Flag of Ukraine
Europe
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Kyiv
- Flag adopted
- 1992
- Population
- 32,862,000
- Area
- 603,550 km²
- Languages
- Ukrainian
- Currency
- Ukrainian hryvnia (₴) — UAH
- Demonym
- Ukrainian
- Government
- semi-presidential republic
- Subregion
- Eastern Europe
- Driving side
- Right
- Timezones
- UTC+02:00
- Independence
- 1991
About This Flag
The flag of Ukraine consists of two equal horizontal bands of blue on top and yellow on the bottom. The blue represents the sky and the country's aspirations for peace and European integration, while the yellow symbolizes the vast wheat fields and agricultural abundance of the Ukrainian steppe — Ukraine has long been known as the 'breadbasket of Europe.' The blue-and-yellow combination has been associated with Ukrainian identity since the medieval Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia, whose coat of arms featured a golden lion on a blue field.
The flag was first adopted during the brief period of Ukrainian independence in 1918, was banned during Soviet rule, and was restored on January 28, 1992, following Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991.
What the colors & design mean
Blue represents the sky, peace, and the Ukrainian people's aspirations. Yellow symbolizes the golden wheat fields that cover much of the Ukrainian landscape, representing the country's agricultural wealth and the spirit of its people.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Bordering countries (7)
Fun Facts
- Ukraine's blue-and-yellow colors trace back to the coat of arms of the medieval Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (13th-14th centuries), one of the most powerful Slavic states of the medieval period.
- Ukraine was known as the 'breadbasket of Europe' and later the 'breadbasket of the Soviet Union' — its rich black chernozem soil is among the most fertile in the world, which the yellow stripe directly symbolizes.
- There is ongoing debate about whether the flag should be displayed blue-over-yellow (official) or yellow-over-blue (used by some historical and diaspora groups), with the current orientation standardized in 1992.
- The Ukrainian flag became a globally recognized symbol of resistance and solidarity following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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