origin of the saltire is disputed. Its association with Saint Patrick dates from the 1780s, when the Anglo-Irish Order of Saint Patrick adopted it as an emblem. This was a British chivalric order established in 1783 by George III. It has been suggested that it derives from the arms of the powerful Geraldine or FitzGerald dynasty. Some Irish nationalists and others reject its use to represent Ireland as a "British invention" "for a people who had never used it".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of New England</span>

New England has no official flag. However, there have been many historical or modern banners used to represent the region in its history. While there are some variations, common designs include a plain colored field with a pine tree in the canton. The eastern white pine is the most common and prominent symbol of New England and is featured on many of the region's flags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta–United Kingdom relations</span> Bilateral relations

Malta–United Kingdom relations are foreign relations between Malta and the United Kingdom. The two countries share membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and shared membership of the European Union until 31 January 2020 when the UK withdrew from the bloc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Sabah</span> Flag of the Malaysian state of Sabah

The flag of Sabah, a state of Malaysia, was adopted on 16 September 1988. It is red, white and three different shades of blue. The mountain is in the canton as in the 1963 flag, but now in dark blue on a light blue background. The field is medium blue over white over red. The mountain shown on the flag is Mount Kinabalu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Colony of Malta</span> British colony in Europe from 1813 to 1964

The Crown Colony of the Island of Malta and its Dependencies was the British colony in the Maltese islands, today the modern Republic of Malta. It was established when the Malta Protectorate was transformed into a British Crown colony in 1813, and this was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. The colony gained independence in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag and coat of arms of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta</span> Flag of the Knights Hospitaller and Jerusalem

The flag and coat of arms of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, or the Jerusalem flag, display a white cross on a red field, ultimately derived from the design worn by the Knights Hospitaller during the Crusades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the East India Company</span> Historical flag

The flag of the East India Company was used to represent the East India Company, which was chartered in England in 1600. The flag was altered as the nation changed from England to Great Britain to the United Kingdom. It was initially a red and white striped ensign with the flag of England in the canton. The flag displayed in the canton was later replaced by the flag of Great Britain and then the flag of the United Kingdom, as the nation developed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Christian flags</span> Field of vexiological history

The history of Christian flags encompasses the establishment of Christian states, the Crusader era, and the 20th century ecumenical movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand White Ensign</span> Flag used by the Royal New Zealand Navy

The New Zealand White Ensign is a naval ensign used by ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from 1968. Based on the Royal Navy's White Ensign, it features the Southern Cross from the New Zealand national flag in place of the Saint George's Cross. One of the earliest flags associated with the country, that used by the United Tribes of New Zealand, was a white ensign. This was replaced by the Union Flag when New Zealand became a British colony. A blue ensign with the Southern Cross was introduced for ships of the colonial government in 1867 and this soon became a de facto national flag. Ships in New Zealand naval service wore the Royal Navy's White Ensign until 1968 when the distinct New Zealand White Ensign was introduced. The ensign was implemented out of a desire to distinguish New Zealand vessels from those of the Royal Navy and this decision is regarded as an important step in the development of the RNZN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand</span>

The flag now known as the flag of theUnited Tribes of New Zealand or Te Kara is a flag originally designed by Henry Williams to represent the New Zealand Church Missionary Society. It was adopted as a national flag by a group of rangatira in 1834 and is today more closely associated with the Māori people.

References

  1. "LEĠIŻLAZZJONI MALTA". legislation.mt. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  2. Murphy, Philip (2013). Monarchy and the End of Empire: The House of Windsor, the British Government, and the Postwar Commonwealth. OUP Oxford. ISBN   978-0-19-921423-5.
  3. Gonzi, Lawrence (2008). Graphical Specifications for the National Flag of Malta (in Maltese). Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. p. 2.
  4. Mifsud, Ivan (2022-03-21). Constitutional Law in Malta. Kluwer Law International B.V. ISBN   978-94-035-4430-4.
  5. Rudolf, Uwe Jens; Berg, Warren G. (2010-04-27). Historical Dictionary of Malta. Scarecrow Press. p. 94. ISBN   978-0-8108-7390-2.
  6. 1 2 Nevins, Debbie; Sheehan, Sean; Yong, Jui Lin (2019-07-15). Malta. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. ISBN   978-1-5026-4749-8.
  7. 1 2 3 "Flags, Symbols, & Currencies of Malta". WorldAtlas. 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  8. Gaul, Simon (2007). Malta, Gozo and Comino [ permanent dead link ]. New Holland Publishers. p. 25. ISBN   1860113656.
  9. Hardman, William (1909). A history of Malta during the period of the French and British occupations, 1798–1815. London: Longmans, Green & Co. p. 114.
  10. Guillet (sieur.) (1705). The Gentleman's Dictionary: In Three Parts. Viz. I. The Art of Riding the Great Horse ... II. The Military Art ... III. The Art of Navigation ... H. Benwicke ... T. Goodwin, M. Wotton, B. Tooke ... and S. Manship.
  11. Strickland, Adrian (1997). "The vexillological heritage of the Knights of Saint John in Malta" (PDF). Proceedings of the XVII International Congress of Vexillology.
  12. Bamford, Paul Walden (1964). "The Knights of Malta and the King of France, 1665-1700". French Historical Studies. 3 (4): 429–453. doi:10.2307/286150. ISSN   0016-1071. JSTOR   286150.
  13. Smith, Whitney (August 11, 2011). "flag of Malta | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  14. Office, Great Britain Colonial (1963). Malta Independence Conference, 1963. H.M. Stationery Office.
  15. 1 2 Sheehan, Sean (2000). Malta. Marshall Cavendish. p. 34. ISBN   978-0-7614-0993-9.
  16. Mallia, Amy (April 15, 2022). "The Story Of Malta And The George Cross". Lovin Malta. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  17. Bonnici, Alfred (August 2004). "Lord Gort's air mail letter to the U. K. (1942) & the George Cross on Malta stamps & flag".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. Xuereb, Charles (February 23, 2019). "75 years of the George Cross on the flag - do we still need a Colonial war medal?". Times of Malta . Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  19. Xuereb, Charles (September 1, 2022). "Republican Malta is still not colonially free". Malta Today. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  20. "Campaign wants George Cross replaced by the Maltese Cross on the flag". Times of Malta. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  21. "George Cross controversy". Times of Malta. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  22. "Removing the George Cross from the flag would be 'absurd'". Times of Malta. 2019-03-17. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  23. "Flags, Symbols and their uses". www.gov.mt. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  24. Harwood, Stephenson (2006). Shipping finance (3rd ed.). London: Euromoney Books. p. 400. ISBN   978-1-84374-460-3. OCLC   826658118.
  25. Inc, IBP (2013). Malta Recent Economic and Political Developments Yearbook Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments. Lulu.com. ISBN   978-1-4330-6350-3.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  26. Holden, Edward Singleton (1906). Our Country's Flag, and the Flags of Foreign Countries ... D. Appleton and Company.
  27. Paper trail retraces a 400-year-old murder