Flag of Slovakia

File:Flag of Slovakia vertical (gabbe).jpg
The current form of the national **flag of Slovakia** was adopted by Slovakia's Constitution, which came into force on 3 September 1992. The flag, in common with other Slavic nations, uses the colors white, blue and red.

## History

Slovakia's flag in its current form (but with another coat of arms on it or without any arms) can be dated back to the revolutionary year 1848[*Citation needed*] (see: *The Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas*). It was also used semi-officially in Czechoslovakia before World War II, by the Slovak Republic during World War II.

In 1990, the Interior Ministry tasked Ladislav Čisárik, a painter and heraldic artist, and Ladislav Vrtel, a expert in heraldry, with creating a new coat of arms and national flag. Čisárik and Vrtel based their designs for a modern coat of arms and flag on an existing 14th Century coat of arms. However, Čisárik and Vrtel chose to enlarge the double cross three times to emphasize it as a national symbol. In addition to the national coat of arms and the national flag, the duo also designed a new presidential standard, which incorporates the double cross as well.

The new flag was finally adopted (initially without Čisárik's and Vrtel's coat of arms) on 1 March 1990 as the flag of the Slovak Republic within Czechoslovakia. The coat of arms was added on 3 September 1992 and a special law describing the details of the flag followed in February 1993.

## Design

The colour of the triangle in the flag of Czechoslovakia was taken from the blue strip in Slovakia's flag, representing its presence in the union. When Czechoslovakia dissolved, the Czech Republic simply retained the flag, in direct violation of the 1992 Act on the Division of Czechoslovakia, which explicitly forbid state symbols to be used by the two successor states.

Since the Slovak flag without the coat of arms is identical to that of the modern flag of the Russian Federation, and can also be compared to the modern flag of Slovenia, the Constitution of Slovakia added the national coat of arms in September 1992.

## Flags

### Historical flags

Red flag.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandonedFlag of the Slovak Soviet RepublicFlag of First Slovak Republic 1939-1945.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandonedUnofficial flag of Slovakia before 1938. Official flag of the autonomous Slovak land within the Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–1939), WWII Slovak Republic (1939–1945) and Slovak Socialist Republic within Czechoslovakia (1960–1992)Flag of Czechoslovakia.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandonedFlag of Czechoslovakia (1920–1992)War ensign of the First Slovak Republic.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandonedWar Ensign of the Slovak Republic (1939–1945)
### Presidential standard

State President Slovakia 1939.svgDesign used in the past, but now abandonedStandard of the President (1939–1945)Flag of the President of Slovakia.svgStandard of the President (1993–present)
### Other flags

Flag of Slovakia vertical.svgVertical version of the flag of SlovakiaFlag of Slovakia, construction sheet.pngConstruction sheet
## See also

* Coat of arms of Slovakia
* Pan-Slavic colors

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Zomrel autor výtvarného spracovania štátnych symbolov SR", *News Agency of the Slovak Republic*, 2017-08-03. Retrieved on 2017-09-06.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Zomrel autor slovenských národných symbolov Ladislav Čisárik ml.", *SME (newspaper)*, 2017-08-03. Retrieved on 2017-09-06.
3. ↑ Glevická, Marcela. "How the national emblem appeared – including so far secret communism designs", *The Slovak Spectator*, 2017-02-16. Retrieved on 2017-09-07.
4. ↑ Ústavný zákon č. 542/1992 Zb. o zániku Českej a Slovenskej Federatívnej Republiky, Čl. 3 ods. 2
(*Constitutional act. No. 542/1992 Col. on the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, art. 3 sect. 2*)

## External links

* Slovakia Flag
* Zákon NR SR o štátnych symboloch Slovenskej republiky a ich používaní