Flag of Monaco
Two equal horizontal bands, red above white.
What the flag means
The colours have no official meaning. Red and white have been the heraldic colours of the Grimaldi family, the princes of Monaco, since at least 1339.
History
Prince Charles III set out the national flag in a sovereign ordinance of 4 April 1881, and the annex to that ordinance shows it at 4:5. Article 7 of the Constitution of 17 December 1962 describes it as two equal horizontal stripes, red over white, and keeps the 1881 ordinance in force for its use. The princely flag is a different design: the full coat of arms on a white field.
Indonesia's flag has the same red-over-white design in 2:3 proportions. Monaco's official 4:5 is often replaced by 2:3 in practice, which makes the two hard to tell apart.
Flags that look like this one
Indonesia and Monaco are both red over white. Only the shape differs: Indonesia's flag is 2:3, Monaco's is 4:5. Poland reverses the order, with white on top.
Flags of Monaco's neighbours
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of Monaco
- Flags of the World: Monaco
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
