🇭🇷

Flag of Croatia

Europe

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Quick Facts

Capital
Zagreb
Flag adopted
1990
Population
3,866,233
Area
56,594 km²
Languages
Croatian
Currency
euro (€) — EUR
Demonym
Croatian
Government
parliamentary republic
Subregion
Southeast Europe
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+01:00
Independence
1991

Religions

  • Roman Catholic 79%
  • Protestant 5.1%
  • None 4.7%
  • Unspecified 3.9%
  • Orthodox 3.3%
  • Agnostic 1.7%
  • Muslim 1.3%
  • Other 1.1%

About This Flag

The flag of Croatia consists of three equal horizontal bands of red on top, white in the middle, and blue on the bottom, with the national coat of arms centered on the white stripe. The coat of arms features the iconic red-and-white checkerboard shield (sahovnica), a symbol of Croatian identity dating back to the 10th century.

Above the shield sits a crown formed by five smaller shields representing Croatia's five historical regions: Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia. The red, white, and blue are pan-Slavic colors.

The flag was adopted on December 21, 1990, during Croatia's move toward independence from Yugoslavia.

What the colors & design mean

Red represents the blood shed for Croatian freedom. White symbolizes peace. Blue stands for loyalty and devotion. The red-and-white checkerboard (sahovnica) is Croatia's most enduring national symbol, representing Croatian statehood since the medieval period.

red white blue

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (5)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇸🇮 Slovenia

Fun Facts

  • The Croatian checkerboard (sahovnica) dates back to at least the 10th century and is one of the oldest national symbols still in use in Europe — its origins may trace to medieval Croatian kings.
  • The five small shields above the main coat of arms represent Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia — the historic regions that make up the modern nation.
  • There is a longstanding debate about whether the first square of the checkerboard should be red or white; the current flag starts with red, while some historical versions began with white.
  • Croatia's distinctive Adriatic coastline includes over 1,000 islands, of which only about 50 are inhabited.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇭🇷 Cape Verde 🇭🇷 Liberia 🇭🇷 Cambodia 🇭🇷 Laos 🇭🇷 North Korea

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