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Flags of Europe

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"European flags" redirects here. For a pan-European flag, seeFlag of Europe.

This is a list of international,national and subnationalflags used inEurope.

Supranational and international flags

[edit]

An incomplete list of flags representing intra-European international and supranational organisations, which omits intercontinental organisations such as theUnited Nations:

Date	Use	Description
1957–1958	Flag of theBenelux	Combines features from the flags of the member countries:Belgium, theNetherlands andLuxembourg
?–2015	Flag of theCentral Commission for Navigation on the Rhine
2015–present	Flag of theCentral Commission for Navigation on the Rhine
1990s–present	Flag of theCentral European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
1991–present	Flag of theCommonwealth of Independent States	The flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States is blue with the emblem of the organisation in the centre.
1955–	Flag of 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]}–	Flag of theEuropean Union^{[note 2]}
1973–1983	Flag of theEuropean Parliament
1984–	Flag of theNordic Council	White stylised swan in a white circle upon a blue background.
1953–	Flag of 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

[edit]

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 eagle in the centre. It is derived from the seal ofGjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian who led a revolt against theOttoman Empire that 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 Andorra in the centre. It is based on the flags ofFrance andSpain. 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 Armenia adopted 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 ofAustria for 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 Austria during 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 Revolution started. 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 Herzegovina consists 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 ofBulgaria was 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 Croatia in 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 acopper shade 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 Cypriot painter.
1993–	Flag of theCzech 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 II in 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. Thetricolore consists 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 Germany while 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 flag since 1822)	Flag ofGreece See also:List of Greek flags	The current flag of Greece was adopted as acivil flag andensign in 1822, and as thenational flag in 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 blue version 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 thetricolour design 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 ofIceland was 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 Republic on 21 January 1919, and used thereafter by theIrish Free State. The current 1937Constitution of Ireland defines it as the national flag. Modeled after theFrench tricolour, the colours of the Irish tricolour symbolise two communities. Green represents theRoman Catholic nationalist tradition. Orange represents theProtestant unionist community. 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 ofLiechtenstein consists 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 Olympics that 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 Union in 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 theNetherlands in 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 Malta and which Government emulate^{[clarification needed]} the arms of the formerUniversitas of Mdina. TheGeorge Cross (upper left), outlined in red, was added to the flag in the 1940s, as KingGeorge VI of the United Kingdom presented 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 Cross in 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 Grimaldi since 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 arms is 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 flag still 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 ofNorway is red with a blueNordic cross outlined 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 mark was 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 sphere and 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 Romania was 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 verticaltricolour of 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 Federation flag was officially adopted on 22 August 1991. The flag was hoisted shortly after the former Soviet Union collapsed. The white, blue and red arePan-Slavic colours.
2011–	Flag ofSan Marino See also:List of Sammarinese flags	The flag ofSan Marino comprises equal horizontal bands of white and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the centre.
1815–1918 (original design) 2004– (Civil flag since 1835)	Flag ofSerbia See also:List of flags of Serbia	The flag ofSerbia consists 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-Slavic colours, 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 Sava Serbian Cross and from the ancient past of the Balkan peninsula, as it can be seen on 7000 years oldVinča culture pottery 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 theCarniolan coat 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 Spain adopted 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,Aragon andNavarre, first united by KingFerdinand II of Aragon and 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 a union mark was added in the canton from 1844 to 1905.
1889–	Flag ofSwitzerland See also:List of Swiss flags	The flag ofSwitzerland consists of a red square with a bold, equilateral whiteGreek cross in the centre. It is one of only two square flags, the other being that of theVatican City orHoly 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 ofTurkey is 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 Britain and theKingdom of Ireland to form theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The "Union Jack" merges the red cross ofSaint George (patron saint ofEngland), edged in white, superimposed on the diagonal red cross ofSaint Patrick (patron saint ofIreland), which are superimposed on thesaltire ofSaint Andrew (patron saint ofScotland). The flag ofWales, the othercountry of the United Kingdom, is not graphically represented.
1929–	Flag ofVatican City orHoly See See also:List of Vatican flags	The flag ofVatican City orHoly See, adopted in June 1929, consists of two vertical bands of yellow and white with the crossed keys ofSaint Peter and 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

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Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1130–	Flag of theSovereign Military Order of Malta	The flag of theSovereign Military Order of Malta is a red rectangular flag quartered by a white cross.

Disputed or partially recognised states

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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 theAshkali andEgyptians) 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

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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 Cross flag features blue, yellow, and red, all said to be borrowed from the national colours ofSweden andFinland.
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)	TheGibraltar flag 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. George with 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 Man features a red field with a centredtriskelion of 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 yellowPlantagenet crown, 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 Flag is used.

Flags of European sub-divisions

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Andorra

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Flag	Parish		Adopted	Description
		Andorra la Vella
		Canillo
		Encamp
		Escaldes-Engordany
		La Massana
		Ordino
		Sant Julià de Lòria

Austria

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of Austrian states andList of Austrian flags.

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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Belarusian flags.

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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Belgian flags.

Date	Use	Description
2015–	Flag of theBrussels-Capital Region	A stylized yellow, white and greyiris on a blue field.
1973–	Flag ofFlanders (Flemish Community andFlemish 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 Community andWalloon 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 ninegentiana flowers that have five intense bluepetals and white (silver) round centres.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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For a more comprehensive list, seeList of flags of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1995–	Flag ofRepublika Srpska	A horizontal tricolour of red, blue and white, very similar to theflag of Serbia without the Coat of Arms (with slightly differently coloured shades).

Denmark

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Danish flags.

Date	Use	Description
1970s-present	Unofficialflag ofBornholm	Nordic Cross Flag in 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	Tricolour in 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	Unofficialflag ofVendsyssel	Nordic Cross Flag in blue, orange and green.^[1] Designed by Mogens Bohøj.^[6]
1975-present	Unofficial flag ofJutland	ANordic Cross Flag in 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

[edit]

Not all regions have selected an official flag.

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of flags of Finland andHousehold pennant.

Date	Use	Description
	Flag ofCentral Finland	Abanner of arms based on the region's coat of arms.
	Flag ofCentral Ostrobothnia	Abanner of arms based on the region's coat of arms.
1998–	Flag ofKainuu	Abanner of arms based 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 afortressy white field on the hoist side of the flag. Adopted by the regional council on 8.6.1997.
	Flag ofNorth Savo	A blackswallow-tailed flag featuring a loaded bow from the regional coat of arms placed between two yellow stripes.
	Flag ofPäijät-Häme	Abanner of arms based on the region's coat of arms.
2018–	Flag ofKanta-Häme	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 Castle on 4.2.2019.
1990–	Flag ofSatakunta	Aswallow-tailed banner of arms based 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 ofSouth Savo	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 arms based on the region's coat of arms.

France

[edit]

Not all regions have selected an official flag.

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of the regions of France andList of French flags.

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 Paoli in 1755 and was based on a traditional flag used previously. It portrays aMoor's Head in black wearing a white bandana above his eyes on a white background. Previously, the bandana covered his eyes.
	Flag ofÎle-de-France	The flag of Île-de-France consists of a dark blue background with three goldfleur-de-lis. There was another version of it with a white background and a logo of Île-de-France.
	Flag ofNormandy	13th century. Nicknamed "Les p'tits cats" inNorman. Based on the medieval emblems of the duke of Normandy.
1937–	Flag ofNormandy	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 historicalOccitania andCatalonia can 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,Maine andVendée.
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, theDauphiné andCounty of Nice.

Georgia

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of flags of Georgia (country).

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	2004–	Flag ofAdjara^{[note 3]}

Germany

[edit]

Many 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.

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of German states andList of German flags.

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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Greek flags.

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 theChristian Greek victory over theMuslim Ottoman 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 Islands by theKingdom of Greece as a gift toGeorge I of Greece by theUnited Kingdom, features a blue field surrounded by a golden border and a thicker dark red one. It is defaced with an Ancient GreekGalley which 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 Islands by theKingdom of Greece as a gift toGeorge I of Greece by theUnited Kingdom, features a Green field with a golden depiction ofZakynthos (person), the figure fromAncient Greek Mythology after 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 phrase said bySpartan mothers 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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Irish flags.

Flag	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 province of Leinster is a banner with the provincial coat of arms: a goldIrish harp with 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 Ulster is 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-Norman noble family.

Italy

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of regions of Italy andList of Italian flags.

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 ofMedusa and 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 theAngevin rule.
1983–	Flag ofTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
1995–	Flag ofTuscany
2003–	Flag ofUmbria
1999–	Flag ofVeneto

Malta

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of flags of Malta.

Flag	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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of the provinces of the Netherlands andList of flags of the Netherlands.

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 ofGroningen with 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 fromHolland andWest 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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Polish flags.

Flag	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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Portuguese flags.

Flag	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 verticaltriband with a red-bordered whiteCross of Christ in the centre.

Russia

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of the federal subjects of Russia,List of Russian flags, andList of Russian navy flags.

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	A horizontal tricolor of blue, white and green with a blue and green circle along with a stylized mountain in it. The stylized mountain representsMount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russia and Europe.
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. Thelotus is 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 theKalmyks to live in friendship and to cooperate with all the nations of the world.
2004–	Flag ofKaluga Oblast
1996–	Flag ofKarachay-Cherkessia	The flag of Karachay-Cherkess Republic consists of a horizontal tricolor of blue, green and red. In the middle of it contains a circle with mountain and sun. The mountain representsMount Elbrus, with a rising sun behind it.
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	The flag consists of a horizontal tricolor of blue, yellow and red, with a vertical stripe of white on the left.
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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of Serbian flags.

Flag	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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of the autonomous communities of Spain andList of Spanish flags.

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 Cross slightly 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 verticaltricolour of three equal bands of white, blue, and yellow. The state flag includes theCoat of arms of the Canary Islands in 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 ofCatalonia consists 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 ofGalicia appeared 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 Cross over a white field—St Andrew is 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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of flags of Sweden.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1902 (?)–	Semi-officialflag ofScania

Switzerland

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeCantonal flags and coats of arms (Switzerland).

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 asReichsstadt and 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 uprightfasces with 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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeFlags of the regions of Ukraine andList of flags of Ukraine.

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

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, seeList of flags of the United Kingdom.

Date	Use	Description
16th century –	Flag ofEngland	England is one of the home nations thatforms the United Kingdom. TheSt George's Cross is the customary national flag.
1953–1973	Flag ofNorthern Ireland	Northern Ireland is one of the home nations thatforms theUnited 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 thatforms theUnited Kingdom. The 'Saltire' is the official national flag.
1959 –	Flag ofWales	Wales is one of the home nations thatforms theUnited 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

[edit]

Main article:List of city flags in Europe

Flags of capitals and cities with over 1 million inhabitants:

Flag ofAbovyan, Armenia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofAlmaty,Kazakhstan
Flag ofAmsterdam, Netherlands
Flag ofNur-Sultan,Kazakhstan
Flag ofBabrujsk, Belarus
Flag ofBaku, Azerbaijan^[a]
Flag ofBarcelona, Spain
Flag ofBarnaul, Russia
Flag ofBatumi, Georgia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofBelfast, Northern Ireland
Flag ofBelgrade, Serbia
Flag ofBerlin, Germany
Flag ofBirmingham, England, United Kingdom
Flag ofBratislava, Slovakia
Flag ofBrest, Belarus
Flag ofBrno, Czech Republic
Flag ofBrussels, Belgium
Flag ofBucharest, Romania
Flag ofBudapest, Hungary
Flag ofCardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Flag ofChelyabinsk,Russia
Flag ofCologne, Germany
Flag ofDublin, Ireland
Flag ofDüsseldorf, Germany
Flag ofEdinburgh, Scotland
Flag ofFrankfurt, Germany
Flag ofGenoa, Italy
Flag ofGlasgow, Scotland
Flag ofGori, Georgia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofGyumri, Armenia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofHamburg, Germany
Flag ofHomieĺ, Belarus
Flag ofHrodna, Belarus
Flag ofIstanbul, Turkey
Flag ofKazan, Russia
Flag ofKharkiv, Ukraine
Flag ofKraków, Poland
Flag ofKrasnodar, Russia
Flag ofKrasnoyarsk,Russia
Flag ofKutaisi, Georgia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofKyiv, Ukraine
Flag ofLisbon, Portugal
Flag of theCity of London, United Kingdom^{[note 10]}
Flag ofLyon, France
Flag ofMadrid, Spain
Flag ofMahilioŭ, Belarus
Flag ofMilan, Italy
Flag ofMinsk, Belarus
Flag ofMoscow, Russia
Flag ofMunich, Germany
Flag ofNizhny Novgorod, Russia
Flag ofNovi Sad, Serbia
Flag ofNovosibirsk,Russia
Flag ofOmsk,Russia
Flag ofParis, France
Flag ofPerm, Russia
Flag ofPoti, Georgia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofPrague, Czech Republic
Flag ofRome, Italy
Flag ofRostov-on-Don, Russia
Flag ofRustavi, Georgia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofSaint Petersburg, Russia
Flag ofSamara, Russia
Flag ofSaratov, Russia
Flag ofSofia, Bulgaria
Flag ofStuttgart, Germany
Flag ofTbilisi, Georgia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofTrieste, Italy
Flag ofTyumen, Russia
Flag ofUfa, Russia
Flag ofVanadzor, Armenia^{[note 3]}
Flag ofVenice, Italy
Flag ofVienna, Austria
Flag ofVitebsk, Belarus
Flag ofVolgograd, Russia
Flag ofVoronezh, Russia
Flag ofWarsaw, Poland
Flag ofYekaterinburg,Russia
Flag ofYerevan, Armenia^{[note 3]}

Flags of European ethnic groups

[edit]

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1917–	Flag of theCrimean Tatars
	2022–	Flag of theForest Finns
	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

This list isincomplete; you can help byadding missing items.(August 2024)

Historical flags

[edit]

Flag	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 acopper shade 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 Cypriot painter.
	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 Britain and theKingdom of Ireland to form theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The "Union Jack" merges the red cross ofSaint George (patron saint ofEngland), edged in white, superimposed on the diagonal red cross ofSaint Patrick (patron saint ofIreland), which are superimposed on thesaltire ofSaint 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 ofIceland was 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 Republic on 21 January 1919, and used thereafter by theIrish Free State. The current 1937Constitution of Ireland defines it as the national flag. Modeled after theFrench tricolour, the colours of the Irish tricolour symbolise two communities. Green represents theRoman Catholic nationalist tradition. Orange represents theProtestant unionist community. 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 Malta and which Government emulate^{[clarification needed]} the arms of the formerUniversitas of Mdina. TheGeorge Cross (upper left), outlined in red, was added to the flag in the 1940s, as KingGeorge VI of the United Kingdom presented 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	Nazi Germany
	1949–	Germany See also:List of German flags
	1949–1959	East Germany
	1959–1990	East Germany
	1804–1867	Austrian Empire	Stripes of red and white have been a collective emblem ofAustria for 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 Austria during 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 thetricolour design 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 ofLiechtenstein consists 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 Olympics that 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 Marino comprises 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 ofSwitzerland consists of a red square with a bold, equilateral whiteGreek cross in the centre. It is one of only two square flags, the other being that of theVatican City orHoly 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 City orHoly See, adopted in June 1929, consists of two vertical bands of yellow and white with the crossed keys ofSaint Peter and 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 Andorra in the centre. It is based on the flags ofFrance andSpain. 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 Revolution started. 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. Thetricolore consists 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 theNetherlands in 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 Grimaldi since 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 flag still 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 sphere and 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 Spain adopted 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,Aragon andNavarre, first united by KingFerdinand II of Aragon and QueenIsabella I of Castile.
	1873–1874	First Spanish Republic
	1931–1939	Second Spanish Republic
	1936–1938	Spanish State
	1938–1945	Spanish State
	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 eagle in the centre. It is derived from the seal ofGjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian who led a revolt against theOttoman Empire that 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 ofBulgaria was 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 flag since 1822)	Greece See also:List of Greek flags	The current flag of Greece was adopted as acivil flag andensign in 1822, and as thenational flag in 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 blue version of the current flag with proportions of 7:12 was used.
	1844–1922	Ottoman Empire	The flag ofTurkey is 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 II in 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 ofNorway is red with a blueNordic cross outlined 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 mark was 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 a union mark was added in the canton from 1844 to 1905.
Historical Soviet, and Communist 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	Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia
	1990–2004	Georgia See also:List of Georgian flags^{[note 3]}
	2004–	Georgia See also:List of Georgian flags^{[note 3]}
	1918–1920	Armenia See also:List of Armenian flags^{[note 3]}	After gaining independence, theFirst Republic of Armenia adopted 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–	Kazakhstan See also:List of Kazakh flags^{[note 11]}
	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 Union in 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 Cross in 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 Romania was 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 verticaltricolour of 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
	1263–1570	Grand Duchy of Moscow	TheRussian Federation flag was officially adopted on 22 August 1991. The flag was hoisted shortly after the former Soviet Union collapsed. The white, blue and red arePan-Slavic colours.
	1570–1668	Tsardom of Russia
	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–	Russia See also:List of Russian flags^{[note 12]}
	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	Crimean Khanate
	1542–1604	Grand Duchy of Lithuania
	1605–1795	Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
	1654–1655	Cossack Hetman
	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 Herzegovina consists 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–	Bosnia and Herzegovina
	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 Croatia in the center.
	1835–1882	Principality of Serbia	The flag ofSerbia consists 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-Slavic colours, 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 Sava Serbian Cross and from the ancient past of the Balkan peninsula, as it can be seen on 7000 years oldVinča culture pottery and many other later traditional Balkan cultural remains. The flag ofMontenegro, adopted in July 2004, is a red banner bearing the coat of arms adopted in 1993. Thecountry's coat of arms is derived from those ofKing Nikola.
	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 flag since 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	Republic of Macedonia
	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 theCarniolan coat 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

[edit]

Flag	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 Parliament adopted theCouncil of Europe's flag in 1983.
^Adopted by theEuropean Communities in 1986, which became theEuropean Union in 1992 continuing its usage.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^sPart of theCaucasus region, at the crossroads ofEurope andAsia, 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.
^^a ^b ^cTheisland of Cyprus, which includes theRepublic of Cyprus,Northern Cyprus andAkrotiri and Dhekelia, is geographically located in Asia, closer toAsian Turkey than to the European mainland. However, theRepublic of Cyprus is a member state of theEuropean Union.
^Kazakhstan is atranscontinental country located mainly inCentral Asia with a small part of its territory located west of theUral Mountains inEastern Europe.
^Russia is a transcontinental country that spans bothEastern Europe andNorthern Asia.
^Turkey is atranscontinental country located mainly inWestern Asia with a small portion of its territory inSoutheastern Europe calledEast 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 London as a whole doesn't have anofficial flag. The flag of theCity of London is displayed here.
^Kazakhstan is atranscontinental country located mainly inCentral Asia with a small part of its territory located west of theUral Mountains inEastern Europe.
^Russia is a transcontinental country that spans bothEastern Europe andNorthern Asia.

^Continental placement may vary depending ongeographic convention being followed.

v t e Flags of Europe
Sovereign states	Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City
States with limited recognition	Abkhazia Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria
Dependencies and other entities	Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard
Other entities	European Union Sovereign Military Order of Malta