Flag of Slovakia
Three horizontal stripes of white, blue and red, with a red shield near the left. The shield shows a white double cross standing on three blue hills.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 3, 1992the coat of arms was added under the 1992 constitution; the plain tricolour is older, from 1848
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Bratislava
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- white
- blue
- red
What it means
- White, blue and red: the Pan-Slavic colours; no official meaning is given for each colour
- Double cross: a Christian symbol; Slovakia's flag is one of many national flags with a cross
- Three blue hills: a national symbol of Slovakia; people usually say they stand for the Tatra, Fatra and Matra mountains
Where it came from
The colours are the Pan-Slavic colours shared by several Slavic nations. The coat of arms is based on a coat of arms of Hungary from the 1300s, with the three hills drawn bigger to make them a national symbol.
The modern version was drawn by the painter Ladislav Cisarik and the heraldry expert Ladislav Vrtel, who were asked by the government in 1990.
History
Slovaks first waved a white and red flag in 1848, and blue was added later that year. The white-blue-red order became fixed after 1868.
The tricolour was used in the 1930s and 1940s and again in 1990. When the new constitution came in, the shield was added and the flag was first raised at Bratislava Castle on 3 September 1992. A big reason for the shield was that the plain tricolour looked just like Russia's flag.
Fun facts
- The shield was added mainly so people would stop mixing up Slovakia's flag with Russia's.
- The rule book says the coat of arms must never be shown tilted or rotated.
- A thin white line separates the shield from the blue and red stripes.
- The first Slovak flag in 1848 had only two colours: white and red.
Easy to mix up with
Slovenia
RussiaQuestions
What does the flag of Slovakia look like?
Three horizontal stripes of white, blue and red, with a red shield near the left. The shield shows a white double cross standing on three blue hills.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Slovakia mean?
White, blue and red: the Pan-Slavic colours; no official meaning is given for each colour; Double cross: a Christian symbol; Slovakia's flag is one of many national flags with a cross; Three blue hills: a national symbol of Slovakia; people usually say they stand for the Tatra, Fatra and Matra mountains.
When was the flag of Slovakia adopted?
The current flag of Slovakia was adopted on September 3, 1992. (the coat of arms was added under the 1992 constitution; the plain tricolour is older, from 1848)
What colours are on the flag of Slovakia?
The flag of Slovakia uses white, blue and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Slovakia?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Slovenia. Slovenia has the same stripes, but its shield shows a white mountain and three gold stars, sitting higher up
Famous landmarks in Slovakia
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)