Flag of Spain

Meaning and history of the flag of Spain

The flag of Spain, popularly known as "la rojigualda," consists of three horizontal stripes, red, yellow, and red, with the central yellow stripe twice as wide as each red one. Its official state version includes the coat of arms of Spain, positioned slightly toward the hoist. The design was originally established by King Charles III in 1785 for the Spanish navy.

Charles III chose these colors specifically to make the flag easy to distinguish at sea, since the white flags typically flown by the House of Bourbon were often confused with those of other nations. The coat of arms includes the emblems of the historic kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon, Navarre, and Granada, along with the Pillars of Hercules bearing the motto "Plus Ultra" and the royal crown.

La rojigualda is one of the most recognizable flags in the world and has remained essentially unchanged since the late eighteenth century, with the exception of the Second Republic period (1931-1939), when the lower red stripe was replaced with purple. The combination of red and yellow is shared by few national flags, giving Spain's flag a strongly distinctive visual identity on the world stage.

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