Croatia Flag

Croatia’s flag is based on the panslavic colours : blue - white - red. Here the order of colours has been reversed (red - white - blue), but they are still present as a sign of belonging to the Slavic people. Tsar Peter the Great, who imagined these colours, took over the French symbol of the white colour for the nobility. He added the red for the free people, and blue for the middle class, so that all components of society are represented. From 1941 to 1945, the flag of Croatia is quite similar to the one of today. Between 1945 and 1990, the Republic of Croatia is a part of Yugoslavia, and a red star bordered yellow replaces the central crest. This was reused in 1990 during the development of the current flag, almost a year after the declaration of independence. Crest colours are reversed (white and red), not to be mingled with the flag of 1945. Above, there are five emblems that represent the country's 5 historical regions : (left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, Slavonia.