Georgia’s national flag is a white field bearing a large red cross and four smaller red crosses. Often called the Five Cross Flag, the design was restored as Georgia’s state flag in 2004.
What does the Georgian flag look like?
A broad red cross divides the white field into four quarters. Each quarter contains a smaller red cross of the distinctive Georgian Bolnisi type.
Historical roots
Five-cross designs are associated with medieval Georgia and appear on historical maps and religious imagery from the period of the Georgian kingdoms. The flag therefore deliberately links the modern republic with much older Georgian Christian and state traditions.
Restoration in 2004
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia initially used a different maroon national flag associated with the early twentieth-century republic. The Five Cross Flag became a major symbol of the opposition movement and was formally adopted by parliament in January 2004.
Georgia flag facts
- Colors: white and red
- Crosses: five
- Historical inspiration: medieval Georgian flags and heraldry
- Current flag adopted: January 2004
Reference
Reference: Georgian legislation on state symbols and the documented medieval history of the Five Cross design.
