The vertically divided white and red flag is said to have been used from very old days. In the upper left is the George Cross. In the Second World War, the Maltese citizens rebelled against the Nazi attacks, and in 1942, a cross medal named after the British King then, George Ⅵ, was presented to them for their honor, and the design was allowed on the flag. The current flag was officialized after independence in 1964.