Flag of Ossetia

The flag used by the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania is a tricolour, top to bottom white, red, and yellow. The flag is also said to represent the social structure of ancient Ossetian society, which was divided into three social groups forming an organic whole: the military aristocracy, the clergy, and ordinary people. The colours symbolise moral purity (white), martial courage (red) and wealth and prosperity (yellow). In blazons, the flag is described as Per fess Argent and Or, a fess Gules. The South Ossetian version was prescribed by the South Ossetian Constitution of 26 November 1990 and confirmed by the Regulation on the National Flag of 30 March 1992.
The flag is also used by the pro-Georgian Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia, formerly based in Kurta, which opposes the independent government in Tskhinvali.
The flags of North Ossetia-Alania and South Ossetia are almost identical, the only difference being the shades used. The flag of South Ossetia has identical proportions to the flag of North Ossetia-Alania (1:2), but slightly different colours (most noticeably a darker shade of yellow).
Under the Soviet Union, North Ossetia had a predominantly red flag with a blue trim on the left edge, the hammer and sickle and the words "North Ossetian ASSR" in both Russian and Ossetian. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was replaced with the present flag, which was adopted on October 2, 1991.
== See also ==
* Coats of arms of Ossetia
* Other flags of non- or semi-recognised nations
== References ==
== External links ==
* South Ossetia (Georgia)
Flag
Category:National flags
Category:Flags of unrecognized or largely unrecognized states
Category:Flags introduced in 1990
Flag
Category:Flags of the federal subjects of Russia
ar:علم أوسيتيا الشمالية - ألانيا
be:Сцяг Паўночнай Асеціі
da:Nordossetiens flag
es:Bandera de Osetia del Norte - Alania
gl:Bandeira de Osetia do Norte
it:Bandiera dell'Ossezia Settentrionale-Alania
hu:Észak-Oszétia zászlaja
nl:Vlag van Noord-Ossetië
no:Republikken Nord-Ossetia Alanias flagg
pl:Flaga Osetii Północnej
pt:Bandeira da Ossétia do Norte-Alânia
ru:Флаг Северной Осетии
sk:Vlajka Severného Osetska
fi:Pohjois-Ossetia-Alanian lippu
uk:Прапор Північної Осетії
yo:Àsìá ilẹ̀ Àríwá Ossetia-Alania