 | |
| Use | Civil flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Design | A goldenVergina sun on a blue field |
Theflag of Macedonia (Greek:Σημαία της Μακεδονίας) displays aVergina Sun with 16 rays in the centre of a blue field. This flag, as well as the Vergina Sun, is commonly used as an unofficial symbol of theGreek region of Macedonia and itssubdivisions. It is also used by organisations of theGreek Macedonian diaspora, such as the Pan-Macedonian Association chapters of theUnited States andAustralia,[1][2][3] as well as numerous commercial enterprises and private citizens.
TheVergina Sun is an official state emblem of Greece,[4] and the Greek government proceeded to lodge a copyright claim as a state symbol at theWorld Intellectual Property Organization in 1995.[5]
It is unclear when the flag was adopted, but it was most likely in use by the late 1980s after the archaeological discovery of the star byManolis Andronikos inVergina.[6] The first flag ofNorth Macedonia, then the Republic of Macedonia, following its independence fromYugoslavia in 1992, had the same design as the flag of Greek Macedonia, but on a red background with proportions 1:2. This caused controversy in Greece, which was already using that symbol for its own province of Macedonia, and the then Republic of Macedonia changed its flag tothe current design in 1995.[6]
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