Croatia’s national flag is a horizontal red-white-blue tricolour with the national coat of arms in the centre. The coat of arms combines the famous red-and-white checkerboard shield with a crown of five smaller historic shields.
What does the Croatian flag look like?
The flag consists of equal horizontal bands of red, white and blue. Croatia’s coat of arms sits at the centre. Official guidance sets the width-to-length ratio at 1:2.
The checkerboard coat of arms
The central shield is divided into 25 alternating red and white squares, beginning with a red square. Above it is a crown formed from five historic shields representing Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia.
Modern history
Red, white and blue have a long place in Croatian national symbolism and also belong to the wider family of Slavic tricolours. The present coat-of-arms design and flag were established as Croatia moved toward independence in 1990.
Croatia flag facts
- Colors: red, white and blue
- Central symbol: Croatian coat of arms
- Checkerboard: 25 fields
- Ratio: 1:2
Sources
Primary references: Croatian Ministry of Justice and Public Administration — national flag and its description of the coat of arms.
