This is a list of international,nationaland subnationalflagsused inEurope.
Supranational and international flags
editAn incomplete list of flags representing intra-European international and supranational organisations, which omits intercontinental organisations such as theUnited Nations:
Flag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1957–1958 | Flagof theBenelux | Combines features from the flags of the member countries:Belgium,theNetherlandsandLuxembourg | |
?–2015 | Flag of theCentral Commission for Navigation on the Rhine | ||
2015–present | |||
1990s–present | Flag of theCentral European Free Trade Agreement(CEFTA) | ||
1991–present | Flagof theCommonwealth of Independent States | The flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States is blue with the emblem of the organisation in the centre. | |
1955– | Flagof theCouncil of Europe | A circle of 12 upward-oriented 5-pointed golden stars centred on a blue field: represents the continent beyond the organisations as theFlag of Europe | |
1986[note 1]– | Flagof theEuropean Union[note 2] | ||
1973–1983 | Flag of theEuropean Parliament | ||
1984– | Flagof theNordic Council | White stylised swan in a white circle upon a blue background. | |
1953– | Flagof theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization | A dark blue field charged with a white compass rose emblem from which radiate four white lines. | |
2006– | Flag of theEuropean Gendarmerie Force | ||
2006– | Flag of theEuropean Maritime Force |
Flags of European sovereign states
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1912– | Flag ofAlbania See also:List of Albanian flags |
The flag ofAlbania,adopted in April 1912, is a red flag with a blackdouble-headed eaglein the centre. It is derived from the seal ofGjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg,a 15th-century Albanian who led a revolt against theOttoman Empirethat resulted in brief independence for Albania from 1443 to 1478. | |
1866– | Flag ofAndorra See also:List of Andorran flags |
The flag ofAndorra,adopted in 1866, is a tricolour of blue, yellow, and red with thecoat of arms of Andorrain the centre. It is based on the flags ofFranceandSpain.The coat of arms of Andorra is based on theflag of Catalonia(4 red ribbons on yellow background). | |
1918–1920 1991– |
Flag ofArmenia See also:List of Armenian flags[note 3] |
After gaining independence, theFirst Republic of Armeniaadopted the modern Armenian tricolor. The independent Armenian government selected the colours used during the last period of theRubenid Dynasty:red, blue and orange. The red emblematizes theArmenian Highland,the Armenian people's continued struggle for survival, maintenance of the Christian faith, Armenia's independence and freedom. The blue emblematizes the will of the people of Armenia to live beneath peaceful skies. The orange emblematizes the creative talent and hard-working nature of the people of Armenia. | |
1918–1938 1945– |
Flag ofAustria See also:List of Austrian flags |
Originally adopted in 1918, it was again officially adopted in 1945, after being banned duringWorld War II.
Stripes of red and white have been a collective emblem ofAustriafor over 800 years, and they were first used on the flag in 1191. According to long-established legend, the red and white flag was designed to resemble the bloodstained white coat worn by theDuke of Austriaduring a fierce battle. | |
1918–1920 1991– |
Flag ofAzerbaijan See also:List of Azerbaijani flags[note 3] |
Originally adopted in 1918 as a flag of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, it was officially adopted again in 1991, after Azerbaijan gained its independence.
The flag of Azerbaijan is the national ensign of Azerbaijan. It consists of three equal horizontal bands colored blue, red, and green, with a white crescent and an eight-pointed star centered in the red band. The blue band refers to Turkic heritage, the red is for progress and Europeanisation and the green refers to Islam. | |
1995– | Flag ofBelarus See also:List of Belarusian flags |
Belarus's flag was officially adopted on 10 February 2012. The dominant red-green bicolour was used on itsflag when it was a republic within the former Soviet Union.The woven fabric ornament on the left uses traditional Belarusian red and white colours. | |
1830– | Flag ofBelgium See also:List of Belgian flags |
Black, gold and red are symbolic of the country'scoat of arms.The three-striped vertical layout was inspired by theFrench Tricolour.Black and gold were chosen, being the colours of the Duchy of Brabant where theBelgian Revolutionstarted. Red was added as a symbol of the blood spilled during the uprising. | |
1998– | Flag ofBosnia and Herzegovina See also:List of flags of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
The flag ofBosnia and Herzegovinaconsists of a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag. The remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle. The three points of the triangle stand for the three nations of Bosnia: Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. It is said to represent the map of Bosnia. | |
1878–1947 1991– |
Flag ofBulgaria See also:List of Bulgarian flags |
The flag ofBulgariawas adopted in 1989 and consists of three horizontal bands of white, green and red. | |
1990– | Flag ofCroatia See also:List of Croatian flags |
The flag of Croatia, adopted in December 1990, consists of three equal horizontal stripes of red, white and blue and thecoat of arms of Croatiain the center. | |
1960– | Flag ofCyprus See also:List of Cypriot flags[note 4] |
The flag was officially adopted on 16 August 1960.
The island is depicted in acoppershade representative of its name: the name Cyprus has roots in the Sumerian word for copper (zubar), from the large deposits of copper found on the island. The crossed green olive branches symbolise the hope for peace between the Turks and the Greeks. It was designed byİsmet Güney,aTurkish Cypriotpainter. | |
1993– | Flag oftheCzech Republic See also:List of Czech flags |
The first flag of Czechoslovakia was white over red, and those colours are the heraldic colours ofBohemia.The blue triangle was added to the flag to distinguish it from theflag of Poland,and blue is said to represent the State ofMoravia. | |
1219– | Flag ofDenmark See also:List of Danish flags |
It is the world's oldest state flag still in use. Legend has it that it appeared as a sign from heaven to KingValdemar IIin 1219.
Known as theDannebrog( "Danish Cloth" ), this blood-red flag with an off-centred white cross (a "Nordic Cross") became a model for other regional flags. | |
1918–1940 1990– |
Flag ofEstonia See also:List of Estonian flags |
It was officially re-adopted on 8 May 1990. The story of the flag begins on 17 September 1881, when the constituent Assembly of the first Estonian national student Corps "Vironia" (modern Estonian Students Society) in the city of Tartu was also identified in color; it later became national. The first flag was made in 1884 and this tricolour was accepted in 1918 as the national flag of Estonia. The original flag is still in existence. The first flag of Estonia is kept in Tartu Estonian National Museum.
Blue represents loyalty, and the country's beautiful blue skies, seas and lakes; black is symbolic of past oppression and the fertile soil; and white represents virtue, winter snows, and Estonia's long struggle for freedom and independence. | |
1918– | Flag ofFinland See also:List of Finnish flags |
It was officially adopted on 29 May 1918.
The off-centred blue cross is based on theNordic Cross,widely used on Nordic national flags. The blue colour is symbolic of blue skies, and the thousands of lakes in Finland. The white represents the winter snows. | |
1794–1814 1830– |
Flag ofFrance See also:List of French flags |
It was officially adopted on 15 February 1794.
Thetricoloreconsists of three vertical bands of equal width, displaying the country's national colours: blue, white, and red. The blue band is positioned nearest the flagstaff, the white in the middle, and the red on the outside. Red, white and blue have come to represent liberty, equality and fraternity—the ideals of theFrench Revolution.Blue and red are also the time-honoured colours ofParis,while white is the colour of the RoyalHouse of Bourbon. | |
2004– | Flag ofGeorgia See also:List of Georgian flags[note 3] |
This recently adopted flag is a simple white rectangle, with a central red cross connecting all four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red cross. The flag is based on a historic five-cross design that dates back to the 14th century. | |
1919–1933 1949– |
Flag ofGermany See also:List of German flags |
It was officially re-adopted on 23 May 1949, and subsequently used byWest Germanywhile the country was divided into East and West before reunification in 1990.
The tricolour flag was designed in 1832, and the black, red, and gold colours were taken from the uniforms of German soldiers during theNapoleonic Wars(Out of theblackness(black) of servitude throughbloody(red) battles to thegolden(gold) light of freedom.[1]) or taken from the coat of arms ofHoly Roman Empire. | |
1978– (Civil flagsince 1822) |
Flag ofGreece See also:List of Greek flags |
The current flag of Greece was adopted as acivil flagandensignin 1822, and as thenational flagin 1978.
It features a white cross and a combination of nine (five blue and four white) horizontal stripes. The shade of blue has varied over the years, and darker blue (shown) is now commonly used. The alternating white and blue stripes are said to represent the nine syllables of the phrase "Eleftheria i thanatos"(" Freedom or Death "), a popular motto during theGreek War of Independence.During theKingdom of Greece,a crown was added in the centre of the cross. Greece's national flag between 1822 and 1970 featured a simple white cross on a blue background. It is not known why this version was adopted, and not a blue cross on a white background as was popular in the War of Independence. Duringthe dictatorship,anavy blueversion of the current flag with proportions of 7:12 was used. | |
1957– | Flag ofHungary See also:List of Hungarian flags |
The flag of Hungary was officially adopted in 1848.
The dominant red, white and green colors of thetricolourdesign are derived from the historicalHungarian coat of arms.Red is said to symbolise strength, white faithfulness, and green hope. | |
1915– | Flag ofIceland See also:List of Icelandic flags |
The flag ofIcelandwas adopted in June 1915 to represent Iceland. In June 1944 it became the flag of the independent republic of Iceland. Like other Scandinavian flags, it is based on theNordic Cross.It is a reverse colour image of theFlag of Norway.The blue represents the sea, the white represents the snow and glaciers and the red symbolises volcanic lava. | |
1922– | Flag ofIreland See also:List of Irish flags |
Although dating from the 19th century, the tricolour flag of Ireland was not popularised until its use by rebels during the 1916Easter Rising.It was officially adopted by the revolutionaryFirst Dáil(assembly) of theIrish Republicon 21 January 1919, and used thereafter by theIrish Free State.The current 1937Constitution of Irelanddefines it as the national flag.
Modeled after theFrench tricolour,the colours of the Irish tricolour symbolise two communities. Green represents theRoman Catholicnationalisttradition. Orange represents theProtestantunionistcommunity. White symbolises peace between both. | |
1948– | Flag ofItaly See also:List of Italian flags |
Derived from an original design byNapoleon,it consists of three vertical bands of equal width, displaying thenational colours of Italy:green, white, and red. Green stands for hope, white for loyalty and red represents the blood spread to unify the country. | |
1992– | Flag ofKazakhstan See also:List of Kazakh flags[note 5] |
Adopted on 4 June 1992. The flag has a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a teal background; the hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern called "koshkar-muiz" (the horns of the ram) in gold. | |
1918–1940 1990– |
Flag ofLatvia See also:List of Latvian flags |
The flag of Latvia was officially re-adopted on 27 February 1990.
The design is adopted from a 13th-century chronicle where "red divided by white" is said to be a Latvian flag. To distinguish it from the Austrian flag, the proportions 2:1:2 and the "Latvian red" color have been adopted. | |
1937– | Flag ofLiechtenstein See also:List of Liechtensteinian flags |
The flag ofLiechtensteinconsists of two horizontal bands of blue and red with a gold crown in the canton. The crown was added to the flag in 1937 after the country found out at the1936 Summer Olympicsthat their flag was identical to thecivil flag of Haiti. | |
1918–1940 1989– |
Flag ofLithuania See also:List of Lithuanian flags |
The flag of Lithuania was officially re-adopted on 20 March 1989, before Lithuania gained independence from theSoviet Unionin 1990.
Yellow is symbolic of the country's wheat fields, green symbolic of the forests, and red symbolises patriotism. Collectively the colours represent hope for the future, freedom from oppression, and the courage of the Lithuanian people. | |
1845– | Flag ofLuxembourg See also:List of flags of Luxembourg |
The flag of Luxembourg was officially adopted in 1972, although it had been used since 1848 following Luxembourg's independence from theNetherlandsin the late 19th century.[dates disagree]
The flag uses a combination of red, white, and blue that dates to the 13th century, and theGrand Duke's coat of arms. | |
1964– | Flag ofMalta See also:List of flags of Malta |
The flag of Malta was officially adopted on 21 September 1964.
The flag uses the traditional red and white colours which pre-date those of theKnights of Maltaand which Government emulate[clarification needed]the arms of the formerUniversitasof Mdina. TheGeorge Cross(upper left), outlined in red, was added to the flag in the 1940s, as KingGeorge VI of the United Kingdompresented it to islanders for outstanding gallantry duringWorld War II. | |
1990– | Flag ofMoldova See also:List of Moldovan flags |
Moldova's flag was officially adopted on 12 May 1990. Once part ofRomania,Moldova's flag reflects that association, as the two countries use almost identical shades of red, yellow and blue in their national flags. The centred Moldova shield's main feature is a golden eagle holding anOrthodox Christian Crossin its beak. The olive branch is said to symbolise peace. | |
1881– | Flag ofMonaco See also:List of flags of Monaco |
The flag of Monaco has two horizontal bands of red and white—these have been the heraldic colours of theHouse of Grimaldisince at least 1339. | |
2004– | Flag ofMontenegro See also:List of flags of Montenegro |
The flag ofMontenegro,adopted in July 2004, is a red banner bearing the coat of arms adopted in 1993. Thecountry's coat of armsis derived from those ofKing Nikola. | |
1575 (first used) 1937 (officially adopted)– |
Flag of theNetherlands See also:List of flags of the Netherlands |
The flag of the Netherlands was officially adopted on 19 February 1937.
At one time this tricolour flag was orange, white, and blue, as those were the livery colours ofWilliam of Orange,a Dutch prince. In the 17th century, red replaced the orange as a flag colour, because the orange dye used on the flag was unstable, and turned red after exposure to the sun. It is the oldesttricolour flagstill in national use[2]and has influenced both theFrench[3](1794) andRussian flag[4](1693); both of these flags have in turn influenced many other European and African flags. | |
1995– | Flag ofNorth Macedonia See also:List of flags of North Macedonia |
The flag of North Macedonia depicts a rising yellow sun with eight rays extending to the edges of the red field. It represents "the new sun of liberty", evoked in the Macedonian national anthemDenes nad Makedonija(Today Over Macedonia). | |
1821–1844 1898– |
Flag ofNorway See also:List of Norwegian flags |
The flag ofNorwayis red with a blueNordic crossoutlined in white; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of theDannebrog,the flag of Denmark. It was adopted in 1821, but aunion markwas added in the canton from 1844 to 1898. | |
1919– | Flag ofPoland See also:List of Polish flags |
The flag of Poland was officially adopted on 1 August 1919.Polish flag colours date back to the Middle Ages of Piast Dynasty and a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth period.
The colours red and white have long been associated with Poland and its coat of arms, at least since 3 May 1791. | |
1911– | Flag ofPortugal See also:List of Portuguese flags |
The flag of Portugal was officially adopted on 30 June 1911.
The design is a rectangular bi-colour (2:3ratio) with a field vertically divided into two stripes of different widths—a green stripe on thehoist,and a larger red stripe on thefly.A small version of thenational coat of arms(armillary sphereand Portuguese shield) is superimposed over the boundary between the colours at equal distance from the upper and lower edges. The field colours, especially the green, originally represented a radicalrepublican-inspired change that broke the bond with the former religious monarchical flag. In the ensuing decades, these colours were popularly propagandised as representing the hope of the nation (green) and the blood (red) of those who died defending it, as a means to endow them with a more patriotic and dignified, therefore less political, sentiment. | |
1848 1867–1948 1989– |
Flag ofRomania See also:List of Romanian flags |
Theflag of Romaniawas officially re-adopted in 1989. The first red-yellow-blue flag dates from 1834 but the colours themselves are thought to have had special significance from earlier times. The current layout dates since 1848.
A verticaltricolourof bands of blue, yellow, and red of equal width and overall proportions of 2:3 (height-width). | |
1883–1918 1993– |
Flag ofRussia See also:List of Russian flags[note 6] |
TheRussian Federationflag was officially adopted on 22 August 1991. The flag was hoisted shortly after the former Soviet Union collapsed. The white, blue and red arePan-Slaviccolours. | |
2011– | Flag ofSan Marino See also:List of Sammarinese flags |
The flag ofSan Marinocomprises equal horizontal bands of white and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the centre. | |
1815–1918 (original design) 2004– (Civil flagsince 1835) |
Flag ofSerbia See also:List of flags of Serbia |
The flag ofSerbiaconsists of three horizontal bands of red, blue and white, with the coat-of-arms located left of centre. By accident or design the colours are that of the Russian flag reversed. A flag with three horizontal bands of red, blue and white has been used as the national flag of Serbia and Serbs since 1815. Red, blue, and white are consideredPan-Slaviccolours, but red and blue also occur on flags attributed to a 13th-century king of Serbia. The superimposed coat of arms of Serbia is a double-headed white eagle and a red shield with a white cross surrounded by 4 firesteels (ocila), a symbol that draws roots fromSaint SavaSerbian Crossand from the ancient past of the Balkan peninsula, as it can be seen on 7000 years oldVinča culturepottery and many other later traditional Balkan cultural remains. | |
1992– | Flag ofSlovakia See also:List of Slovak flags |
The flag of Slovakia was officially adopted on 1 September 1992.
White, blue and red are traditionalPan-Slavic colours.The superimposed Slovakian arms feature a dominant white cross atop a blue symbolic reference to the European country's mountains. | |
1991– | Flag ofSlovenia See also:List of Slovenian flags |
The flag of Slovenia was officially adopted on 24 June 1991.
Red, white, and blue are taken from theCarniolancoat of arms. The flag without the coat of arms was in use from 1848 to 1945. The Slovenian coat of arms features three gold stars, symbolizing theCounts of Celje.The mountains shown in white are representative of theAlps,and MountTriglav,Slovenia's national symbol, in particular; the wavy blue lines across the bottom indicate Slovenia's access to the sea. | |
(1785 original design) 1981– |
Flag ofSpain See also:List of Spanish flags |
The flag of Spain was officially adopted on 19 July 1927 as the merchant naval flag, and on 29 December 1978 as the national flag under the currentSpanish Constitution.However the first original reference dates back to 15 May 1785, whenCharles III of Spainadopted one of the designs proposed byAntonio Valdés y Bazán,commissioned by the king himself, in order to easily differentiate his ships from those of other European nations, many of which used the royal coat of arms over a white background, i.e. theFrench Bourbon royal flag.The red and golden-yellow colours were used from that day with mere changes[clarification needed]on the coat of arms (with the exception of theSpanish Second Republic) and are the original colours found within the coat of arms of the medieval kingdoms ofCastile,AragonandNavarre,first united by KingFerdinand II of Aragonand QueenIsabella I of Castile. | |
(1569–1814) 1906–[5] |
Flag ofSweden See also:List of Swedish flags |
The flag of Sweden was officially adopted on 22 June 1906.
The off-centre yellow cross (theNordic Cross) is taken from theDanish flag.The yellow and blue colours are taken from the nationalcoat of arms. It was adopted in 1569, but aunion markwas added in the canton from 1844 to 1905. | |
1889– | Flag ofSwitzerland See also:List of Swiss flags |
The flag ofSwitzerlandconsists of a red square with a bold, equilateral whiteGreek crossin the centre. It is one of only two square flags, the other being that of theVatican CityorHoly See.It is based on the flag of theCanton of Schwyz,which dates back to 1474 at least. | |
1844– | Flag ofTurkey See also:List of Turkish flags[note 7] |
The flag ofTurkeyis a red flag with a white crescent moon and a star in its centre. The flag is called Ay Yıldız (literally, moon star) or Albayrak (Red flag). It was adopted in 1844 with the Tanzimat reforms; though the shape, placement and shade of the colour[clarification needed]vary. The geometric proportions of the flag were legally standardised with the Turkish Flag Law in 1936. | |
1918–1920 1992– |
Flag ofUkraine See also:List of Ukrainian flags |
Ukraine's flag was adopted on 4 September 1991, shortly after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. This is the country's original flag used by the short-livedUkrainian People's Republic,but it was banned for many decades under the Soviet regime. The shade of blue is said to be symbolic of the sky, while the yellow represents Ukraine's golden wheat fields. | |
1801– | Flag of theUnited Kingdom See also:List of United Kingdom flags |
The current flag of the United Kingdom dates from theAct of Union 1800,which merged theKingdom of Great Britainand theKingdom of Irelandto form theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The "Union Jack"merges the red cross ofSaint George(patron saintofEngland), edged in white, superimposed on the diagonal red cross ofSaint Patrick(patron saint ofIreland), which are superimposed on thesaltireofSaint Andrew(patron saint ofScotland). The flag ofWales,the othercountry of the United Kingdom,is not graphically represented. | |
1929– | Flag ofVatican CityorHoly See See also:List of Vatican flags |
The flag ofVatican CityorHoly See,adopted in June 1929, consists of two vertical bands of yellow and white with the crossed keys ofSaint Peterand the Papal Tiara centred in the white band. It is one of only two square country flags in the world, the other being that ofSwitzerland. |
Flags of other European sovereign entities
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1130– | Flag of theSovereign Military Order of Malta | The flag of theSovereign Military Order of Maltais a red rectangular flag quartered by a white cross. |
Disputed or partially recognised states
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1992– | Flag ofAbkhazia[note 3] | The flag of Abkhazia consists of seven green and white stripes with a red upper left canton bearing a white open right hand and seven white stars. | |
2008– | Flag ofKosovo See also:List of flags of Kosovo |
The flag of Kosovo has a blue background, charged with a map of Kosovo in gold and six white stars. The stars symbolize Kosovo's six major ethnic groups:Albanians,Serbs,Bosniaks,Turks,Romani(often grouped with theAshkaliandEgyptians) andGorani. | |
1984– | Flag ofNorthern Cyprus[note 4] | The flag of Northern Cyprus is white with a red crescent moon and a star in its centre with a red stripe above and below. | |
1990– | Flag ofSouth Ossetia[note 3] | The flag of the South Ossetia is a tricolour, the top stripe white, the middle stripe red and the bottom stripe yellow. | |
2000– | Flag ofTransnistria | The flag of Transnistria consists of three stripes (red-green-red) and the Soviet hammer and sickle; it is based on theflag of the Moldavian SSR. |
Flags of European dependencies
editFlag | Date | Use | State (status) | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
1954– | Flag ofÅland | Finland (autonomous region) | The flag was officially adopted 3 April 1954. As of 1992, it serves as the civil and state flag and ensign. This traditionalScandinavian Crossflag features blue, yellow, and red, all said to be borrowed from the national colours ofSwedenandFinland. | |
1940– | Flag of theFaroe Islands | Denmark (autonomous region) | The flag of the Faroe Islands, calledMerkið,was first used in 1919, was mandated by the British as the civil and state ensign in 1940, and became the official civil and state flag and ensign on 23 March 1948. The flag uses Norwegian colours, commemorating the Faroes once being part of Norway. | |
1502– | Flag ofGibraltar | UK (overseas territory) | TheGibraltarflag dates from 1502, as it is based on the original arms granted it bySpain.The red and white field is taken from the arms, and it is dominated by a red three-towered fortress, complete with a gold key. | |
1989– | Flag ofGreenland | Denmark (autonomous territory) | The flag of Greenland features two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red (bottom) with a counter-changed red-and-white disk slightly to the hoist side of centre. | |
1985– | Flag ofGuernsey | UK (Bailiwick of Guernsey) | The flag ofGuernsey,adopted in 1985, consists of thered cross of St. Georgewith an additional gold cross within it. The change was prompted by confusion over Guernsey and England using the same flag. The gold cross representsDuke William of Normandy,who had such a cross on his flag in theBattle of Hastings,given to him byPope Alexander II. | |
1932– | Flag of theIsle of Man | UK (crown dependency) | The flag of theIsle of Manfeatures a red field with a centredtriskelionof three bent legs joined at a central point. | |
1980– | Flag ofJersey | UK (crown dependency) | The flag ofJersey,adopted in June 1979, is white with a diagonal red cross, surmounted by a yellowPlantagenetcrown, the badge of Jersey (a red shield holding the three leopards of Normandy in yellow). Prior to this, the flag was a plain red saltire on a white field. | |
1960– | Flag of theSovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | UK (overseas territory) | TheUnion Flagis used. |
Flags of European sub-divisions
editAustria
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1921– | Flag ofBurgenland | A horizontal bicolor of yellow and red. | |
1946– | Flag ofCarinthia | A horizontal tricolor of yellow, red and white. | |
1954– | Flag ofLower Austria | A horizontal bicolor of blue and yellow. | |
1921– | Flag ofSalzburg | A bicolor of red over white. | |
1960– | Flag ofStyria | A bicolor of white over green. | |
1945– | Flag ofTyrol | The flag of Tyrol is a white over red bicolor. | |
1949– | Flag ofUpper Austria | The flag of Upper Austria is a white over red bicolor. | |
1938– | Flag ofVorarlberg | A bicolor of red over white. | |
1844– | Flag ofVienna | A bicolor of red over white. |
Belarus
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2004– | Flag ofBrest Region | Blue with a yellow zoubre (Bison bonasus) on a red stylized tower. | |
2005– | Flag ofGomel Region | Green with the coat of arms of Gomel Region in the centre of the obverse. | |
2007– | Flag ofGrodno Region | Red with the coat of arms of Grodno Region in the centre of the obverse. | |
2007– | Flag ofMinsk Region | Red with the coat of arms of Minsk Region in the centre of the obverse. | |
2001– | Flag ofMinsk Municipality | Blue with the 1591 coat of arms of Minsk Municipality in the centre of the obverse. | |
2005– | Flag ofMogilev Region | Green with the coat of arms of Mogilev Region in the centre of the obverse. | |
2009– | Flag ofVitebsk Region | Green with the coat of arms of Vitebsk Region in the centre of the obverse. |
Belgium
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2015– | Flag of theBrussels-Capital Region | A stylized yellow, white and greyirison a blue field. | |
1973– | Flag ofFlanders(Flemish CommunityandFlemish Region} | Flanders is a Dutch-speaking region in the northern half of Belgium.Or, a lion rampant armed and langued Gules. | |
1991– | Flag ofWallonia(French CommunityandWalloon Region) | Wallonia is a mostly French-speaking region comprising the southern half of Belgium. The flag depicts a red rooster, on a yellow field. | |
1990– | Flag of theGerman Community | It consists of the white background. In the centre is placed a redlion,that stands on its back legs, have raised its front paws, and put its tongue out. Around it are placed in a circle ninegentianaflowers that have five intense bluepetalsand white (silver) round centres. |
Bosnia and Herzegovina
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1995– | Flag ofRepublika Srpska | A horizontal tricolour of red, blue and white, very similar to theflag of Serbiawithout the Coat of Arms (with slightly differently coloured shades). |
Denmark
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1970s-present | UnofficialflagofBornholm | Nordic Cross Flagin red and green. Also known in a version with a white fimbriation of the green cross in a style similar to design of theNorwegian flag. | |
1633-present | Unofficial flag ofÆrø | Tricolourin yellow, green and red
Very similar to theFlag of Lithuania.A frequent interpretation is that the colours represent the kings of Denmark (red), the dukes ofSchleswig(yellow) and the islands itself (green). | |
1976-present | UnofficialflagofVendsyssel | Nordic Cross Flagin blue, orange and green.[1]Designed by Mogens Bohøj.[6] | |
1975-present | Unofficial flag ofJutland | ANordic Cross Flagin blue, green and red. Designed by Per Kramer in 1975.[3] | |
2015-present | Unofficial flag ofFunen | There are two proposed flags:
The green colour symbolises the island's importance as the 'pantry of Denmark'. The blue represents the island itself, and the red its strong ties to Denmark.[4] |
Finland
editNot all regions have selected an official flag.
Flag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Flag ofCentral Finland | Abanner of armsbased on the region's coat of arms. Ratio: 1:1 | ||
Flag ofCentral Ostrobothnia | Abanner of armsbased on the region's coat of arms | ||
1998– | Flag ofKainuu | Abanner of armsbased on the region's coat of arms designed by a Finnish heraldist Olof Eriksson in 1978. The flag itself was adopted in 25.6.1998. | |
1997– | Flag ofNorth Karelia | A red flag featuring two armored arms from the regional coat of arms with afortressywhite field on the hoist side of the flag. Adopted by the regional council on 8.6.1997. | |
Flag ofNorthern Savonia | A blackswallow-tailedflag featuring a loaded bow from the regional coat of arms placed between two yellow stripes. | ||
Flag ofPäijänne Tavastia | Abanner of armsbased on the region's coat of arms. | ||
2018– | Flag ofTavastia Proper | Flag featuring elements from the region's coat of arms. Designed by heraldist Tuomas Hyrsky and adopted by the regional council on the 100th anniversary of the Finnish flag on 28.5.2018. A further ceremony was held in theHäme Castleon 4.2.2019. | |
1990– | Flag ofSatakunta | Aswallow-tailedbanner of armsbased on the region's coat of arms from 1557. Designed by artist Reino Niiniranta and officially adopted on 21.11.1990. The regional flag's official flag day is on 11 October, on the name day ofOtso. | |
2020– | Flag ofSouthern Savonia | A black flag charged with the bow and arrow from the region's coat of arms and a yellowhoist.Designed by designer Suvi Ripatti and officially adopted on 09.06.2020.[7] | |
Flag ofUusimaa | Abanner of armsbased on the region's coat of arms. |
France
editNot all regions have selected an official flag.
Flag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2016– | Flag ofAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes | ||
2016– | Flag ofBourgogne-Franche-Comté | ||
1923– | Flag ofBrittany | The flag, called Gwen ha du (White and black) was created in 1923 by Morvan Marchal (1900–1963, a member of various political and cultural organisations). He used as his inspiration the old Breton flag (a centred black cross on a white background), calledKroaz Du(Black cross), and the flags of the United States and Greece as these two countries were seen at that time as the respective symbols of liberty and democracy. The nine horizontal stripes represent the traditional dioceses of Brittany into which the duchy was divided historically. The five black stripes represent the French or Gallo speaking dioceses of Dol, Nantes, Rennes, Saint-Malo and Saint-Brieuc—while the four white stripes represent the Breton speaking dioceses of Trégor, Léon, Cornouaille and Vannes. The ermine canton recalls the ducal arms of Brittany. | |
Flag ofCentre-Val de Loire | |||
1755– | Flag ofCorsica | The Flag of Corsica was adopted by General of the NationPasquale di Paoliin 1755 and was based on a traditional flag used previously. It portrays aMoor's Headin black wearing a white bandana above his eyes on a white background. Previously, the bandana covered his eyes. | |
Flag ofÎle-de-France | |||
Flag ofNormandy | 13th century. Nicknamed "Les p'tits cats" inNorman.Based on the medieval emblems of the duke of Normandy. | ||
1937– | Saint Olav flag, using a Nordic cross in reference to the Nordic past of Normandy, created by Jean Adigard des Gautries in 1937. | ||
2016– | Flag ofNouvelle-Aquitaine | ||
12th century – | Flag ofOccitanie | Flag of the administrative region of Occitanie. Flags of historicalOccitaniaandCataloniacan be displayed according to the place on local buildings, and both of them on regional buildings. | |
Flag ofPays de la Loire | The flag is a combination of heraldic elements from the historical provinces that occupied the territory of the region:Brittany,Anjou,MaineandVendée. | ||
12th century – | Flag ofProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Combining elements of the former historical entities existing over the current territory of the region:County of Provence,theDauphinéandCounty of Nice. |
Georgia
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2004– | Flag ofAdjara[note 3] |
Germany
editMany states have separate civil and state versions of their flags; the state flags (listed) include the state arms, while the civil versions don't. SeeFlags of German states.
Flag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1954– | Flag ofBaden-Württemberg | A black over gold bi-color. | |
1953– | Flag ofBavaria | There are two official flags of Bavaria. One is an array of 21 or more lozenges of blue and white, the other is a white over blue bicolor. | |
1954–1990 (West Berlin) 1990– |
Flag ofBerlin | White with red bars at the top and bottom, with a bear off-centre towards the hoist. | |
1991– | Flag ofBrandenburg | A horizontal bi-color of red over white, with the arms of the state (land), in the center. | |
1952– | Flag ofBremen | Eight or more alternating red and white stripes, checked at the hoist. | |
1751– | Flag ofHamburg | A white castle with three towers and a closed gate. | |
1948– | Flag ofHesse | The state flag of Hesse consists of a bicolor of a red top and a bottom white stripe. | |
1951– | Flag ofLower Saxony | The flag of Lower Saxony consists of the flag of the Federal Republic of Germany in Schwarz-Rot-Gold, with the coat of arms of Lower Saxony, shifted slightly toward the hoist. | |
1990– | Flag ofMecklenburg-Western Pomerania | ||
1953– | Flag ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia | A horizontal tricolour of green, white, and red. | |
1945– | Flag ofRhineland-Palatinate | The flag of Rhineland-Palatinate is a tricolor of three horizontal bands of black, red and gold. These colors are Germany's national colors and are sometimes referred to asschwarz-rot-gold.In the canton, or the upper left corner, are the arms of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. | |
1957– | Flag ofSaarland | The flag of Saarland is based on the flag of Germany and is a black, red, and gold (yellow) horizontal tricolor. In the center of the flag is thecoat of arms of Saarland. | |
1991– | Flag ofSaxony | A bicolour of white over green. | |
1991– | Flag ofSaxony-Anhalt | The state flag of Saxony-Anhalt is a yellow and black bi-color. In the center of the flag is thecoat of arms of Saxony-Anhalt | |
1948– | Flag ofSchleswig-Holstein | The state flag of Schleswig-Holstein is a horizontal tricolour of blue, white, and red. | |
1991– | Flag ofThuringia | The state flag of Thuringia consists of a bicolor of a white top and a bottom red stripecentre. |
Greece
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1980s– | Flag ofMacedonia (Greece) | The flag ofMacedonia (Greece),adopted in 1980s, is a blue banner featuring theVergina Sun,the emblem of the Ancient Greek Kingdom ofMacedon. | |
1821– | Flag ofSpetses | The flag ofSpetses,adopted in early 1821 during theGreek Revolution,features an azure field surrounded by a thick red border, defaced with a Cross on an overturned Crescent (symbolizing theChristianGreek victory over theMuslimOttoman Empire), a spear (symbolizing the armed struggle for freedom), an anchor (symbolizing the maritime tradition and merchant wealth of the island as well as most of Greece), a snake around the anchor (symbolizing the Goddess Athena, wisdom and the island's ancient Greek heritage), a dove (symbolizing peace, justice and prosperity) and the words «ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ Ή ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ», meaning "FREEDOM OR DEATH", Greece's National Motto. | |
1821– | Flag ofHydra | The flag ofHydra,adopted in early 1821 during theGreek Revolution,its design and symbolism are almost identical to those of the Flag ofSpetses(see above), though the colours are slightly different. The Symbols are also almost identical, though instead of a spear there is a flagpole with a flag and some of the symbols are grey instead of red. | |
1828– | Flag ofKastellorizo | The flag ofKastellorizo,adopted in early 1828 during theGreek Revolution,it features a white field surrounded by a blue border. It is defaced with a Cross, an Anchor and a Heart. On the left and right of these symbols are the words «ΜΕΓΙΣΤΗ» and «ΚΑΣΤΕΛΛΟΡΙΖΟ» ( "MEGISTE" & "KASTELLORIZO" ), the two names of the island. | |
1864– | Flag ofCorfu | The flag of the island ofCorfu,adopted in 1864 after the annexation of theUnited States of the Ionian Islandsby theKingdom of Greeceas a gift toGeorge I of Greeceby theUnited Kingdom,features a blue field surrounded by a golden border and a thicker dark red one. It is defaced with an Ancient GreekGalleywhich is surrounded by a circle and the words «ΔΗΜΟΣ ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑΙΩΝ» meaning "MUNICIPALITY/PEOPLE OF THE CORFIOTS". | |
1864– | Flag ofZakynthos | The flag of the island ofZakynthos,adopted in 1864 after the annexation of theUnited States of the Ionian Islandsby theKingdom of Greeceas a gift toGeorge I of Greeceby theUnited Kingdom,features a Green field with a golden depiction ofZakynthos (person),the figure fromAncient Greek Mythologyafter whom the island was named. Near the top left side of Zakynthos the name of the island in Greek («ΖΑΚΥΝΘΟΣ») is written while under the depiction is the island's motto, «ΘΕΛΕΙ ΑΡΕΤΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΛΜΗ Η ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ» ( "FREEDOM DEMANDS VALOUR AND BRAVERY" ) by the Zakynthian poetAndreas Kalvos. | |
1821– | Flag ofPsara | The flag of the island ofPsara,adopted in 1821 during theGreek Revolution,is almost identical in style and design to the flags of Hydra, Spetses and other islands (see above) with some differences. The field is white and the surrounding border is red while all the symbols it is defaced with are all red. The symbols are also almost identical though instead of a dove there is an eagle, probably a reference to theEagle of Zeus,a symbol of power and authority. The flag features the words «ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ Ή ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ» ( "FREEDOM OR DEATH", Greece's National Motto) and «ΨΑΡΑ» ( "PSARA", the island's name in theGreek language). | |
1821– | Flag ofMani Peninsula | The flag of the island of theMani Peninsula,adopted in 1821 during theGreek Revolution,features a white field with a blue Greek cross and the phrases «ΝΙΚΗ Ή ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ» ( "VICTORY OR DEATH", a traditional Greek battle cry) and «ΤΑΝ Ή ΕΠΙ ΤΑΣ» (aLaconic phrasesaid bySpartanmothers to their sons when they left for war; lit. "IT OR ON IT" meaning that if the Spartan is to return alive he should return with his shield [so as to have not dropped it and fled the battle] or be returned on it by his comrades, dead). |
Ireland
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Flag ofConnacht | The flag of Connacht is a heraldic banner of the arms of Connacht, a dimidiated (divided in half from top to bottom) eagle and armed hand. | ||
Flag ofLeinster | The flag of theIrish provinceof Leinster is a banner with the provincial coat of arms: a goldIrish harpwith silver strings on a green field (blazon:vert a harp or stringed argent). These arms are similar to thearms of Ireland,which have the same device on a field of blue rather than green | ||
Flag ofMunster | The flag of Munster consists of three gold crowns on a blue field. The crowns were the arms of Ireland before being superseded by the golden harp in the 16th century. The meaning of the crowns on the flag is not certain, but one possibility is that they may represent three of the medieval Hiberno-Norman lordships in Munster; the O’Briens (Thomond), the Butlers (Ormond) and the Fitzgeralds (Desmond). | ||
Flag ofUlster | Ulster is one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. Only three of the nine counties of Ulster are part of theRepublic of Ireland,the other six making upNorthern Ireland,part of theUnited Kingdom.However, the flag is still used to represent Ulster as a whole.The Red Hand of Ulsteris a symbol that is either derived from theO'Neill dynasty,then the most prominent Irish clan in Ulster, or the Dextra Dei of early Christian iconography. The gold background featuring a red cross comes from the coat of arms of theBurkes,aHiberno-Normannoble family. |
Italy
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2023– | Flag ofAbruzzo | ||
1947– | Flag of theAosta Valley | The flag of the Aosta Valley consists of two vertical stripes (the left black the right red), sometimes with the arms of the Aosta Valley in the centre. | |
2001– | Flag ofApulia | ||
1999– | Flag ofBasilicata | ||
1992– | Flag ofCalabria | ||
1971– | Flag ofCampania | The Campania Region has taken as its emblem the one given the Maritime Republic of Amalfi in its infancy. Said emblem consists of a red stripe on a white field.
Regional Law n. 1 of 21 July 1971 | |
1992– | Flag ofEmilia Romagna | ||
2001– | Flag ofFriuli-Venezia Giulia | ||
1992– | Flag ofLazio | ||
1992– | Flag ofLombardy | ||
1997– | Flag ofLiguria | ||
1995– | Flag ofMarche | ||
1995– | Flag ofMolise | ||
1995– | Flag ofPiedmont | ||
1999– | Flag ofSardinia | ||
1990– | Flag ofSicily | The current flag was adopted on 28 July 1990 under regional law N. 2, Art. 12. The law was later updated in 1998. It was not until 1 January 2000, under regional law N. 1, that the flag was adopted as the official symbol of Sicily, including legislation mandating public display of the flag at all Sicilian public buildings. The flag, officially used by the ancientKingdom of Sicily,has existed in various forms since 1282.
The flag is rectangular in form and is characterised by the presence of theTrinacria(triskelion)in the centre. It features a softened image of the winged-head ofMedusaand three ears of wheat (replacing snakeheads) representing the island's fertility. The three bent legs represent the island's three capes or points, while in mythology it is said to represent good luck and prosperity. The background of the flag is divided by a diagonal from left to right, and is coloured gold (lower left) and red-orange (upper right). The colours represent the cities of Palermo and Corleone, respectively, the first two to found a confederation against theAngevinrule. | |
1983– | Flag ofTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | ||
1995– | Flag ofTuscany | ||
2003– | Flag ofUmbria | ||
1999– | Flag ofVeneto |
Malta
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1964– | Flag ofGozo | Symbolises the islands nickname 'The Island of the Three Hills', and also the fact that it is surrounded by sea. |
Netherlands
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1947– | Flag ofDrenthe | White and red are the colours of a former leader, the Bishop of Utrecht. The black castle and red stars are a memory of Coevorden standing up against the Bisshop. | |
1986– | Flag ofFlevoland | The flag recalls how the new province was reclaimed from theIJsselmeer.The central yellow stripe, wavy then straight, symbolises the transformation of the sea into land. Its colour symbolises rapeseed, planted to stabilise the land. The blue represents water, the green the land. The white fleur-de-lys (lily) is a pun. It commemoratesCornelis Lely,designer of the original polders, essential to the province. | |
1957– | Flag ofFriesland | The flag is based on the kings of Frysia in 15th century. The colours are the same as those of the national flag of the Netherlands. The stripes and leaves of the yellow water-lily, represent the 7 districts of Friesland. | |
1953– | Flag ofGelderland | The colours are taken from the coat of arms, in which the lions from former duchesses are combined. | |
1950– | Flag ofGroningen | The flag combines the colours of the city ofGroningenwith red and blue in the flag of thearea around Groningen. | |
1953– | Flag ofLimburg | The red lion comes from the coat of arms of theDuchy of Limburg.The white and yellow are taken from the local coat of arms, while the narrow blue stripe symbolises theMeuse,which flows through the province. | |
1959– | Flag ofNorth Brabant | The North Brabantian flag dates from the Middle Ages and has the highest seniority among all Dutch province flags. The colours gules and argent have been used in Brabant standards, flags and pennants since the proclamation of the County of Louvain (942 CE) during the Lotharingian period. Later, the Duchy of Brabant continued using these colours. During the Middle Ages and the centuries after, the red and white would often be used. At the end of the 18th century, the flag fell into disuse. Since 1959, the red and white checkered flag has become the official flag of the province of North Brabant. | |
1958– | Flag ofNorth Holland | The colours of the flag are similar to the colours of the coat of arms, which is a combination of the coat of arms fromHollandandWest Friesland. | |
1948– | Flag ofOverijssel | The yellow and red stripes are a reference to the former association of this province with Holland. The blue source in the middle stands for the riverIJssel,which gave the province its name. | |
1985– | Flag ofSouth Holland | The flag is a banner of the coat of arms ofHolland. | |
1952– | Flag ofUtrecht | From 1528, the bishop of Utrecht used a red flag with a white cross. This flag is still seen in theupper canton. | |
1949– | Flag ofZeeland | In the centre of the flag, the coat of arms of Zeeland is depicted. The wavy blue lines represent the waves and the constant struggle against the sea. The lion is a symbol for the winner of this battle between man and sea. |
Poland
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2000– | Flag ofGreater Poland Voivodeship | ||
2012-12-28 – | Flag ofHoly Cross Voivodeship | ||
2000– | Flag ofKuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship | ||
1999– | Flag ofLesser Poland Voivodeship | ||
2000-10-27 – | Flag ofLower Silesia Voivodeship | ||
2004-04-14 – | Flag ofLublin Voivodeship | ||
2000– | Flag ofLubusz Voivodeship | ||
2002-06-25 – | Flag ofŁódź Voivodeship | ||
2006-05-29 – | Flag ofMazovia Voivodeship | ||
2004-12-21 – | Flag ofOpole Voivodeship | ||
2002-08-30 – | Flag ofPodlachia Voivodeship | ||
2002-03-25 – | Flag ofPomerania Voivodeship | ||
2001– | Flag ofSilesia Voivodeship | ||
2000– | Flag ofSubcarpathian Voivodeship | ||
2002-08-06 – | Flag ofWarmia-Masuria Voivodeship | ||
2000– | Flag ofWest Pomerania Voivodeship |
Portugal
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1979– | Flag of theAzores | The flag of Azores has the colours of the flag of Portugal until 1910. It also has 9 stars representing the islands of the archipelago, the Portuguese shield and a Goshawk (in PortugueseAçor) that gives the name to the archipelago. It is an adaption of the first autonomy flag used during the autonomic movement in 1893, itself adapted of the then monarchist flag. | |
1978– | Flag ofMadeira | The design consists of a blue-gold-blue verticaltribandwith a red-bordered whiteCross of Christin the centre. |
Russia
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1992– | Flag ofAdygea | ||
2009– | Flag ofArkhangelsk Oblast | ||
2001– | Flag ofAstrakhan Oblast | ||
1992– | Flag ofBashkortostan | ||
2000– | Flag ofBelgorod Oblast | ||
1992– | Flag ofBryansk Oblast | ||
2004– | Flag ofChechnya | ||
1992– | Flag ofChuvashia | The flag of Chuvashia consists of a stylizedtree of life,a symbol of rebirth, with the three suns, a traditional emblem popular in Chuvash art. | |
1999– | Flag ofCrimea[note 8] | ||
1994– | Flag ofDagestan | An equally horizontal striped tricolour flag consists colours of green, blue and red. | |
1994– | Flag ofIngushetia | ||
1994– | Flag ofKabardino-Balkaria | ||
1997– | Flag ofKaliningrad Oblast | ||
1993– | Flag ofKalmykia | On the flag of Kalmykia, the yellow stands for thesun,the people and the religious faith of the nation. The blue represents the sky, eternity, and steadiness. Thelotusis a symbol of purity, spiritual rebirth and happiness. Its five upper petals represent the continents and the lower four stand for the quarters of the globe. Together, they symbolize the will of theKalmyksto live in friendship and to cooperate with all the nations of the world. | |
2004– | Flag ofKaluga Oblast | ||
1996– | Flag ofKarachay-Cherkessia | ||
1993– | Flag ofKarelia | The national flag of the Republic of Karelia is a rectangle with equal horizontal stripes: the upper stripe is red, the middle one is blue and the lower is green. | |
1997– | Flag of theKomi Republic | The flag is a horizontal tricolour composed of three bars of, from top to bottom, medium blue, green, and white. Together, they represent Komi's natural wealth. The blue represents the splendour and spaciousness of the northern sky. The green represents nature, its bounty, and the taiga. The white represents the color of snow, the purity of nature in the north, simplicity, and austerity, as well as Komi being a country in the north. According to a different interpretation, the white represents the equality and unity of the people and cultures living in Komi. | |
2004– | Flag ofKrasnodar Krai | ||
2011– | Flag of theMari El Republic | ||
1995– | Flag ofMordovia | ||
1995– | Flag ofMoscow Municipality | ||
1995– | Flag ofMoscow Oblast | ||
2005– | Flag ofNizhny Novgorod Oblast | ||
1991– | Flag ofNorth Ossetia–Alania | ||
2022– | Flag ofPenza Oblast | ||
1996– | Flag ofRostov Oblast | ||
1991– | Flag ofSaint Petersburg | ||
2000– | Flag ofSevastopol[note 9] | ||
1991– | Flag ofTatarstan | ||
1993– | Flag of theUdmurt Republic | The cross/star symbol represents the solar sign, a protective symbol that according to folklore protects man from misfortunes. | |
2017– | Flag ofVladimir Oblast | ||
2000– | Flag ofVolgograd Oblast |
Serbia
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2004– | Flag ofVojvodina | Horizontal tricolour of red, blue and white with larger blue portion and three yellow stars. | |
1848–1849 (original design) 2015– |
Traditional flag ofVojvodina | Horizontal tricolour of red, blue and white with a coat of arms. |
Spain
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1918– | Flag ofAndalusia | The flag of Andalusia consists of a horizontal tricolour (green-white-green) with the Andalusian arms in the centre. | |
1982– | Flag ofAragon | ||
1982– | Flag ofAsturias | The flag of Asturias is light blue with theVictory Crossslightly left of the centre. | |
1983– | Flag of theBalearic Islands | ||
1978– | Flag of theBasque Country | ||
1984– | Flag ofCantabria | ||
1982– | Flag of theCanary Islands | The flag of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands is a verticaltricolourof three equal bands of white, blue, and yellow. The state flag includes theCoat of arms of the Canary Islandsin the central band; the civil flag omits this. The designs were made official by the Statute of Autonomy of the Canarian Autonomous Community (Organic Law 10/82) on 16 August 1982. | |
1982– | Flag ofCastilla–La Mancha | ||
(1230–1715) 1983– |
Flag ofCastile and León | It is formed by the combination of the historical flags of two of the oldest kingdom is the Iberian peninsula in the Middle Ages, theKingdom of León(purple lion on silver in reference to the meaning of "león" ) and theKingdom of Castile(golden castle on red in reference to the many castles that were erected all over the country). The joint historical flag dates back to mid 13th century whenFerdinand III,"the Saint", unified the two kingdoms in 1230, inaugurating theKingdom of Castile and León,later namedCrown of Castile. | |
1150– | Flag ofCatalonia | The flag ofCataloniaconsists four red bars on top of a yellow background. One popular (and unproven) legend mentions this flag originating with the streaking of 4 blood-stained fingers across a plain shield. The flag derives from the royal coat of arms of the historical royal family of theCrown of Aragon,House of Barcelona. | |
1983– | Flag ofExtremadura | ||
19th century (official from 1984) – | Flag ofGalicia | The flag ofGaliciaappeared for the first time in the 19th century, probably based on the colours of the ancient medieval flags of theKingdom of Galicia.Originally, the flag was a blueSt Andrew's Crossover a white field—St Andrewis one of the most popular saints in Galicia. The coat of arms of Galicia was the former flag of the Kingdom of Galicia. Colors blue, white and gold were always related with Galicia. The chalice and the golden crosses on blue background have been its symbol since medieval times (13th century). For some time it was thought that it was based on the flag of the maritime province ofCorunna,but today it is known that the design is earlier. | |
1982– | Flag ofLa Rioja | ||
1983– | Flag of theCommunity of Madrid | The seven stars represent the stars of the constellationUrsa Minor.They're five-pointed because they represent the five Spanish provinces which surround the Community of Madrid. | |
1982– | Flag of theRegion of Murcia | ||
1982– | Flag ofNavarre | ||
1982– | Flag of theValencian Community |
Sweden
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1902 (?)– | Semi-officialflag ofScania |
Switzerland
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1289– | Flag ofBern | ||
15th century – | Flag ofGeneva | The flag of Geneva is the historical flag of the city of Geneva, showing the Imperial Eagle and a Key of St. Peter (symbolizing the status of Geneva asReichsstadtand as episcopal seat, respectively), in use since the 15th century. | |
Flag ofGlarus | Gules, a pilgrim walking towards the dexter argent, habited sable, holding in his dexter hand a staff, in his sinister hand a bible, and above his head a halo. | ||
1386– | Flag ofLucerne | ||
1803– | Flag ofSt. Gallen | A white uprightfasceswith the axe blade facing the hoist on green field. | |
1240– | Flag ofSchwyz | A white banner with a cross on the top-left | |
13th century – | Flag ofUri | A bull's head seen face on, with a red tongue and a red nose ring, on a yellow field. | |
1803– | Flag ofVaud | ||
1220 (?)– | Flag ofZürich |
Ukraine
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1998– | Flag ofCherkasy Oblast | ||
2000– | Flag ofChernihiv Oblast | ||
2001– | Flag ofChernivtsi Oblast | ||
1999– | Flag ofCrimea[a] | Controlled by Russia but recognised as part of Ukraine by most of the international community. | |
1999– | Flag ofDonetsk Oblast | ||
2002– | Flag ofDnipropetrovsk Oblast | ||
2001– | Flag ofIvano-Frankivsk Oblast | ||
1999– | Flag ofKharkiv Oblast | ||
2001– | Flag ofKherson Oblast | ||
2002– | Flag ofKhmelnytskyi Oblast | ||
1998– | Flag ofKirovohrad Oblast | ||
1995– | Flag ofKyiv Municipality | ||
1999– | Flag ofKyiv Oblast | ||
1998– | Flag ofLuhansk Oblast | ||
2001– | Flag ofLviv Oblast | ||
2001– | Flag ofMykolaiv Oblast | ||
2002– | Flag ofOdesa Oblast | ||
2000– | Flag ofPoltava Oblast | ||
2005– | Flag ofRivne Oblast | ||
2000– | Flag ofSevastopol[m] | Controlled by Russia but recognised as part of Ukraine by most of the international community. | |
2000– | Flag ofSumy Oblast | ||
2003– | Flag ofTernopil Oblast | ||
1997– | Flag ofVinnytsia Oblast | ||
2004– | Flag ofVolyn Oblast | ||
2001– | Flag ofZaporizhzhia Oblast | ||
2009– | Flag ofZakarpattia Oblast | ||
2003– | Flag ofZhytomyr Oblast |
United Kingdom
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
16th century – | Flag ofEngland | England is one of the home nations thatformsthe United Kingdom. TheSt George's Crossis the customary national flag. | |
1953–1973 | Flag ofNorthern Ireland | Northern Ireland is one of the home nations thatformstheUnited Kingdom.The 'Ulster Banner' (Ulster Scots:Ulstèr Bannèr;Irish: Meirge Uladh) was the official flag of Northern Ireland between 1953 and 1973, however, its use is now unofficial and Northern Ireland lacks a unique official flag. | |
14th century – | Flag ofScotland | Scotland is one of the home nations thatformstheUnited Kingdom.The 'Saltire' is the official national flag. | |
9th century – | Flag ofWales | Wales is one of the home nations thatformstheUnited Kingdom.The Red Dragon(Welsh: Y Ddraig Goch) is the official national flag. The Welsh dragon has ancient origins, but was first officially flown in the modern era in 1959. |
Flags of European cities
editFlags of cities with over 1 million inhabitants:
-
FlagofBirmingham,United Kingdom
-
Flag ofBratislava,Slovakia
-
Flag ofBucharest,Romania
-
Flag ofCologne,Germany
-
Flag ofKazan,Russia
-
Flag ofKharkiv,Ukraine
-
Flag ofKraków,Poland
-
Flag ofMinsk,Belarus
-
Flag ofMunich,Germany
-
Flag ofNizhny Novgorod,Russia
-
Flag ofPerm,Russia
-
Flag ofPrague,Czech Republic
-
Flag ofRome,Italy
-
Flag ofRostov-on-Don,Russia
-
FlagofSaint Petersburg,Russia
-
Flag ofSamara,Russia
-
Flag ofSofia,Bulgaria
-
Flag ofStuttgart,Germany
-
Flag ofUfa,Russia
-
Flag ofVienna,Austria
-
Flag ofVolgograd,Russia
-
Flag ofVoronezh,Russia
Flags of European ethnic groups
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1917– | Flag of theCrimean Tatars | ||
1919– | Flag of theIngrians | ||
2017– | Flag of theKven people | ||
1923– | Flag of theLivonians | ||
1971– | Flag of theRomani people | ||
2007– | Flag of theRusyns | ||
1986– | Flag of theSami people | ||
2003– | Flag of theSetos | ||
1842– | Flag of theSorbs | ||
1992– | Flag of theVepsians | ||
2013– | Flag of theVõros | ||
2003– | Flag of theVotians |
Historical flags
editFlag | Date | Use as Flag of | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Historical British Commonwealth | |||
1398–1489 | Kingdom of Cyprus | The flag was officially adopted on 16 August 1960.
The island is depicted in acoppershade representative of its name: the name Cyprus has roots in the Sumerian word for copper (zubar), from the large deposits of copper found on the island. The crossed green olive branches symbolise the hope for peace between the Turks and the Greeks. It was designed byİsmet Güney,aTurkish Cypriotpainter. | |
1881–1922 | British Cyprus | ||
1960– | Cyprus See also:List of Cypriot flags[note 4] | ||
1707–1801 | Great Britain | The current flag of the United Kingdom dates from theAct of Union 1800,which merged theKingdom of Great Britainand theKingdom of Irelandto form theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The "Union Jack"merges the red cross ofSaint George(patron saintofEngland), edged in white, superimposed on the diagonal red cross ofSaint Patrick(patron saint ofIreland), which are superimposed on thesaltireofSaint Andrew(patron saint ofScotland). The flag ofWales,the othercountry of the United Kingdom,is not graphically represented. | |
1801– | United Kingdom See also:List of United Kingdom flags | ||
1815–1864 | United States of the Ionian Islands | ||
1918–1944 | Kingdom of Iceland | The flag ofIcelandwas adopted in June 1915 to represent Iceland. In June 1944 it became the flag of the independent republic of Iceland. Like other Scandinavian flags, it is based on theNordic Cross.It is a reverse colour image of theFlag of Norway.The blue represents the sea, the white represents the snow and glaciers and the red symbolises volcanic lava. | |
1915– | Iceland See also:List of Icelandic flags | ||
1922– | Ireland See also:List of Irish flags |
Although dating from the 19th century, the tricolour flag of Ireland was not popularised until its use by rebels during the 1916Easter Rising.It was officially adopted by the revolutionaryFirst Dáil(assembly) of theIrish Republicon 21 January 1919, and used thereafter by theIrish Free State.The current 1937Constitution of Irelanddefines it as the national flag.
Modeled after theFrench tricolour,the colours of the Irish tricolour symbolise two communities. Green represents theRoman Catholicnationalisttradition. Orange represents theProtestantunionistcommunity. White symbolises peace between both. | |
1875–1898 | Crown Colony of Malta | The flag of Malta was officially adopted on 21 September 1964. The flag uses the traditional red and white colours which pre-date those of theKnights of Maltaand which Government emulate[clarification needed]the arms of the formerUniversitasof Mdina. TheGeorge Cross(upper left), outlined in red, was added to the flag in the 1940s, as KingGeorge VI of the United Kingdompresented it to islanders for outstanding gallantry duringWorld War II. | |
1898–1923 | |||
1923–1943 | |||
1943–1964 | |||
1964– | Malta See also:List of flags of Malta | ||
Historical German-Roman Empire | |||
1400–1805 | Holy Roman Empire | The tricolour flag was designed in 1832, and the black, red, and gold colours were taken from the uniforms of German soldiers during theNapoleonic Wars(Out of theblackness(black) of servitude throughbloody(red) battles to thegolden(gold) light of freedom.[1]) or taken from the coat of arms ofHoly Roman Empire. | |
1867–1871 | North German Confederation | ||
1871–1918 | German Empire | ||
1918–1933 | Weimar Republic | ||
1933–1935 | Nazi Germany | ||
1935–1945 | |||
1949– | Germany See also:List of German flags | ||
1949–1959 | East Germany | ||
1959–1990 | |||
1804–1867 | Austrian Empire | Stripes of red and white have been a collective emblem ofAustriafor over 800 years, and they were first used on the flag in 1191. According to long-established legend, the red and white flag was designed to resemble the bloodstained white coat worn by theDuke of Austriaduring a fierce battle. | |
1919–1938 | Austria See also:List of Austrian flags | ||
1938–1945 | Austria within Nazi Germany | ||
1945– | Austria See also:List of Austrian flags | ||
1993– | Czech Republic See also:List of Czech flags |
The first flag of Czechoslovakia was white over red, and those colours are the heraldic colours ofBohemia.The blue triangle was added to the flag to distinguish it from theflag of Poland,and blue is said to represent the State ofMoravia. | |
1920–1939 | Free City of Danzig | ||
1957– | Hungary See also:List of Hungarian flags |
The flag of Hungary was officially adopted in 1848.
The dominant red, white and green colors of thetricolourdesign are derived from the historicalHungarian coat of arms.Red is said to symbolise strength, white faithfulness, and green hope. | |
1861–1946 | Kingdom of Italy See also:List of Italian flags |
Derived from an original design byNapoleon,it consists of three vertical bands of equal width, displaying thenational colours of Italy:green, white, and red. Green stands for hope, white for loyalty and red represents the blood spread to unify the country. | |
1948– | Italy | ||
1719–1852 | Liechtenstein See also:List of Liechtensteinian flags |
The flag ofLiechtensteinconsists of two horizontal bands of blue and red with a gold crown in the canton. The crown was added to the flag in 1937 after the country found out at the1936 Summer Olympicsthat their flag was identical to thecivil flag of Haiti. | |
1852–1921 | |||
1921–1937 | |||
1937–1982 | |||
1982– | |||
1920–1935 | Territory of the Saar Basin | ||
1947–1956 | Saar Protectorate | ||
2011– | San Marino See also:List of Sammarinese flags |
The flag ofSan Marinocomprises equal horizontal bands of white and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the centre. | |
1889– | Switzerland See also:List of Swiss flags |
The flag ofSwitzerlandconsists of a red square with a bold, equilateral whiteGreek crossin the centre. It is one of only two square flags, the other being that of theVatican CityorHoly See.It is based on the flag of theCanton of Schwyz,which dates back to 1474 at least. | |
1929– | Vatican City/Holy See See also:List of Vatican flags |
The flag ofVatican CityorHoly See,adopted in June 1929, consists of two vertical bands of yellow and white with the crossed keys ofSaint Peterand the Papal Tiara centred in the white band. It is one of only two square country flags in the world, the other being that ofSwitzerland. | |
Historical Latin and Benelux Nations | |||
1866– | Andorra See also:List of Andorran flags |
The flag ofAndorra,adopted in 1866, is a tricolour of blue, yellow, and red with thecoat of arms of Andorrain the centre. It is based on the flags ofFranceandSpain.The coat of arms of Andorra is based on theflag of Catalonia(4 red ribbons on yellow background). | |
1830– | Belgium See also:List of Belgian flags |
Black, gold and red are symbolic of the country'scoat of arms.The three-striped vertical layout was inspired by theFrench Tricolour.Black and gold were chosen, being the colours of the Duchy of Brabant where theBelgian Revolutionstarted. Red was added as a symbol of the blood spilled during the uprising. | |
1316–1547 | Duchy of Brittany | ||
1794–1814 1830– |
France See also:List of French flags |
It was officially adopted on 15 February 1794.
Thetricoloreconsists of three vertical bands of equal width, displaying the country's national colours: blue, white, and red. The blue band is positioned nearest the flagstaff, the white in the middle, and the red on the outside. Red, white and blue have come to represent liberty, equality and fraternity—the ideals of theFrench Revolution.Blue and red are also the time-honoured colours ofParis,while white is the colour of the RoyalHouse of Bourbon. | |
1845– | Luxembourg See also:List of flags of Luxembourg |
The flag of Luxembourg was officially adopted in 1972, although it had been used since 1848 following Luxembourg's independence from theNetherlandsin the late 19th century.[dates disagree]
The flag uses a combination of red, white, and blue that dates to the 13th century, and theGrand Duke's coat of arms. | |
1881– | Monaco See also:List of flags of Monaco |
The flag of Monaco has two horizontal bands of red and white—these have been the heraldic colours of theHouse of Grimaldisince at least 1339. | |
1575 (first used) 1937 (officially adopted)– |
Netherlands See also:List of flags of the Netherlands |
The flag of the Netherlands was officially adopted on 19 February 1937.
At one time this tricolour flag was orange, white, and blue, as those were the livery colours ofWilliam of Orange,a Dutch prince. In the 17th century, red replaced the orange as a flag colour, because the orange dye used on the flag was unstable, and turned red after exposure to the sun. It is the oldesttricolour flagstill in national use[6]and has influenced both theFrench[3](1794) andRussian flag[4](1693); both of these flags have in turn influenced many other European and African flags. | |
1911– | Portugal See also:List of Portuguese flags |
The flag of Portugal was officially adopted on 30 June 1911.
The design is a rectangular bi-colour (2:3ratio) with a field vertically divided into two stripes of different widths—a green stripe on thehoist,and a larger red stripe on thefly.A small version of thenational coat of arms(armillary sphereand Portuguese shield) is superimposed over the boundary between the colours at equal distance from the upper and lower edges. The field colours, especially the green, originally represented a radicalrepublican-inspired change that broke the bond with the former religious monarchical flag. In the ensuing decades, these colours were popularly propagandised as representing the hope of the nation (green) and the blood (red) of those who died defending it, as a means to endow them with a more patriotic and dignified, therefore less political, sentiment. | |
1785–1873, 1875–1931 | Kingdom of Spain | The flag of Spain was officially adopted on 19 July 1927 as the merchant naval flag, and on 29 December 1978 as the national flag under the currentSpanish Constitution.However the first original reference dates back to 15 May 1785, whenCharles III of Spainadopted one of the designs proposed byAntonio Valdés y Bazán,commissioned by the king himself, in order to easily differentiate his ships from those of other European nations, many of which used the royal coat of arms over a white background, i.e. theFrench Bourbon royal flag.The red and golden-yellow colours were used from that day with mere changes[clarification needed]on the coat of arms (with the exception of theSpanish Second Republic) and are the original colours found within the coat of arms of the medieval kingdoms ofCastile,AragonandNavarre,first united by KingFerdinand II of Aragonand QueenIsabella I of Castile. | |
1873–1874 | First Spanish Republic | ||
1931–1939 | Second Spanish Republic | ||
1936–1938 | Spanish State | ||
1938–1945 | |||
1945–1977 | Spanish State/Kingdom of Spain | ||
1977–1981 | Kingdom of Spain | ||
(1785 original design) 1981– |
Spain See also:List of Spanish flags | ||
Historical Ottoman Empire | |||
1912–1946 | Albania See also:List of Albanian flags |
The flag ofAlbania,adopted in April 1912, is a red flag with a blackdouble-headed eaglein the centre. It is derived from the seal ofGjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg,a 15th-century Albanian who led a revolt against theOttoman Empirethat resulted in brief independence for Albania from 1443 to 1478. | |
1946–1992 | People's Socialist Republic of Albania | ||
1992– | Albania | ||
1878–1947 | Bulgaria See also:List of Bulgarian flags |
The flag ofBulgariawas adopted in 1989 and consists of three horizontal bands of white, green and red. | |
1947–1948 | People's Republic of Bulgaria | ||
1948–1967 | |||
1967–1971 | |||
1971–1990 | |||
1991– | Bulgaria | ||
1978– (Civil flagsince 1822) |
Greece See also:List of Greek flags |
The current flag of Greece was adopted as acivil flagandensignin 1822, and as thenational flagin 1978.
It features a white cross and a combination of nine (five blue and four white) horizontal stripes. The shade of blue has varied over the years, and darker blue (shown) is now commonly used. The alternating white and blue stripes are said to represent the nine syllables of the phrase "Eleftheria i thanatos"(" Freedom or Death "), a popular motto during theGreek War of Independence.During theKingdom of Greece,a crown was added in the centre of the cross. Greece's national flag between 1822 and 1970 featured a simple white cross on a blue background. It is not known why this version was adopted, and not a blue cross on a white background as was popular in the War of Independence. Duringthe dictatorship,anavy blueversion of the current flag with proportions of 7:12 was used. | |
1844–1922 | Ottoman Empire | The flag ofTurkeyis a red flag with a white crescent moon and a star in its centre. The flag is called Ay Yıldız (literally, moon star) or Albayrak (Red flag). It was adopted in 1844 with the Tanzimat reforms; though the shape, placement and shade of the colour[clarification needed]vary. The geometric proportions of the flag were legally standardised with the Turkish Flag Law in 1936. | |
1922– | Turkey See also:List of Turkish flags | ||
Scandinavian Nations | |||
1219– | Denmark See also:List of Danish flags |
It is the world's oldest state flag still in use. Legend has it that it appeared as a sign from heaven to KingValdemar IIin 1219.
Known as theDannebrog( "Danish Cloth" ), this blood-red flag with an off-centred white cross (a "Nordic Cross") became a model for other regional flags. | |
1918– | Finland See also:List of Finnish flags |
It was officially adopted on 29 May 1918.
The off-centred blue cross is based on theNordic Cross,widely used on Nordic national flags. The blue colour is symbolic of blue skies, and the thousands of lakes in Finland. The white represents the winter snows. | |
1821–1844 1898– |
Norway See also:List of Norwegian flags |
The flag ofNorwayis red with a blueNordic crossoutlined in white; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of theDannebrog,the flag of Denmark. It was adopted in 1821, but aunion markwas added in the canton from 1844 to 1898. | |
(1569–1814) 1906–[5] |
Sweden See also:List of Swedish flags |
The flag of Sweden was officially adopted on 22 June 1906.
The off-centre yellow cross (theNordic Cross) is taken from theDanish flag.The yellow and blue colours are taken from the nationalcoat of arms. It was adopted in 1569, but aunion markwas added in the canton from 1844 to 1905. | |
Historical Soviet Republics | |||
1921–1922 | Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia | This recently adopted flag is a simple white rectangle, with a central red cross connecting all four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red cross. The flag is based on a historic five-cross design that dates back to the 14th century. | |
1991–1992 | |||
1990–2004 | Georgia See also:List of Georgian flags[note 3] | ||
2004– | |||
1918–1920 | Armenia See also:List of Armenian flags[note 3] |
After gaining independence, theFirst Republic of Armeniaadopted the modern Armenian tricolor. The independent Armenian government selected the colours used during the last period of theRubenid Dynasty:red, blue and orange. The red emblematizes theArmenian Highland,the Armenian people's continued struggle for survival, maintenance of the Christian faith, Armenia's independence and freedom. The blue emblematizes the will of the people of Armenia to live beneath peaceful skies. The orange emblematizes the creative talent and hard-working nature of the people of Armenia. | |
1922 | Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic | ||
1991– | Armenia | ||
1992 – 2023 | Artsakh | The flag of Artsakh is based on theFlag of Armenia,and has a white pattern added. | |
1918 | Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan | Originally adopted in 1918 as a flag of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, it was officially adopted again in 1991, after Azerbaijan gained its independence. The flag of Azerbaijan is the national ensign of Azerbaijan. It consists of three equal horizontal bands colored blue, red, and green, with a white crescent and an eight-pointed star centered in the red band. The blue band refers to Turkic heritage, the red is for progress and Europeanisation and the green refers to Islam. | |
1920 | Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic | ||
1920–1921 | |||
1921–1922 | |||
1918–1920 1991– |
Azerbaijan See also:List of Azerbaijani flags[note 3] | ||
1991–1995 | Belarus See also:List of Belarusian flags |
Belarus's flag was officially adopted on 10 February 2012. The dominant red-green bicolour was used on itsflag when it was a republic within the former Soviet Union.The woven fabric ornament on the left uses traditional Belarusian red and white colours. | |
1995–2012 | |||
1995– | |||
1954–1992 | Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic | ||
1918–1940 1990– |
Estonia See also:List of Estonian flags |
It was officially re-adopted on 8 May 1990. The story of the flag begins on 17 September 1881, when the constituent Assembly of the first Estonian national student Corps "Vironia" (modern Estonian Students Society) in the city of Tartu was also identified in color; it later became national. The first flag was made in 1884 and this tricolour was accepted in 1918 as the national flag of Estonia. The original flag is still in existence. The first flag of Estonia is kept in Tartu Estonian National Museum.
Blue represents loyalty, and the country's beautiful blue skies, seas and lakes; black is symbolic of past oppression and the fertile soil; and white represents virtue, winter snows, and Estonia's long struggle for freedom and independence. | |
1991–1992 | Kazakhstan See also:List of Kazakh flags[note 11] |
Adopted on 4 June 1992. The flag has a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a teal background; the hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern called "koshkar-muiz" (the horns of the ram) in gold. | |
1992– | |||
1918–1920 | Kuban People's Republic | ||
1918–1940 1990– |
Latvia See also:List of Latvian flags |
The flag of Latvia was officially re-adopted on 27 February 1990.
The design is adopted from a 13th-century chronicle where "red divided by white" is said to be a Latvian flag. To distinguish it from the Austrian flag, the proportions 2:1:2 and the "Latvian red" color have been adopted. | |
1918–1940 1989– |
Lithuania See also:List of Lithuanian flags |
The flag of Lithuania was officially re-adopted on 20 March 1989, before Lithuania gained independence from theSoviet Unionin 1990.
Yellow is symbolic of the country's wheat fields, green symbolic of the forests, and red symbolises patriotism. Collectively the colours represent hope for the future, freedom from oppression, and the courage of the Lithuanian people. | |
1990– | Moldova See also:List of Moldovan flags |
Moldova's flag was officially adopted on 12 May 1990. Once part ofRomania,Moldova's flag reflects that association, as the two countries use almost identical shades of red, yellow and blue in their national flags. The centred Moldova shield's main feature is a golden eagle holding anOrthodox Christian Crossin its beak. The olive branch is said to symbolise peace. | |
1917–1922 | Flag of theMountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus | ||
1815–1918 | Congress of Poland | ||
1919– | Flag ofPoland See also:List of Polish flags |
The colours red and white have long been associated with Poland and its coat of arms, at least since 3 May 1791. | |
1867–1948 | Romania | Theflag of Romaniawas officially re-adopted in 1989. The first red-yellow-blue flag dates from 1834 but the colours themselves are thought to have had special significance from earlier times. The current layout dates since 1848. A verticaltricolourof bands of blue, yellow, and red of equal width and overall proportions of 2:3 (height-width). | |
1948 | Romanian People's Republic | ||
1948–1952 | |||
1952–1965 | |||
1965–1989' | |||
1989– | Romania See also:List of Romanian flags | ||
1263–1551 | Grand Duchy of Moscow | TheRussian Federationflag was officially adopted on 22 August 1991. The flag was hoisted shortly after the former Soviet Union collapsed. The white, blue and red arePan-Slaviccolours. | |
1480–1551 | |||
1551–1560 | |||
1560–1570 | Tsardom of Russia | ||
1570–1580 | |||
1580–1612 | |||
1612–1654 | |||
1654–1666 | |||
1666–1668 | |||
1668–1693 | |||
1693–1721 | |||
1721–1858 | Russian Empire | ||
1858–1883 | |||
1883–1917 | |||
1918 | Russian Soviet Republic | ||
1918–1920 | Russian State | ||
1920–1922 | Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic | ||
1922–1923 | Soviet Union | ||
1923–1924 | |||
1924–1936 | |||
1936–1955 | |||
1955–1991 | |||
1991–1993 | Russia See also:List of Russian flags[note 12] | ||
1993– | |||
1440–1500 | Crimean Khanate | Ukraine's flag was adopted on 4 September 1991, shortly after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. This is the country's original flag used by the short-livedUkrainian People's Republic,but it was banned for many decades under the Soviet regime. The shade of blue is said to be symbolic of the sky, while the yellow represents Ukraine's golden wheat fields. | |
1500–1542 | |||
1542–1604 | Grand Duchy of Lithuania | ||
1605–1795 | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | ||
1654–1655 | Cossack Hetman | ||
1654–1666 | Tsardom of Russia | ||
1721–1858 | Russian Empire | ||
1858–1883 | |||
1883–1917 | |||
1917–1919 | Ukrainian People's Republic | ||
1919–1922 | Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic | ||
1918–1920 1992– |
Ukraine See also:List of Ukrainian flags | ||
Historical Yugoslavian Republics | |||
1992–1998 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | The flag ofBosnia and Herzegovinaconsists of a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag. The remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle. The three points of the triangle stand for the three nations of Bosnia: Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. It is said to represent the map of Bosnia. | |
1998– | |||
1990– | Croatia See also:List of Croatian flags |
The flag of Croatia, adopted in December 1990, consists of three equal horizontal stripes of red, white and blue and thecoat of arms of Croatiain the center. | |
1835–1882 | Principality of Serbia | The flag ofSerbiaconsists of three horizontal bands of red, blue and white, with the coat-of-arms located left of centre. By accident or design the colours are that of the Russian flag reversed. A flag with three horizontal bands of red, blue and white has been used as the national flag of Serbia and Serbs since 1815. Red, blue, and white are consideredPan-Slaviccolours, but red and blue also occur on flags attributed to a 13th-century king of Serbia. The superimposed coat of arms of Serbia is a double-headed white eagle and a red shield with a white cross surrounded by 4 firesteels (ocila), a symbol that draws roots fromSaint SavaSerbian Crossand from the ancient past of the Balkan peninsula, as it can be seen on 7000 years oldVinča culturepottery and many other later traditional Balkan cultural remains.
| |
1852–1905 | Principality of Montenegro/Kingdom of Montenegro | ||
1882–1918 | Kingdom of Serbia | ||
1905–1918 | Kingdom of Montenegro | ||
1918–1943 | Yugoslavia | ||
1943–1946 | |||
1946–1992 | |||
1992-2006 | Serbia and Montenegro | ||
2006– | Montenegro See also:List of flags of Montenegro | ||
2006– (Civil flagsince 1835) |
Serbia See also:List of flags of Serbia | ||
1991–1992 | Republic of Macedonia | The flag of North Macedonia depicts a rising yellow sun with eight rays extending to the edges of the red field. It represents "the new sun of liberty", evoked in the Macedonian national anthemDenes nad Makedonija(Today Over Macedonia). | |
1992–1995 | |||
1995– | North Macedonia See also:List of flags of North Macedonia | ||
1992– | Slovakia See also:List of Slovak flags |
The flag of Slovakia was officially adopted on 1 September 1992.
White, blue and red are traditionalPan-Slavic colours.The superimposed Slovakian arms feature a dominant white cross atop a blue symbolic reference to the European country's mountains. | |
1991– | Slovenia See also:List of Slovenian flags |
The flag of Slovenia was officially adopted on 24 June 1991.
Red, white, and blue are taken from theCarniolancoat of arms. The flag without the coat of arms was in use from 1848 to 1945. The Slovenian coat of arms features three gold stars, symbolizing theCounts of Celje.The mountains shown in white are representative of theAlps,and MountTriglav,Slovenia's national symbol, in particular; the wavy blue lines across the bottom indicate Slovenia's access to the sea. |
Historical supranational and international flags
editFlag | Date | Use | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1949–1991 | Flag of theCouncil for Mutual Economic Assistance | ||
1958–1972 | Flag of theEuropean Coal and Steel Community | ||
1973–1980 | Flag of theEuropean Coal and Steel Community | ||
1981–1985 | Flag of theEuropean Coal and Steel Community | ||
1986–2002 | Flag of theEuropean Coal and Steel Community | ||
1993–1995 | Flag of theWestern European Union | ||
1995–2011 | Flag of theWestern European Union |
Notes
edit- ^TheEuropean Parliamentadopted theCouncil of Europe's flag in 1983.
- ^Adopted by theEuropean Communitiesin 1986, which became theEuropean Unionin 1992 continuing its usage.
- ^abcdefghijklPart of theCaucasusregion, at the crossroads ofEuropeandAsia,the boundaries of which mayvary based on definition.Physiographically,Armenia may be considered to fall entirely inWestern Asia,whereas Georgia and Azerbaijan are at times deemed transcontinental states spanning both Europe and Asia.
- ^abcTheisland of Cyprus,which includes theRepublic of Cyprus,Northern CyprusandAkrotiri and Dhekelia,is geographically located in Asia, closer toAsian Turkeythan to the European mainland. However, theRepublic of Cyprusis a member state of theEuropean Union.
- ^Kazakhstan is atranscontinental countrylocated mainly inCentral Asiawith a small part of its territory located west of theUral MountainsinEastern Europe.
- ^Russia is a transcontinental country that spans bothEastern EuropeandNorthern Asia.
- ^Turkey is atranscontinental countrylocated mainly inWestern Asiawith a small portion of its territory inSoutheastern EuropecalledEast Thrace.
- ^Controlled by Russia but recognised as part of Ukraine by most of the international community
- ^Controlled by Russia but recognised as part of Ukraine by most of the international community
- ^Greater Londonas a whole doesn't have anofficial flag.The flag of theCity of Londonis displayed here.
- ^Kazakhstan is atranscontinental countrylocated mainly inCentral Asiawith a small part of its territory located west of theUral MountainsinEastern Europe.
- ^Russia is a transcontinental country that spans bothEastern EuropeandNorthern Asia.
- ^abContinental placement may vary depending ongeographic conventionbeing followed.
References
edit- ^abc(in German)Scheidler, Karl Hermann (1865-08-05)Illustrierte Zeitung,Leipzig, 98
- ^Central Intelligence Agency(2015-11-24).The CIA World Factbook 2016.Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.ISBN9781510700895.
- ^abc"flag of France".Encyclopædia Britannica.Retrieved2016-10-08.
- ^abc"flag of Russia".Encyclopædia Britannica.Retrieved2016-10-08.
- ^abChanged to a lighter blue
- ^abCentral Intelligence Agency(2015-11-24).The CIA World Factbook 2016.Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.ISBN9781510700895.
- ^"Etelä-Savon maakuntahallitus valitsi maakuntalipun".www.esavo.fi.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-06-12.Retrieved2020-06-12.
External links
edit- Media related toFlags of Europeat Wikimedia Commons
See also
edit- Lists of flags of European countries
- List of Albanian flags
- List of Andorran flags
- List of Armenian flags
- List of Austrian flags
- List of Azerbaijani flags
- List of Belarusian flags
- List of Belgian flags
- List of flags of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- List of Bulgarian flags
- List of Croatian flags
- List of Cypriot flags
- List of Czech flags
- List of Danish flags
- List of Estonian flags
- List of flags of Finland
- List of French flags
- List of flags of Georgia (country)
- List of German flags
- List of Greek flags
- List of Hungarian flags
- List of Icelandic flags
- List of flags of Ireland
- List of Italian flags
- List of Kazakh flags
- List of flags of Kosovo
- List of flags of Latvia
- List of Liechtensteinian flags
- List of flags of Lithuania
- List of flags of Luxembourg
- List of flags of Malta
- List of Moldovan flags
- List of Monégasque flags
- List of flags of Montenegro
- List of flags of the Netherlands
- List of flags of North Macedonia
- List of Norwegian flags
- List of Polish flags
- List of Portuguese flags
- List of Romanian flags
- List of Russian flags
- List of Sammarinese flags
- List of Serbian flags
- List of Slovak flags
- List of Slovenian flags
- List of Spanish flags
- List of flags of Sweden
- List of Swiss flags
- List of Turkish flags
- List of Ukrainian flags
- List of United Kingdom flags
- List of Vatican flags
- Flags of Austria-Hungary
- Flags of the Holy Roman Empire
- List of Soviet flags
- List of Yugoslav flags
- Other pages about European flags