Flag of Poland

Meaning and history of the flag of Poland

Poland's flag is one of the simplest in the world: two equal horizontal stripes, white on top and red on the bottom. These colors come from the country's coat of arms, which depicts a white eagle on a red field and dates back to the 13th century. White symbolizes peace and morality, while red represents the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for the nation's independence.

It was officially adopted on August 1, 1919, shortly after Poland regained its independence following World War I, though white and red had been recognized as the national colors since 1831. The Polish flag is identical to Indonesia's and very similar to Monaco's, except that those flags have the order reversed, with red on top and white below; Indonesia's and Monaco's flags differ from one another only in proportions. Poland's state version adds the crowned white eagle emblem to the white stripe, clearly distinguishing it from the others.

You can view the flag of Poland in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Poland profile, its map, or the current local time in Warsaw.