Flag of Malta

Country

Flag of Malta uses vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the canton. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption September 21, 1964.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Malta
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Republic of Malta
Identifier	MT / MLT
Region	Southern Europe

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	September 21, 1964
First Documented Use	1964
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	White, Red, Grey
Construction	Vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the canton

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Red	#CF142B	207, 20, 43	0, 90, 79, 19
Grey	#CCCCCC	204, 204, 204	0, 0, 0, 20

Design and Symbolism

White	the hoist band.
Red	the fly band.
Grey	the George Cross.
George Cross	Awarded to the whole island by George VI in 1942 for its bravery under siege — the only national flag to carry a foreign gallantry medal.
Colours	By tradition given to Malta by Count Roger of Sicily in 1090.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Malta

Vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the canton The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with vertical bicolour with an emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Malta is White (#FFFFFF), Red (#CF142B) and Grey (#CCCCCC). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

George Cross: Awarded to the whole island by George VI in 1942 for its bravery under siege — the only national flag to carry a foreign gallantry medal; Colours: By tradition given to Malta by Count Roger of Sicily in 1090.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1964. The adoption field for the present record is September 21, 1964.

Additional flag context

The George Cross in the canton was awarded to the whole population of Malta by King George VI in 1942, and Malta is the only country to display a decoration on its flag.

The award was originally shown on a blue canton; the blue was removed in 1964 and replaced with a red outline.

The white and red are traditionally traced to Count Roger of Sicily, though the story appears only in later sources.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the canton, a 2:3 proportion and the visible george Cross. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Malta — Specialist vexillological reference

Other vertical bicolour with an emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Malta

Malta is recorded as vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the canton.
The reference proportion for the flag of Malta is 2:3.
The stored palette for Malta contains White, Red and Grey.
The adoption field for this country flag record is September 21, 1964.
The design record traces first use to 1964.
Its construction is grouped with the vertical bicolour with an emblem design family in this library.
George Cross: Awarded to the whole island by George VI in 1942 for its bravery under siege — the only national flag to carry a foreign gallantry medal.
Colours: By tradition given to Malta by Count Roger of Sicily in 1090.
The George Cross in the canton was awarded to the whole population of Malta by King George VI in 1942, and Malta is the only country to display a decoration on its flag.
The award was originally shown on a blue canton; the blue was removed in 1964 and replaced with a red outline.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Malta

What does the flag of Malta look like?

Vertical bicolour with the George Cross in the canton, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Malta?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Malta?

The reference palette lists White #FFFFFF, Red #CF142B and Grey #CCCCCC.

What do the symbols on the flag of Malta represent?

George Cross — Awarded to the whole island by George VI in 1942 for its bravery under siege — the only national flag to carry a foreign gallantry medal. Colours — By tradition given to Malta by Count Roger of Sicily in 1090.

When was the present flag record for Malta adopted?

The adoption field in this record is September 21, 1964.

Which design family does the flag of Malta belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with vertical bicolour with an emblem designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Malta?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.