Flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina
The flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina is blue with a large yellow triangle and a diagonal row of white stars running along its long side.
At a glance
- Adopted
- February 4, 1998
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Sarajevo
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- blue
- yellow
- white
What it means
- Yellow triangle: its three corners stand for the three main peoples, Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs; its shape also roughly matches the shape of the country
- Yellow and blue: colours often linked with neutrality and peace
- Blue and white stars: Europe, of which the country is a part
- Cut-off stars at the ends: the row of stars is meant to go on forever, beyond the edges of the flag
Where it came from
After the Bosnian War ended in 1995, the country's parliament could not agree on a new flag. In 1998 Carlos Westendorp, the international High Representative who oversaw the peace agreement, chose this design himself. It was designed by Mladen Kolobaric.
It was meant as a "flag of the future": it has no symbol of any one ethnic group, so that all the country's people could share it. Its blue and stars were made to look like the flag of Europe.
History
When Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of Yugoslavia, it used a red flag. From 1992 to 1998 the new independent state used a white flag with a blue shield and six golden lilies, taken from the arms of the medieval Kotromanic kings.
Many Bosnian Serbs and Croats felt the lily flag stood only for Bosniaks, which is why a neutral new flag was chosen. Some people still wave the lily flag unofficially at football matches.
Fun facts
- The flag was chosen by a foreign official, not by the country's own parliament.
- There are nine stars: seven whole ones and two cut in half at the top and bottom edges.
Easy to mix up with
Kosovo: Kosovo is also blue with white stars, but shows a gold map of the country with six stars in an arch above it
Questions
What does the flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina look like?
The flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina is blue with a large yellow triangle and a diagonal row of white stars running along its long side.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina mean?
Yellow triangle: its three corners stand for the three main peoples, Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs; its shape also roughly matches the shape of the country; Yellow and blue: colours often linked with neutrality and peace; Blue and white stars: Europe, of which the country is a part; Cut-off stars at the ends: the row of stars is meant to go on forever, beyond the edges of the flag.
When was the flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina adopted?
The current flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina was adopted on February 4, 1998.
What colours are on the flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina?
The flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina uses blue, yellow and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Kosovo. Kosovo is also blue with white stars, but shows a gold map of the country with six stars in an arch above it
Famous landmarks in Bosnia & Herzegovina
All about Bosnia & Herzegovina →
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Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)