Flag of Lithuania
Three equal horizontal stripes of yellow, green and red, from top to bottom.
At a glance
- Adopted
- November 18, 1988first adopted in April 1918; banned under Soviet rule and restored on 18 November 1988; the shape changed from 1:2 to 3:5 in 2004
- Shape (height : width)
- 3:5
- Capital
- Vilnius
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- yellow
- green
- red
What it means
- Yellow: the sun and prosperity
- Green: forests and countryside, freedom and hope
- Red: the courage and the blood of those who died for Lithuania
Where it came from
The colours are common in Lithuanian folk weaving and traditional dress, and the idea of a tricolour is usually credited to Lithuanians living abroad in the 1800s. Tadas Daugirdas suggested adding yellow for the rising sun.
In 1918 a commission of Jonas Basanavicius, Antanas Zmuidzinavicius and Tadas Daugirdas presented the final design, and the Council of Lithuania approved it in April 1918.
History
The flag was first raised on Gediminas Tower in Vilnius on 1 January 1919, now Flag Day. Under Soviet rule from 1940 its use was forbidden, and red Soviet flags took its place.
In 1988, as Lithuania moved toward independence, the tricolour was made the official flag again. A 2004 law changed its shape from 1:2 to 3:5. Lithuania also has a historical state flag: a red banner with the Vytis, a white knight on a horse.
Fun facts
- Lithuania's Flag Day is 1 January, the day the flag first flew over Gediminas Tower.
- The knight flag (Vytis) is very old: it was carried at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.
- Showing Soviet symbols in public has been banned in Lithuania since 2008.
- The flag became shorter in 2004, going from 1:2 to 3:5.
Easy to mix up with
Bolivia: Bolivia has red, yellow and green, with red on top
Ghana: Ghana has red, gold and green with a black star in the middle
Myanmar (Burma): Myanmar is yellow, green and red too, but with a big white star
Questions
What does the flag of Lithuania look like?
Three equal horizontal stripes of yellow, green and red, from top to bottom.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Lithuania mean?
Yellow: the sun and prosperity; Green: forests and countryside, freedom and hope; Red: the courage and the blood of those who died for Lithuania.
When was the flag of Lithuania adopted?
The current flag of Lithuania was adopted on November 18, 1988. (first adopted in April 1918; banned under Soviet rule and restored on 18 November 1988; the shape changed from 1:2 to 3:5 in 2004)
What colours are on the flag of Lithuania?
The flag of Lithuania uses yellow, green and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Lithuania?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Bolivia. Bolivia has red, yellow and green, with red on top
Famous landmarks in Lithuania
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)