Flag of Moldova
Three vertical stripes of blue, yellow and red, with the coat of arms, a brown eagle holding a cross, in the middle of the yellow stripe.
At a glance
- Adopted
- November 6, 1990the blue-yellow-red tricolour was adopted on 27 April 1990 (now Flag Day) and the coat of arms was added in November 1990; a 2010 law set the details
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Chișinău
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- blue
- yellow
- red
What it means
- Blue, yellow and red: the shared roots of Moldova and Romania; the sources give no separate official meaning for each colour
- Aurochs head: the old symbol of the medieval Principality of Moldavia, with a star between its horns, a rose and a crescent
- Eagle: it holds an Orthodox Christian cross in its beak; the olive branch stands for peace
Where it came from
The blue, yellow and red tricolour is based on the flag of Romania, because Moldova and Romania share a language and history. The coat of arms in the middle is what tells the two flags apart.
The arms show an eagle with an Orthodox cross in its beak, holding an olive branch and a sceptre. On its chest is a shield with the head of an aurochs, a wild ox, which comes from the old arms of the medieval Principality of Moldavia.
History
Under Soviet rule, the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic used a Soviet-style red flag. In 1989 and 1990 many people waved home-made blue, yellow and red flags.
The tricolour became official on 27 April 1990, still in Soviet times, and the coat of arms was added later that year. Moldova became independent in 1991. A 2010 law set the exact colours.
Fun facts
- Since a 2010 law, the back of the flag is a mirror image of the front.
- Moldova celebrates Flag Day on 27 April.
- Without its coat of arms, the flag would look almost the same as Romania's.
Easy to mix up with
Romania
ChadQuestions
What does the flag of Moldova look like?
Three vertical stripes of blue, yellow and red, with the coat of arms, a brown eagle holding a cross, in the middle of the yellow stripe.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Moldova mean?
Blue, yellow and red: the shared roots of Moldova and Romania; the sources give no separate official meaning for each colour; Aurochs head: the old symbol of the medieval Principality of Moldavia, with a star between its horns, a rose and a crescent; Eagle: it holds an Orthodox Christian cross in its beak; the olive branch stands for peace.
When was the flag of Moldova adopted?
The current flag of Moldova was adopted on November 6, 1990. (the blue-yellow-red tricolour was adopted on 27 April 1990 (now Flag Day) and the coat of arms was added in November 1990; a 2010 law set the details)
What colours are on the flag of Moldova?
The flag of Moldova uses blue, yellow and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Moldova?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Romania. Romania has the same three stripes but no coat of arms
Famous landmarks in Moldova
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)