Malta’s national flag includes a red-and-white George Cross in its upper hoist corner.
The flag is divided vertically into white at the hoist and red at the fly. A representation of the George Cross, outlined in red, appears in the upper hoist corner. King George VI awarded the original George Cross to Malta in 1942 in recognition of the island’s courage during the Second World War, and the emblem was added to the flag after independence.
Malta adopted its current flag on 21 September 1964, the date independence from the United Kingdom took effect. The George Cross was originally shown with a blue canton, but the blue background was removed in 1964 so the emblem could sit directly on the white field.
Malta’s flag differs from England’s, which has a centered red Saint George’s Cross on white. Malta’s cross is a small honor emblem in the hoist corner, and the rest of the flag is split red and white.