Flag of Poland
Europe
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Warsaw
- Flag adopted
- 1919
- Population
- 37,392,000
- Area
- 312,679 kmΒ²
- Languages
- Polish
- Currency
- Polish zΕoty (zΕ) β PLN
- Demonym
- Polish
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Central Europe
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+01:00
- Independence
- 1918
Religions
- Roman Catholic 70.7%
- Unspecified 20.9%
- None 6.9%
About This Flag
The flag of Poland consists of two equal horizontal bands of white on top and red on the bottom. The colors are derived from the Polish coat of arms β a white eagle on a red field β which dates back to the 13th century.
White represents the white eagle and the purity and moral virtues of the Polish people, while red symbolizes the blood shed for Polish independence and the red field of the heraldic shield. The white-and-red bicolor was first officially adopted on November 7, 1831, during the November Uprising against Russian rule, and was confirmed as the national flag upon Poland's re-emergence as an independent state on November 1, 1919.
The state variant includes the crowned white eagle on the upper white stripe.
What the colors & design mean
White represents the white eagle of the Polish coat of arms, as well as purity, peace, and the aspiration of the Polish people. Red symbolizes the blood shed for independence and the red heraldic field behind the Polish eagle, representing courage and valor.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Bordering countries (7)
Fun Facts
- Poland's coat of arms, the White Eagle, has been used continuously since the 13th century, making it one of the oldest state emblems in Europe.
- Poland's flag is frequently confused with Indonesia's and Monaco's, both of which are red-over-white (the reverse of Poland's white-over-red).
- May 2 is celebrated as Flag Day in Poland (Dzien Flagi), established in 2004 to honor the national flag and its symbolism.
- The crowned white eagle was removed from the coat of arms during the communist period (1944-1989) and restored when Poland transitioned to democracy.
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