Flag of Bulgaria
The Bulgaria flag is a horizontal tricolor of white, green and red, from top to bottom. It was adopted in 1879 after the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule, and its colors were inspired by the Slavic tricolor used in Russia.
What the flag of Bulgaria looks like
The national flag of Bulgaria has three equal horizontal stripes: white at the top, green in the middle and red at the bottom. It is a plain tricolor with no emblem, and its proportions are 3:5.
A state version with the national coat of arms, a golden lion on a dark red shield with a crown, is used for some official and military purposes. The ordinary flag, flown by citizens, is the plain tricolor. The Bulgaria flag emoji shows the plain version.
Bulgaria flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0 HEX
#00966ERGB
0, 150, 110CMYK
100, 0, 27, 41 HEX
#D62612RGB
214, 38, 18CMYK
0, 82, 92, 16 Bulgaria flag meaning and symbolism
The colors are commonly explained as follows. White stands for peace, and in some accounts for the love of freedom. Green stands for the fertile land and agriculture, and for hope and freedom. Red stands for the courage and blood of the people who fought for the country's independence.
These are traditional explanations rather than a set legal definition.
History of the Bulgarian flag
Bulgaria regained autonomy from the Ottoman Empire in 1878 after the Russo-Turkish War. The new Principality of Bulgaria adopted its flag in the Tarnovo Constitution of 16 April 1879. The design took the white-blue-red order of the Russian tricolor and replaced blue with green. The green is generally said to stand for the Bulgarian land and its fertility, and it also kept the flag distinct from Russia's.
Bulgaria became fully independent as a kingdom in 1908, and the tricolor was kept. Under the communist People's Republic, from 1946, a coat of arms was added in the upper hoist corner, and its design changed over the following decades (later versions had a wheat wreath and a red star). This was removed in 1990 after the end of communist rule, and the plain tricolor has been the flag of the Republic of Bulgaria since.
Flags that look like Bulgaria's
The flag is often confused with a few others that use the same colors in a different order. Hungary has red, white and green, with red at the top, so the colors run in the opposite direction. Russia uses white, blue and red, so the only difference is that the middle stripe is blue instead of green. Italy has green, white and red in vertical stripes. The easiest rule for Bulgaria is white at the top, green in the middle, red at the bottom.
Bulgaria flag facts
| Country | Republic of Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | November 27, 1990 |
| Proportions | 3:5 |
| Colors | #FFFFFF, #00966E, #D62612 |
| Symbols | field |
| Flag emoji | π§π¬ |
| Country code | BG, BGR (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Sofia |
| Continent | Europe |
| Population | 6,423,207 |
| Area | 110,994 kmΒ² |
| National anthem | Mila Rodino |
Bulgaria flag: frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of the Bulgarian flag?
White usually stands for peace, green for the land and freedom, and red for the courage and blood of those who fought for independence.
What is the difference between the Russian and Bulgarian flags?
Both have white at the top and red at the bottom. Russia's middle stripe is blue, and Bulgaria's is green. Bulgaria's flag is also slightly shorter, at 3:5 rather than 2:3.
What is the difference between the Hungarian and Bulgarian flag?
Hungary's flag runs red, white, green from top to bottom, while Bulgaria's runs white, green, red. Both are horizontal tricolors, but the order of the colors differs.
What is the alternate flag of Bulgaria?
There is a state flag with the national coat of arms, a golden lion on a dark red shield, used for some official purposes. The plain tricolor is the standard national flag.
What flag is π§π¬?
π§π¬ is the flag of Bulgaria, a country in southeastern Europe, with white, green and red horizontal stripes.
