Colors and the Meaning of the Malta Flag
The Maltese flag consists of two equal halves. The left half is white and the right half is red, and the left side is a gray colored King George’s Cross surrounded by a thin red strip. The cross that represents St. George on the top side of the flag is surrounded by red color.
History of the Malta Flag
The first modern flag of Malta dates back to 1091.
The flag of Malta, officially adopted on 21 September 1964, is a white and red colored flag. The left half of this two-color flag is white, the right half is red. Malta, which has been under the control of Muslims for centuries, was captured in 1091 by the Sicilian Count Roger under a red-white checkered flag.
For this reason, Malta takes its red-white color traditions and flags from the Sicilian Count Roger. The colors of the flag were also used by the Knights who ruled the island in 1530-1798. The badges of the knights were a red flag with a characteristic white Maltese cross.
George Cross
When Napoleon conquered Malta in 1798, it was ruled under the French flag. This took only two years for Malta to seek British assistance in 1800 to remove the French garrison. Malta agreed to temporarily join the British Empire and began to use the flag of Great Britain. The British broke the two-year deal and refused to leave. Malta remained a British colony until the independence of the 1964 referendum.
Despite the British colony, Malta began to use the official civilian flag in 1943. On this flag, a blue square was added under George Cross to bring George Cross still more prominent. The flag, which was used in this way until 1964, was removed from the blue square in 1964 and thus the Maltese Flag became its current state.
On the upper left side of the Maltese flag is the George Cross, which has a red line on its sides. In 1942, while Malta was part of the United Kingdom, the King George VI gave the people of Malta the George Cross because of the extraordinary courage Malta had shown in the second world war. On the same date, George Cross was added to the flag of Malta.
Neighboring Countries of Malta
Malta, or the Republic of Malta, officially, is located in southern Europe, in the Central Mediterranean, in the southern islands of Sicily. The Maltese archipelago consists of three large and two small islands. Malta, the island country, does not have a land border.
Main Characteristics of Malta
Malta is a European country which welcomes many tourists every year thanks to its sandy color houses, historical structure, beaches, and streets. It consists of three large, two small islands, Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Valletta is the capital of the country. There are two official languages, Maltese and English. Many of the Maltese people, who are highly developed in language, can speak Italian and French. Euro is used as currency.
Hot summers and soft winters are experienced. There will be no cold winds, snow, frost, and fog. There is significant rainfall throughout the month in April. The basis of the country’s cuisine is fish and vegetables. Restaurants that serve traditional dishes opened in recent years have attracted interest. There are also international cuisine and fast food restaurants.
| Country | Malta |
| Code | MT (MLT) |
| Calling Code | 356 |
| Capital City | Valletta |
| Currency | euro (EUR) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇲🇹 |
| Highest Point | Ta’Dmejrek (253 m) |
| Internet TLD | .mt |
| Population(2017) | 430,835 |
| Total Area | 316 km2 |