Use | National flag and state and naval ensign |
---|---|
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | 21 September 1964 |
Design | A 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. |
Use | Civil ensign |
Design | A red field with a white border, and a white Maltese cross in the center. |
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]
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 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]
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]
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The history of Christian flags encompasses the establishment of Christian states, the Crusader era, and the 20th century ecumenical movement.
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.
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.
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