Flag of Romania

What the flag means

The constitution and Law 75/1994 describe the colours but give them no meaning. The 1848 revolutionary government of Wallachia, which first decreed a blue, yellow and red flag, put the motto 'Dreptate, Frăție' (Justice, Brotherhood) on it.

History

Wallachia's revolutionary government adopted the tricolour in June 1848. In 1867 the Assembly of Deputies fixed the vertical order of blue, yellow and red. From 1948 the communist state put its emblem in the centre. During the revolution of December 1989, protesters in Timișoara cut the emblem out of their flags, and on 27 December 1989 the National Salvation Front restored the plain tricolour. Law 176 of 19 June 2023 set exact shades.

Chad's flag is almost identical, with a slightly darker blue. Chad asked the UN to look at the issue in 2004, and Romania said it would not change its flag.

Earlier flags of Romania

1. 1859–1866Horizontal red, yellow and blue tricolour (United Principalities)
2. 1948–1989Blue, yellow and red tricolour with the communist state emblem in the centre

Flags that look like this one

ChadRomaniaAndorraMoldova

Chad and Romania are near-identical blue, yellow and red vertical tricolours; Chad's blue is a darker indigo. Andorra and Moldova use the same colours but add a coat of arms in the centre.

Flags of Romania's neighbours

• Bulgaria
• Hungary
• Moldova
• Serbia
• Ukraine