A red saltire on a white field overlaid with the state seal at the centre.
The design
The Flag of usa-state/florida/" data-it-autolink="1">Florida is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses red, white, gold, brown, green, blue, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Red | red | Often signifies courage, sacrifice, revolution or the blood of those who fought for the nation. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Brown | brown | Suggests soil, indigenous heritage or the working land. |
| Green | green | Tends to evoke land, agriculture, hope, Islam or the natural environment. |
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The red saltire was added in 1900 to suggest the Cross of Burgundy used by Spanish forces during the colonial period. The seal depicts a Seminole woman scattering flowers, a sabal palm, a steamboat, and the rising sun.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Florida — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1900. Earlier banners flown by Flag of Florida reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of Florida should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Flag of Florida | — |
| Continent | North America | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1900 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | red, white, gold, brown, green, blue | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The seal was redesigned in 1985 to correct earlier inaccuracies — the figure had previously been depicted in clothing more associated with western Plains tribes than the Seminole of Florida.
