Civil Ensign (Malta)

Last modified: 2005-04-09 by santiago dotor
Keywords: cross: george cross | cross: maltese (white) | maltese cross (white) |
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2:3
by Željko Heimer
Flag adopted 12th November 1965

• Description

See also:

• The Maltese Cross
• Ensigns and Jack (Malta)
• Malta

Other sites:

• A History of the Maltese Cross, as used by the Order of St John of Jerusalem by Dr. Michael Foster

Description

A red flag with a small white border and a large white Maltese cross.

Mark Sensen, 8 November 1995
Jan Zrzavy, 16 January 1998

According to Barraclough and Crampton 1981, p. 129:

A Merchant Ensign was adopted on 12 November 1965, the design of which is based on the flag of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, i.e. a red field with the Maltese Cross in white in the centre. In this however there is also a white border around all four sides of the flag.

Santiago Dotor, 2 February 2000

The cross on the flag is known by several names, including the Maltese cross, the St John cross and the 8-pointed cross. It has some similarity to 4 arrowheads, in fact this is what it is thought to have originally been when it was the badge of the Republic of Amalfi. When the Order of St John was formed during the Crusades with the support of Amalfi, they also took it as their badge, and sinc