Latvia

3×5' nylon national flag of Latvia.

Latvia claims one of the oldest flag traditions in the world. A red banner with a white stripe is recorded in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle of the late thirteenth century, carried by Latgalian warriors.

Design

Three horizontal bands of carmine red, white and carmine red, the white band half the height of each red band.

History & Symbolism

Legend says a wounded chieftain was wrapped in a white sheet; where he lay, the sheet was soaked red, and the clean white strip became the sign of his people. The modern flag was adopted on 15 June 1921, banned during the Soviet occupation, and restored on 27 February 1990. The red is a deep, brownish carmine known as "Latvian red."

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 15 June 1921; restored 27 February 1990
• Official proportions: 1:2
• Colors: carmine red, white
• Bands: 2:1:2

Vexillographer's Note

The color is the whole design here. A bright scarlet in place of Latvia's dark carmine makes the flag resemble Austria's, which has equal bands.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864