Poland Flag

How to identify it

Two equal horizontal bands, white above red. Indonesia and Monaco reverse that order, placing red above white.

Design and construction

Proportions

5:8

Adoption and legal status

1919 in its modern form; the current statute is the Act of 31 January 1980 on the coat of arms, colours and anthem

Construction

Two equal bands, white over red. The colours come from the arms, which show a white eagle on a red shield.

Officially documented meaning

The 1980 Act names white and red as the national colours and derives them from the coat of arms; it assigns them no further meaning.

Commonly repeated interpretation

Not official: White for the eagle and red for the field of the shield is the standard explanation; readings such as white for purity and red for sacrifice are later additions.

History of the design

A white eagle on red is recorded as the arms of Poland from the thirteenth century. The white-over-red bicolour was fixed after independence in 1919 and restored to statute in 1980.

Similar flags

Compare the details that separate these designs.

• 
  Indonesia

  Indonesia is the same bicolour upside down: red on top.

• 
  Monaco

  Monaco is also red over white, and squarer at 4:5.

• 
  Czech Republic

  The Czech flag adds a blue triangle at the flagpole side to the same white-over-red band order; Poland has no triangle.

Comparison guides

• Indonesia vs Monaco vs Poland: red and white bicolours

Sources