Flag of Albania

What the flag means

Albanian law gives the colours no symbolic meaning: Law No. 8926 of 2002 calls the field simply 'blood red'. The eagle has long been an Albanian emblem. It is linked to Skanderbeg, who used a red banner with a black double-headed eagle from 1443.

History

Albanian nationalists revived Skanderbeg's red and black banner in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was flown at Vlorë on 28 November 1912, when Albania declared independence. Later governments added their own emblems: a royal crown under King Zog, then Italian fasces during the occupation. In 1946 the communist government placed a star above the eagle. The Assembly voted to remove the star on 7 April 1992, and Law No. 8926 of 22 July 2002 fixed the present design.

Law No. 8926 specifies the eagle's feathers: nine on each wing and seven in the tail.

Earlier flags of Albania

1. 1928–1939Red flag with the black eagle and a royal crown, used under King Zog
2. 1939–1943Black eagle with Italian lictor fasces, used during the Italian occupation
3. 1946–1992Red flag with the black eagle and a gold-edged red star above it

Flags of Albania's neighbours

• Montenegro
• Greece
• North Macedonia
• Kosovo