Flag of the Czech Republic
The national flag of the Czech Republic is the same as the flag of former Czechoslovakia. Upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the Czech Republic kept the Czechoslovak flag while Slovakia adopted its own flag.
The first flag of Czechoslovakia was based on the flag of Bohemia and was white over red. This was almost identical to the flag of Poland, only the proportion was different, so a blue triangle was added at the hoist in 1920.
Flag of Czechia Design and Colour Scheme
The Czech Republic flag has two equal horizontal stripes of white on top and red on the bottom, with a blue triangle on the left side. The proportion of the Czech flag is 2:3. The flag was designed by Jaroslav Kursa.
- Blue Represents cloudless sky, calm and peace.
- White Symbolizes purity.
- Red Represents the blood of patriots shed for the freedom of their homeland.
Brief History about the Flag of Czechia
The traditional colours of the Czech lands originated from an 1192 coat of arms. In 1918 Czechs, Ruthenians and Slovaks united to create Czechoslovakia. The country had been using the red and white flag of Bohemia, identical to the Polish flag.
Following calls for a new flag to be adopted by the fledgling state, a committee picked a design by Jaroslav Kursa, an archivist in the Czechoslovak Ministry of the Interior. His design included the red and white horizontal stripes derived from the coat of arms of Bohemia and added a blue chevron extended halfway.
During the 1992 negotiations on the split of Czechoslovakia, a clause forbidding the use of the state symbols of Czechoslovakia by either successor state was inserted into the legislation concerning the dissolution of the federation, However, the Czech Republic kept the use of the flag.
The flag was banned by the Nazis in 1939 as they established a government nominally in control of Bohemia and Moravia, and a horizontal tricolour of white, red, and blue was used for the duration of the war. The 1920 flag was restored in 1945.
Flags of Neighbouring Countries