What the flag shows
The Malta flag is divided into two equal vertical halves. The white half is next to the flagpole, and the red half is on the fly side. In the upper corner of the white half is a representation of the George Cross, a silver-grey medal with an outer red outline. That is the entire design. There is no coat of arms, no star and no text, which sets the flag apart from many neighbouring ones.
Seen on the water or from a distance, the flag is easy to identify. On boats in the harbours and on the large flags that cover the front of a village hall before a festa, the cross is the first detail the eye finds. A small number of other national flags carry a medal or military decoration, and Malta is one of the best-known examples.
The two colours
The red and white are older than the flag itself. According to tradition, the colours go back to the time of Count Roger of Sicily, who is said to have given the islands a share of his red and white banner after the Normans took Malta in 1091. That account is a long-standing story rather than a documented fact, and historians treat the origin of the colours with caution. What is certain is that red and white were already used on banners and local symbols for centuries before independence, and the Maltese regard them as their own.
Under the Knights of St John the islands were also linked with the colours of the Order, a white cross on a red field. This is a separate flag and is not the national one. It still appears on buildings, in decorations and on souvenirs, and it is often mistaken for the Maltese flag by new arrivals.
The George Cross
The George Cross is a British award for bravery away from the battlefield. King George VI awarded it to the island of Malta in April 1942, when the harbours and towns were being bombed day after day and convoys with food and fuel struggled to get through. The citation praised the courage of the Maltese people as a whole, not of a single person or unit. That is unusual, because the cross is normally given to individuals.
The medal was added to the colonial flag and then kept on the national flag. When Malta gained its independence from Britain on 21 September 1964, the new flag was adopted with the cross in the corner. Some people argue about whether a British medal belongs on the flag of an independent country, but it has remained, and most Maltese regard it as a record of what the islands went through. The medal itself is kept in Valletta, and the story of that period is told in the National War Museum in Fort St Elmo.
How the flag is used
Official use follows a few simple customs. The flag flies from public buildings, and on national days more flags appear on streets and balconies. Boats carry the flag at the stern, and sports fans wave it at football matches and other fixtures. During village festas, red and white decorations hang across the streets alongside banners for the patron saint. The flag is treated with respect, so avoid laying it on the ground or using it as a towel or rug.
The five national days in the calendar, Freedom Day, Sette Giugno, Victory Day, Independence Day and Republic Day, are the best moments to see it. The public holidays page gives the dates for 2026 and 2027. Flags also appear in larger numbers on the evenings before national holidays, and the events calendar lists the festivals where the red and white decorations are most visible.
Where to see it in Valletta
Valletta is the best place to see the flag in a historic setting. It flies over the fortifications and above the Grand Harbour, and the walls and bastions make a good backdrop for photographs. The Upper Barrakka Gardens give a wide view over the harbour, where flags can be seen on ships and on the opposite shore. Early morning light is softer, and the gardens are quieter before the day-trippers arrive.
Seeing the flag in context
A flag only makes sense once you know what it commemorates, so it works best as part of a wider day out. A morning in the Valletta fortifications, a visit to the war museum and an afternoon looking out over the harbour from the bastions together give a clear picture of why a medal ended up on a national flag. Visitors who prefer to read first can start with the overview of Malta and come back to the flag page afterwards.
Flag versus Maltese cross
A common mix-up is worth settling before you start looking at souvenirs. The Maltese cross is eight-pointed, with four arrowhead-shaped arms, and it is the emblem of the Order of St John. It appears on the national coat of arms, and on the Maltese side of some euro coins. The cross on the flag is the George Cross, which is rounder and plainer. Both belong to the story of the islands, but only one is on the flag, and knowing the difference helps when reading signs and monuments.
