Flag of Montenegro
A red flag with a gold border and the gold coat of arms, a crowned double-headed eagle with a lion on its chest, in the centre.
At a glance
- Adopted
- July 13, 2004chosen by parliament in July 2004, when Montenegro was still joined with Serbia, and kept after independence in 2006
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Podgorica
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- red
- gold
- blue (in the coat of arms)
What it means
- Red field: the historic red banner of Montenegro
- Double-headed eagle: the arms of the old Montenegrin rulers, going back to the Crnojevic family
- Lion on the shield: part of the national coat of arms; the sources give no further official meaning
Where it came from
The design revives an old royal red banner with the national arms, from the time when Montenegro was ruled by its own princes and kings. Radoslav Rotkovic is named as the designer of the 2004 flag.
The double-headed eagle goes back further, to the Crnojevic rulers of the 1400s, whose lands used a red flag with a golden two-headed eagle.
History
From the 1500s to the 1800s, the Prince-Bishops of Montenegro used a red flag with a white cross. As part of Yugoslavia (1945-1993), Montenegro had a red, blue and white tricolour with a red star.
From 1993 to 2004 it used a long red, light blue and white striped flag. The current flag was adopted in July 2004 and kept when Montenegro became independent in 2006. The 2007 constitution sets out the national flag.
Fun facts
- The coat of arms fills two-thirds of the flag's height.
- When the flag was new, some makers sewed a gold fringe instead of a gold border; a rule in September 2004 made it clear that it is a border.
- There is an upright (vertical) version, mostly used indoors.
Easy to mix up with
Albania
SerbiaQuestions
What does the flag of Montenegro look like?
A red flag with a gold border and the gold coat of arms, a crowned double-headed eagle with a lion on its chest, in the centre.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Montenegro mean?
Red field: the historic red banner of Montenegro; Double-headed eagle: the arms of the old Montenegrin rulers, going back to the Crnojevic family; Lion on the shield: part of the national coat of arms; the sources give no further official meaning.
When was the flag of Montenegro adopted?
The current flag of Montenegro was adopted on July 13, 2004. (chosen by parliament in July 2004, when Montenegro was still joined with Serbia, and kept after independence in 2006)
What colours are on the flag of Montenegro?
The flag of Montenegro uses red, gold and blue (in the coat of arms).
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Montenegro?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Albania. Albania is also red with a double-headed eagle, but the eagle is black and there is no border
Famous landmarks in Montenegro
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)