Flag of Georgia

A white field with a large red cross touching all four edges. Each quarter holds a smaller red cross with flared ends, known as a Bolnisi cross.

What the flag means

The five crosses are usually interpreted as the five wounds of Christ, or as Christ and the four Evangelists. The design is traced to the medieval Kingdom of Georgia: a Franciscan work dated 1345–1350 describes the kingdom's flag as a white cloth with five red crosses.

History

Parliament voted to restore the five-cross flag in 1999, but President Eduard Shevardnadze did not approve the bill. The opposition United National Movement, led by Mikheil Saakashvili, took it up, and it became a symbol of the Rose Revolution. Saakashvili was elected president on 4 January 2004, and parliament adopted the flag on 14 January 2004. Presidential Decree No. 31 of 25 January 2004 set its exact construction.

14 January, the day parliament adopted the flag, is marked each year as Flag Day.

Earlier flags of Georgia

1918–1921Dark red with black and white stripes in the upper hoist corner
1991–2004The 1918 flag, restored after the end of Soviet rule

Flags of Georgia's neighbours

Sources

Wikipedia: Flag of Georgia (country)
Flags of the World: Georgia

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.