🇲🇹 The colours of Malta
2 meanings recorded, 1 colour tied to the country.
Malta’s flag is divided into white and red, with a small George Cross outlined in red on the white half. The red is a specific shade, and the colours are linked to Malta’s history and the Knights of Malta. The George Cross honours bravery during World War II.
#CF142BredTraditionally linked to the Knights of Malta and Malta’s historical symbolsWhere no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.
- Malta’s flag is the only national flag with English text.
- The George Cross was awarded to Malta in 1942 for bravery.
- The red on the flag is officially defined as Pantone 186 C.
- The flag’s colours likely come from the Knights of Malta.
- Malta’s flag once had a blue canton, removed after independence.
The colours of the flag of Malta
The Maltese flag is split vertically: white next to the flagpole, red on the outer side. In the upper corner of the white half sits the George Cross, edged in red, which was awarded to Malta for its courage in World War II. The choice of red and white is rooted in tradition and history, with the red being a particular shade officially specified. The meanings of the colours are mostly historical, tied to Malta’s past and the influence of the Knights of Malta. The George Cross is an official symbol, while the colour meanings are based on tradition.
How the colours were chosen of Malta
Stories once claimed that Malta’s colours came from Roger I of Sicily in 1091, but this has been shown to be a later invention. The red and white standard was already used by Maltese rebels in 1798. The most likely source of the colours is the flag of the Knights of Malta, which featured a white cross on a red background. During British rule, these colours appeared on Malta’s shield. The George Cross was added to the flag in 1943, first on a blue background, then moved to its current position with a red outline after independence in 1964.
Official shades and rules of Malta
Malta’s constitution states that the white side must always be next to the flagpole, with red on the outer edge. The red is officially defined as Pantone 186 C, with a specific RGB and hex code. The George Cross must be outlined in red. These details set the exact look of the flag.
The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flag of Malta", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
What colours mean in Malta
Customs vary by region, faith and family; these are the meanings most often recorded.
The flag is white and red. Tradition says Count Roger of Sicily gave the Maltese part of his chequered banner in 1090, though historians doubt the story.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of MaltaThe luzzu, the traditional fishing boat, is painted in bright yellow, blue, red and green. A pair of eyes on the bow is said to guard the fishermen at sea.
Protection and healingLuck and prosperitySource: LuzzuColours tied to Malta
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