Banner o Maltae

Banner o Maltae

Ceevil ensign o Maltae

The Banner o Maltae (Maltese: Bandiera ta' Malta) is a basic bi-colour, wi white in the hoist an reid in the flee: colours frae the blazon o the airms o Maltae. Tradeetion states that the colours o the banner wur gien tae Maltae bi Coont Roger o Sicily, in 1091. The banner o Coont Roger wis a chequered reid an white banner an he gae a set frae this banner.

A key stranghauld durin the Crusades, muckle o the heraldry o Maltae is influenced bi the colours an devices o the Knights o Maltae. Thair badge wis the characteristic Maltese cross, an thair airms wur a white cross on a reid field. Frae these colours came the reid an white shield that wis uised durin Maltae's colonial period. In the upper hoist corner (in the canton o the white field) is the George Cross (showin a design o St. George an the Dragon), ootlined in reid, wi the motto "For Gallantry" encirclin the cross.

The honour wis awardit in 1943 bi Keeng George VI te the entire Maltese population, for thair exceptional bravery an gallantry durin Warld War II. In 1964, the blue canton on which the cross wis oreeginally placed wis replaced bi a reid fimbriation. This banner wis adoptit upon Malta's bein grantit dominion status athin the Breetish Empire, on 21 September 1964. The dominion o Maltae existit till 1971 when Maltae became a republic, awtho the banner remained the same. The Maltese naitional banner is unique in bearin a decoration frae anither kintra, in this case the Unitit Kinrick.

The ceevil ensign is entirely different: it shows a reid field, bordered white an chairged wi a white Maltese cross.

See an aa

• Award of the George Cross to Malta
• Coat o airms o Maltae
• Banners an seembols o Maltae
• Cultur o Maltae
• Politics o Maltae

Freemit airtins

• Government of Malta website
• Department of Information - Malta Archived 2012-07-30 at the Wayback Machine
• Malta at Flags of the World