Flag of Slovakia
Europe
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Bratislava
- Flag adopted
- 1993
- Population
- 5,413,813
- Area
- 49,037 km²
- Languages
- Slovak
- Currency
- euro (€) — EUR
- Demonym
- Slovak
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Central Europe
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+01:00
- Independence
- 1993
Religions
- Roman Catholic 55.8%
- None 23.8%
- Unspecified 6.5%
- Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession 5.3%
- Greek Catholic 4%
- Other 3%
- Reformed Christian 1.6%
About This Flag
The flag of Slovakia consists of three equal horizontal bands of white on top, blue in the middle, and red on the bottom — the traditional pan-Slavic colors — with the national coat of arms positioned toward the hoist side, offset to the left of center. The coat of arms features a red shield bearing a silver (white) double cross rising from a blue triple-hill (representing the Tatra, Matra, and Fatra mountain ranges).
The double cross is a symbol of Christianity brought to the region by Saints Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century. The coat of arms was added to distinguish Slovakia's flag from those of Russia and Slovenia, which share the same white-blue-red arrangement.
The flag was adopted on September 1, 1992, effective January 1, 1993, when Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved.
What the colors & design mean
White represents peace and truth. Blue symbolizes loyalty, faithfulness, and the Slovakian sky. Red stands for courage and the blood shed for the nation. The double cross symbolizes the Christian heritage of the Slovak people, and the three hills represent the country's central mountain ranges.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Bordering countries (5)
Fun Facts
- Slovakia's flag would be identical to Russia's and Slovenia's without the coat of arms — the shield was added specifically to avoid confusion among these three white-blue-red tricolors.
- The double cross on the Slovak coat of arms dates back to the Great Moravian Empire of the 9th century, when Byzantine missionaries Cyril and Methodius brought Christianity and the first Slavic alphabet to the region.
- Slovakia and the Czech Republic separated peacefully on January 1, 1993, in an event known as the 'Velvet Divorce' — a remarkably amicable split compared to other post-communist breakups in the region.
- The three mountain peaks on the coat of arms — representing the Tatra, Fatra, and Matra ranges — are central to Slovak national identity, with the High Tatras being the smallest alpine mountain range in Europe.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
More Europe Flags
🇦🇱 Albania · 🇦🇩 Andorra · 🇦🇹 Austria · 🇧🇾 Belarus · 🇧🇪 Belgium · 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina · 🇧🇬 Bulgaria · 🇭🇷 Croatia
Explore by Category
Test Your Knowledge!
Think you can identify the flag of Slovakia?
Play Flag Quiz