Flag of North Macedonia
A yellow sun in the centre of a red field, with a thin red ring around its disc. Eight yellow rays run from the sun to the edges of the flag, widening as they go.
What the flag means
The usual explanation is that the sun is the 'new sun of liberty' in the national anthem, 'Denes nad Makedonija'.
History
The first flag of the independent republic, adopted on 11 August 1992, had the 16-rayed Vergina Sun on red. Greece, which regards the symbol as a link between ancient Macedonia and modern Greek culture, objected and from February 1994 imposed an economic blockade. An agreement signed with Greece in New York in 1995 included a change of flag. Parliament adopted Miroslav Grčev's eight-rayed sun on 5 October 1995, and the blockade was lifted that month.
Under the 2018 Prespa Agreement with Greece, North Macedonia agreed to take the Vergina Sun out of public use. Its removal from public sites began on 12 August 2019.
Earlier flags of North Macedonia
- 1946–1992Red with a gold-edged red star in the canton (Socialist Republic of Macedonia)
- 1992–1995Red with the yellow Vergina Sun, which has 16 rays
Flags of North Macedonia's neighbours
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of North Macedonia
- Flags of the World: North Macedonia
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
