Flag of Poland
Bialo-czerwona ("the white-red")
Poland's flag has two sideways stripes of equal size: white on top and red below.
At a glance
- Adopted
- August 1, 1919made the state flag in 1919; the exact colours were fixed by the Coat of Arms, Colours and Anthem Act of 31 January 1980
- Shape (height : width)
- 5:8
- Capital
- Warsaw
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- white
- crimson red
What it means
- White over red: the white eagle on the red field of Poland's coat of arms
- Popular stories: some people say white is peace and red is socialism, or a white eagle over a red sun; Flags of the World says these stories are not needed, since the heraldic origin is clear
Where it came from
The colours come from Poland's coat of arms, a white eagle on a red shield. In heraldry, the colour of the main figure goes on top and the colour of the background below, so white sits above red. The Lithuanian coat of arms, also a white figure on red, is part of the same tradition.
History
Medieval Polish banners were red with a white eagle. Red and white were first used together as a pair in the 1600s, and their order changed many times. The parliament, the Sejm, declared white and red the national colours in 1831.
When Poland regained independence after the First World War, the Sejm made the white-and-red flag official on 1 August 1919. A 1980 law, still in force with changes, sets the exact shades.
Fun facts
- Poland celebrates National Flag Day every 2 May.
- A version with the white eagle in the white stripe is used abroad and at sea.
- In 1978 a small Polish flag flew into space with Miroslaw Hermaszewski, and the same flag went to orbit again in 2025.
- Even under communism, the Polish flag never had a red star or other communist symbol.
Easy to mix up with
Indonesia: Indonesia is the same two colours upside down: red on top, white below
Questions
What does the flag of Poland look like?
Poland's flag has two sideways stripes of equal size: white on top and red below.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Poland mean?
White over red: the white eagle on the red field of Poland's coat of arms; Popular stories: some people say white is peace and red is socialism, or a white eagle over a red sun; Flags of the World says these stories are not needed, since the heraldic origin is clear.
When was the flag of Poland adopted?
The current flag of Poland was adopted on August 1, 1919. (made the state flag in 1919; the exact colours were fixed by the Coat of Arms, Colours and Anthem Act of 31 January 1980)
What colours are on the flag of Poland?
The flag of Poland uses white and crimson red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Poland?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Indonesia. Indonesia is the same two colours upside down: red on top, white below
Famous landmarks in Poland
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)