The flag of Croatia features a horizontal tricolor of red, white, and blue with the national coat of arms positioned in the center. The coat of arms is a checkerboard shield topped by a crown of five smaller shields that represent historical regions. This design symbolizes the unity of the nation and the historical continuity of the Croatian state.
Colors & Symbols
The red, white, and blue stripes are the Pan-Slavic colors that represent the historical kingdoms of Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia. Red represents the courage and sacrifice of the people, white signifies peace and purity, and blue stands for the devotion of the nation and the Adriatic Sea. The crown symbols add colors like gold and cyan to represent specific regional identities.
The red, white, and blue tricolor was first officially used in 1848 as a symbol of the national revival. In the mid-twentieth century, the flag featured a red star while the country was part of the socialist federation. The modern version was adopted in 1990 to replace the star with the traditional checkerboard shield and a crown representing historical territories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Croatia's current flag was officially adopted on 1990.
Croatia's flag has an official proportion of 1 : 2.
The red and white checkerboard is a medieval symbol known as the sahovnica which has represented the Croatian people for over a thousand years.
The crown includes shields for the oldest known Croatian coat of arms, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia.
The modern flag was officially adopted on December 21, 1990, replacing the version that featured a red star with the historic national coat of arms.
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