The flag of Croatia as a national symbol

The arms and the flag of Croatia are the inalienable national symbols of the state. They enjoy special respect among the local population. This attitude of Croats to them is primarily due to the fact that these symbols are very closely related to the history of the country.

general description

The flag of Croatia itself, the photo of which is shown below, is a rectangular regular piece of cloth, the sides of which are proportionally related as 2 to 1. It consists of three horizontally arranged bands equal in width and painted in red, white and blue (if viewed from above down). It should be noted that the choice in favor of such a color scheme is considered a kind of tribute to the traditions of many other peoples of Slavic origin. The state emblem is placed in the center of the country's flag.

Coat of arms of Croatia

According to official data, the national coat of arms in modern form, which is mandatory applied to the flag of Croatia, was first used in the early sixteenth century by representatives of the Habsburg dynasty. He is the image of a shield of 25 white and red squares, arranged in five rows and placed in checkerboard pattern. Above it is a crown with five prongs, each of which marks one of the historical regions: Croatia, Istria, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik and Slavonia. Among the citizens of the country there is a legend that the squares on their national symbol appeared thanks to Svetoslav Suroonyu - the local king. He in the tenth century received the right to own some lands after winning the chess game over the Venetian doge.

History of the flag

Red, white and blue colors, which are used in the national symbol, are traditional for Croatian residents. Since ancient times, they were present in national clothes. In 1848, Josip Jelacic came to power in the country, which played a very important role in gaining independence from Hungary. It was under his power that tricolor began to be actively used, which in our time means the indivisibility and integrity of all Croatian lands.

In 1939, the national flag was placed on the flag of Croatia for the first time. Six years later, he was replaced by a red star, which was due to the country's entry into Yugoslavia. Two years later, a golden edging appeared on it. The application of the star is primarily due to the onset of a long period of communist power. In this form, the state symbol was used until the proclamation of the country's independence in 1990. Immediately after that, the star was replaced by a shield, and then on the coat of arms. In its present form, the national flag of Croatia was officially approved at the legislative level on December 22, 1990.

Meaning of symbols

According to the unofficial interpretation of national symbols, the colors used for the Croatian flag are directly related to the history of the local people. In particular, the red band represents the blood of the martyrs who fought for independence, white marks the beauty of the local nature in the form of a lamb, and the blue symbolizes the devotion of the Slavs to God. "Chessboard", which accounts for the bulk of the coat of arms that is applied to the flag of Croatia, consists of twelve white and thirteen red fields. According to historical information, since the tenth century it was used in the form of a royal symbol of Croatian rulers. The above-mentioned crown, as already noted, marks five historical regions. In this case, the shield of Croatia is an image of a golden star above the silver crescent, Istria - a golden sheep with red hoofs and horns, Dalmatia - three lion's golden heads, Dubrovnik - two red stripes on a blue field, Slavonia - martens on a red, silver-lined strip and gold Stars above it.