The flag of Lithuania is a horizontal tricolour of yellow, green and red. It is one of the country’s principal state symbols and is distinct from Lithuania’s historic armorial flag, which features the white Vytis knight on a red field.
What does the Lithuanian flag look like?
The national flag consists of three equal horizontal stripes: yellow at the top, green in the middle and red at the bottom. Under current Lithuanian law, the flag’s width-to-length ratio is 3:5.
Is the Lithuanian flag called Vytis?
No. Vytis is the name of Lithuania’s national coat of arms: a white armoured knight on horseback on a red field. Lithuania also has a historical state flag based on this heraldic design. The standard national flag, however, is the yellow-green-red tricolour and does not contain the Vytis.
History of the Lithuanian flag
The modern tricolour was developed during Lithuania’s national revival. A commission made up of Jonas Basanavičius, Antanas Žmuidzinavičius and Tadas Daugirdas approved the yellow, green and red design on 19 April 1918, and the Council of Lithuania accepted it as an interim national flag. The colours were later recognised in Lithuania’s interwar constitutions.
After the Soviet occupation in 1940, Lithuania’s independent state symbols were prohibited. The tricolour nevertheless remained an important symbol of Lithuanian identity and resistance. It returned publicly during the Sąjūdis independence movement in 1988 and was raised over Gediminas Castle Tower on 7 October 1988. On 18 November 1988 it regained official state-flag status. Lithuania restored its independence in 1990.
What do the colors mean?
Yellow, green and red are firmly established as Lithuania’s national colours. Various symbolic interpretations are commonly attached to them, often linking yellow with light and prosperity, green with the country’s landscape and hope, and red with courage and sacrifice. These interpretations should be understood as traditional symbolism rather than as part of the constitutional definition of the flag.
Lithuanian flag facts
- Colors: yellow, green and red
- Design: three equal horizontal stripes
- Proportion: 3:5
- Modern design approved: 19 April 1918
- Restored to official use: 1988
- Vytis: Lithuania’s coat of arms, not an emblem on the standard tricolour
Sources
Primary references: Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania — history of the national flag and Lithuanian state symbols.
