🇧🇾

Flag of Belarus

Europe

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Quick Facts

Capital
Minsk
Flag adopted
2012
Population
9,109,280
Area
207,600 km²
Languages
Belarusian, Russian
Currency
Belarusian ruble (Br) — BYN
Demonym
Belarusian
Government
presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
Subregion
Eastern Europe
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+03:00
Independence
1991

Religions

  • Orthodox 48.3%
  • None 41.1%
  • Roman Catholic 7.1%
  • Other 3.5%

About This Flag

The flag of Belarus consists of two horizontal bands — a wider red band on top and a narrower green band on the bottom — with a vertical red-on-white ornamental pattern on the hoist side. The red represents the blood shed in defense of the country, particularly during World War II, and the green symbolizes the forests, fields, and spring — renewal and hope.

The decorative hoist pattern is derived from a traditional Belarusian textile design created by Matrona Markevich in 1917, representing the country's rich folk art heritage. The current flag closely resembles the Soviet-era Belarusian SSR flag (minus the hammer and sickle) and was readopted via referendum in 1995, replacing the brief post-independence white-red-white flag.

What the colors & design mean

Red represents the historical defense of the Belarusian lands and the blood shed during World War II. Green symbolizes spring, renewal, forests, and fields. The ornamental pattern on the hoist represents Belarusian cultural heritage and traditional textile arts.

red green white

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (5)

🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇵🇱 Poland 🇷🇺 Russia 🇺🇦 Ukraine

Fun Facts

  • The ornamental hoist pattern was originally a textile design by Matrona Markevich in 1917, preserved in the country's folk art archives and elevated to a national symbol.
  • The white-red-white flag used from 1991 to 1995 has become a symbol of the Belarusian democratic opposition and is widely used by the diaspora and protest movements.
  • Belarus suffered enormously in World War II — roughly one-quarter of its population was killed, and the red stripe explicitly honors this sacrifice.
  • The 1995 referendum that restored the Soviet-style flag was controversial, with critics calling the result undemocratic — the decision remains a point of deep political division.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇧🇾 Iran 🇧🇾 Lebanon 🇧🇾 Bulgaria 🇧🇾 Hungary 🇧🇾 Algeria

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🇦🇱 Albania · 🇦🇩 Andorra · 🇦🇹 Austria · 🇧🇪 Belgium · 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina · 🇧🇬 Bulgaria · 🇭🇷 Croatia · 🇨🇿 Czech Republic

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