Flag of Xagħra

Flag of Xagħra
(Maltese: Il-Bandiera tax-Xagħra)

Flag of Xagħra (Maltese: Il-Bandiera tax-Xagħra)
Use	National flag and civil and state ensign
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	17 July 2022
Design	2:3 vertically striped bicolour of white and red, with the territorial coat of arms centred over the colour boundary.
Designed by	Matthew Tonna
Variant flag of Xagħra (Maltese: Il-Bandiera tax-Xagħra)
Name	Unofficial Variant
Proportion	2:3
Designed by	Matthew Tonna

The flag of Xagħra (Maltese: Il-Bandiera tax-Xagħra), an incorporated, unorganised territory of the Democratic Christian Federation of Melite, is a rectangular bicolour with a field divided into white on the hoist, and red on the fly. It is based on the layout and proportions of the naval flag of Portugal between 1830 and 1910s, and derives its colours from the flag of Malta. Designed by Melitian president, Matthew Tonna, it was instated as the flag of the Xagħra Territory upon its formalisation on 17 July 2022 by the Parliament of Melite. No physical flags bearing the design exist.

Design

Adopted design

The flag construction follows similar proportions to those present in the flag of Portugal. The flag's length is equal to 1.5 times its width—with an aspect ratio of 2:3—and the territorial coat of arms is centred over the colour boundary at an equal distance from the upper and lower edges. The field is vertically divided into two colours: white on the hoist side, and red on the fly, derived from the ethnic flag of Malta. The colour division is done in a way that the white side spans 2⁄5 of the length and the remaining 3⁄5 is filled by red (always respecting the 2:3 ratio). The reason for the colour choice is the territory's remaining closeness to Maltese culture and environment.

Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms of Xagħra used in the Flag.

Centred over the colour boundary is the territorial coat of arms—a shield equally divided into rounded thirds with a blue background charged with a white 12-pointed sun, the common Melitian symbol in the left third, a Dominican Cross, representing the Dominica Autonomous City, charged with a white Maltese Cross, representing Malta, in a red shield in the right third and onion with green leaves on a white background at the bottom. In English blazon, the coat of arms is explained as follows:

Party per pale; Azure a sun in splendor Argent and gyronny Sable and Argent a cross fleury counterchanged charged with the arms of the Order of Malta ente en point Argent an onion Proper.
– Act on Xagħra Territory, Chapter 2 Symbols, Clause 3

Rejected proposal, accepted variant

The initial proposal for a flag of Xagħra was modeled directly from the flag of Portuguese Timor, which consisted of the original flag charged the territorial coat of arms at the fly. The design was criticised for placing the blue backgrounded white sun of the first third over the blue field of the flag, creating an inappropriate "blue-on-blue" effect. No physical copies exist of this flag as of writing and is not legislated by Parliament.

Colours

Colours scheme	White	Black	Blue	Red	Green	Brown
CMYK	0-0-0-0	0-0-0-100	100-100-0-50	0-90-79-19	11-0-21-46	0-100-100-50
HEX	#FFFFFF	#000000	#000080	#CF142B	#7B8A6D	#800000
RGB	255-255-255	0-0-0	0-0-128	207-20-43	122-137-108	128-0-0

Gallery

Construction Sheet of the Flag

Influencing Flags

• 
  1830 Naval Ensign of Portugal (General Construction of the Flag)
• 
  Proposed but unadopted flag of Portuguese Timor
  (Coat of Arms)
• 
  Ethnic Flag of Malta
  (Colours)

Historical Flags of the Territory

• 

  Flag of the Knights of Saint John

• 

  Flag of the French Republic for its 2-month occupation of the Maltese Islands.

• 

  White Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom after the Blockade against the French and the start of the Malta Protectorate.

• 

  A flag with ambiguous status of Malta used unofficially immediately after World War II and at the start of Independence.

• 

  Flag of Malta during the period of Maltese sovereignty over the territory.

See also

• Flags of Melite