Flag of Czechia
The Czech flag has a white stripe on top and a red stripe below, with a blue triangle pointing in from the flagpole side and reaching halfway across.
At a glance
- Adopted
- March 30, 1920adopted as the flag of Czechoslovakia in 1920 and kept by the Czech Republic when the country split in 1993
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Prague
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- white
- red
- blue
What it means
- White and red: the coat of arms of Bohemia, a silver lion on a red shield
- Blue triangle: added in 1920; blue is one of the traditional Slavic colours and echoes the blue coat of arms of Moravia. It was also linked to Slovakia while the two were one country.
Where it came from
When Czechoslovakia became independent in 1918, it first used a plain white-over-red flag, the old colours of Bohemia. Poland adopted an almost identical flag in 1919, so a new design was needed.
Jaroslav Kursa, an archivist at the Ministry of the Interior, drew the version with a blue triangle. A committee chose it and the National Assembly approved it on 30 March 1920.
History
During the Second World War the flag was banned under Nazi occupation, and a white-red-blue horizontal tricolour was used in the occupied lands. The 1920 flag came back in 1945.
After the Velvet Revolution, the Czech part of the federation used the plain white-and-red flag from 1990 to 1992. When Czechoslovakia peacefully split at the start of 1993, the Czech Republic kept the triangle flag, and Slovakia made a flag of its own.
Fun facts
- The blue triangle was added mainly so the flag would not look like Poland's.
- A common mistake is drawing the triangle too short: it must reach exactly halfway across the flag.
- Czech law names the colours white, red and blue but does not fix exact shades.
- The Czech president has a separate square flag; today's version, from 1993, was designed by Jiri Louda.
Easy to mix up with
Philippines: the Philippines has a similar triangle, but it is white with a golden sun and stars, and the blue stripe is on top
Poland: Poland is plain white over red, with no triangle
Questions
What does the flag of Czechia look like?
The Czech flag has a white stripe on top and a red stripe below, with a blue triangle pointing in from the flagpole side and reaching halfway across.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Czechia mean?
White and red: the coat of arms of Bohemia, a silver lion on a red shield; Blue triangle: added in 1920; blue is one of the traditional Slavic colours and echoes the blue coat of arms of Moravia. It was also linked to Slovakia while the two were one country..
When was the flag of Czechia adopted?
The current flag of Czechia was adopted on March 30, 1920. (adopted as the flag of Czechoslovakia in 1920 and kept by the Czech Republic when the country split in 1993)
What colours are on the flag of Czechia?
The flag of Czechia uses white, red and blue.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Czechia?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Philippines. the Philippines has a similar triangle, but it is white with a golden sun and stars, and the blue stripe is on top
Famous landmarks in Czechia
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)