Flag of Latvia
Europe
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Riga
- Flag adopted
- 1918
- Population
- 1,829,000
- Area
- 64,559 km²
- Languages
- Latvian
- Currency
- euro (€) — EUR
- Demonym
- Latvian
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Northern Europe
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+02:00
- Independence
- 1918
Religions
- Lutheran 36.2%
- Unspecified 23.5%
- Roman Catholic 19.5%
- Orthodox 19.1%
- Protestant 1.6%
- Other 0.1%
About This Flag
The flag of Latvia consists of three horizontal bands — a wider dark red (maroon or carmine) stripe on top, a narrow white stripe in the middle, and a wider dark red stripe on the bottom, in a distinctive 2:1:2 ratio. The dark red, sometimes called 'Latvian red,' is unique among national flags and according to legend originated from a battle in the 13th century when a wounded Latvian chieftain was wrapped in a white sheet, staining it red on both sides with blood while leaving a white stripe in the middle.
The flag was first documented in the medieval Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (around 1280), making it one of the oldest flag designs in the world. It was officially adopted on November 18, 1918, and restored on February 27, 1990, after Soviet occupation.
What the colors & design mean
The dark red (carmine) represents the readiness of Latvians to shed blood for their freedom. White symbolizes the purity, justice, and honor of the Latvian people. The distinctive dark shade sets it apart from all other red-and-white flags.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Bordering countries (4)
Fun Facts
- Latvia's flag may be one of the oldest in the world — a red-white-red banner is described in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle from around 1280, predating most European national flags.
- The legend of its origin involves a mortally wounded Latvian chieftain whose blood stained a white linen cloth on both edges, leaving only a white stripe in the center.
- Latvia's red is a distinctive dark maroon-carmine shade, specifically defined and different from the brighter reds used by neighboring countries like Poland or Austria.
- During the Soviet occupation (1940-1990), flying the Latvian flag was a criminal offense, and the Baltic Way protest of 1989 — a human chain of 2 million people across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — prominently featured all three national flags.
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These flags share similar colors and patterns:
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