Spain Flag: Meaning, Coat of Arms, Ratio, History & Facts
Explore Spain’s red-yellow-red flag, exact 1:2:1 stripe pattern, 2:3 ratio, coat-of-arms placement, historic symbols and the modern laws governing its use.
What does the Spain flag look like?
The Spanish flag is formed by three horizontal bands: red at the top, yellow in the middle and red at the bottom. The yellow band is twice as wide as either red band, creating a 1:2:1 stripe pattern.
Spanish regulations give the normal flag a length equal to one and a half times its height, equivalent to a 2:3 height-to-length ratio.
What is on the Spanish coat of arms?
The modern coat of arms brings together symbols of Spain’s historic kingdoms and monarchy. The shield contains the castle of Castile, the lion of León, the bars of Aragon, the chains of Navarre and a pomegranate for Granada. A smaller Bourbon-Anjou shield appears in the center.
The shield is flanked by the Pillars of Hercules with the motto Plus Ultra and topped by the royal crown.
Where is the coat of arms placed?
Under the official model, the coat of arms appears on both sides of the flag in the yellow band. For a normal 2:3 flag, its vertical axis is positioned half a flag-height from the hoist, so the arms sit visibly closer to the flagpole than to the center of the entire rectangle.
The arms have a prescribed height of two-fifths of the flag’s width/height in the official specification.
Why are Spain’s colors red and yellow?
The red-and-yellow national color scheme has eighteenth-century naval origins. A red-yellow-red ensign was selected in the reign of Charles III so Spanish ships could be distinguished more clearly at sea from other Bourbon naval flags.
The arrangement survived major political changes and became embedded in Spain’s modern constitutional symbolism. Article 4 of the 1978 Constitution describes the same red-yellow-red layout used today.
What does Spanish law say about the flag?
Law 39/1981 defines the flag as a symbol of the Spanish nation, sovereignty, independence, unity and integrity. It also regulates its use with other flags and requires it to occupy the place of honour in public institutions.
The law allows the coat of arms to be incorporated in the yellow band and requires it on specified flags used by constitutional bodies, public administrations, the armed forces, diplomatic missions and related official institutions.
Spain flag quick facts
| Colors | Red, yellow, red |
|---|---|
| Stripe proportions | 1:2:1 |
| Flag ratio | 2:3 |
| Constitutional basis | Article 4 of the 1978 Constitution |
| Current flag-use law | Law 39/1981 |
| Modern coat of arms law | Law 33/1981 |
Spain flag FAQ
What is the ratio of the Spanish flag?
The normal official ratio is 2:3.
Why is the yellow stripe wider?
Spanish law specifies that the yellow middle stripe is twice the width of each red stripe.
Does every Spanish flag need the coat of arms?
No. The national flag may appear without the arms, but the coat of arms is required on specified official state flags.
What does Plus Ultra mean?
It means “Further Beyond” and appears on the ribbons around the Pillars of Hercules in Spain’s coat of arms.
When did Spain adopt red and yellow?
The modern red-yellow tradition developed from an eighteenth-century naval ensign and is now constitutionally defined.
BOE — Law 39/1981 on the Flag of Spain
BOE — Official flag proportions
BOE — Law 33/1981 on the Coat of Arms
