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A national flag · vexillological catalog

Flag of Spain.

The flag of Spain — known as la Rojigualda ("the red-and-yellow") — is a horizontal triband of red, yellow and red, with the yellow band twice as wide as each red band, bearing the Spanish coat of arms in its left-hoist quarter. The colour scheme dates back to 1785, when King Charles III commissioned a new naval ensign that would be more easily distinguished at sea than the existing all-white Bourbon flag of Spain. Naval minister Antonio Valdés y Bazán submitted twelve designs; the king selected the red-yellow-red pattern as the most visible against sea and sky. The design was promoted to civil and military use over the following century and was confirmed by the 1978 Constitution as the official flag of post-Franco democratic Spain. The current coat of arms — with its quartered shield representing the historic kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon and Navarre, plus the pomegranate of Granada and the Pillars of Hercules — was adopted in 1981. The flag has flown over an empire that once stretched from California to the Philippines, and remains one of the most-recognised symbols in the Spanish-speaking world.

Proportion

2:3

Adopted

1981

Designer

Antonio Valdés y Bazán (1785 colour scheme); coat of arms by Manuel Galduf and approved 1981

Spain

01 · Symbolism

The yellow band, double the height of each red band, dates to King Charles III in 1785, who chose the design for visibility at sea.

02 · Colour meanings

What each colour represents.

A breakdown of the symbolism behind each colour on the flag of Spain.

Red

#AA151B

Selected by Charles III in 1785 for maximum visibility at sea against blue water and white skies. Often informally associated with the blood of bulls in Spanish folklore.

Yellow

#F1BF00

Also chosen for visibility. The wider yellow band gives the flag its distinctive look. Often informally tied to Spain's sun and to the Castilian gold of the Reconquista.

03 · Design & elements

How the flag is put together.

Three horizontal bands — red, yellow (twice as wide), red — with the Spanish coat of arms positioned in the centre-left of the yellow band. Proportion 2:3.

Coat of arms: The Spanish coat of arms combines the heraldry of the historic kingdoms that united to form Spain — Castile (a yellow castle on red), León (a purple lion), Aragon (red and yellow stripes), Navarre (a chain pattern), Granada (a pomegranate), and the Bourbon fleur-de-lis. The Pillars of Hercules flank the shield, with the motto "Plus Ultra" ("Further Beyond") on a banner.

04 · Fun facts

Things to remember.

01
King Charles III chose the red-and-yellow scheme in 1785 specifically because the previous all-white Bourbon flag was hard to distinguish from the white flags of France, Tuscany, the Two Sicilies and Parma — all then ruled by branches of the Bourbon dynasty.
02
The motto on the coat of arms — "Plus Ultra" ("Further Beyond") — was adopted by King Charles V in the 16th century, replacing the older "Non plus ultra" ("No further beyond") inscribed on the mythical Pillars of Hercules to signal Spain's ambitions in the New World.
03
The Spanish flag has changed several times in the modern era: under the Second Republic (1931–1939) the bottom red band was replaced with purple, in homage to the heraldry of Castile; under Franco (1936–1975) the eagle of St John was added to the coat of arms; the current democratic version was finalised in 1981.
04
Several former Spanish colonies retain red and yellow in their flags as a legacy of Spanish rule — Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia all share variants of yellow-red colour schemes.
05
The yellow band is twice as wide as each red band, giving the flag a 1:2:1 ratio of bands. This proportion has been preserved since the original 1785 design.

05 · History

How it came to be.

Before 1785, Spanish ships flew the white Bourbon ensign of the Spanish royal house. The confusion this caused with other Bourbon-ruled states led King Charles III to commission naval minister Antonio Valdés y Bazán to design a more distinctive flag. The selected red-yellow-red design was adopted as the naval ensign in 1785, the war ensign in 1843, and the national flag from 1931. Over the past two centuries the coat of arms in the centre has changed many times to reflect changing regimes — most notably under the Second Republic (1931–1939), the Franco dictatorship (1936–1975), and the constitutional monarchy that followed. The current coat of arms was approved by parliament in 1981.

03 · About

On the design.

The Bandera de España features two red horizontal bands and a yellow band twice the width, with the national coat of arms on the hoist side. The current design was confirmed by the 1978 Constitution.

The design

The Flag of Spain 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, Yellow, 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.
Yellow	Yellow	Usually denotes wealth, the sun, gold reserves, or a generous spirit.
Source	Official flag law	The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions.

Symbolism & heraldry

The yellow band, double the height of each red band, dates to King Charles III in 1785, who chose the design for visibility at sea.

Heraldic elements on the Flag of Spain — 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 1981. Earlier banners flown by Spain 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 Spain 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	Spain	—
Continent	Europe	—
ISO alpha-2	ES	2-letter code
ISO alpha-3	ESP	3-letter code
Adopted	1981	year of current design
Proportion	2:3	height : length
Colours	Red, Yellow	—
Designer		—
Emoji	🇪🇸	Unicode codepoint sequence

Did you know?

The yellow stripe is twice as wide as each red stripe — making it the most prominent yellow on any major national flag.

Frequently asked questions

What do the colours of the Spanish flag mean?

The red and yellow were chosen by King Charles III in 1785 primarily for maximum visibility at sea, to distinguish Spanish vessels from other Bourbon-ruled states (France, Tuscany, the Two Sicilies and Parma) that all flew similar white flags. The colours have no fixed official symbolism, but red is sometimes informally tied to bravery and yellow to the country's sunlight and Castilian gold.

What is on the Spanish coat of arms?

The Spanish coat of arms combines the heraldry of the historic kingdoms that united to form Spain: a yellow castle for Castile, a purple lion for León, red-and-yellow stripes for Aragon, a chain pattern for Navarre, a pomegranate for Granada, and the Bourbon fleur-de-lis at the centre. The Pillars of Hercules flank the shield, with the motto "Plus Ultra" ("Further Beyond") — adopted by Charles V to signal Spain's reach into the New World.

When was the Spanish flag adopted?

The red-yellow-red colour scheme dates from 1785, when it was adopted as the Spanish naval ensign by Charles III. It became the war ensign in 1843 and the national flag in 1931. The current coat of arms in the centre was finalised in 1981, after Spain's transition to democracy.

Why does the Spanish flag have a wider yellow band?

The 1:2:1 ratio (with the yellow band twice the width of each red band) was set in the original 1785 design and has been preserved ever since. The wider yellow band gives the flag a distinctive look and provides space for the coat of arms without crowding it; it also makes the flag highly visible at sea, which was the original design priority.

Which country does the Flag of Spain represent?

The Flag of Spain is the national flag of Spain.

When was the Flag of Spain adopted?

The Flag of Spain was adopted in 1981 — about 45 years old.

What is the proportion of the Flag of Spain?

The Flag of Spain has an official proportion (height-to-width ratio) of 2:3.

Who designed the Flag of Spain?

The Flag of Spain was designed by Antonio Valdés y Bazán (1785 colour scheme); coat of arms by Manuel Galduf and approved 1981.

04 · Country at a glance

Spain — in brief.

Quick reference data on Spain, the country this flag represents.

Capital: Madrid
Continent: Europe
Sub-region: Southern Europe
Population: 48M
Area: 505,992 km²
Languages: Spanish
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Flag age: about 45 years old

Dispatch 13 · MAY · 26

A small thing, worth noting.

The yellow stripe is twice as wide as each red stripe — making it the most prominent yellow on any major national flag.

— filed from the catalog

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