Slovenia flag

The national flag of Slovenia features three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue and red, with the Slovenian coat of arms located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands. The coat of arms is a shield with the image of Mount Triglav, Slovenia´s highest peak, in white against a blue background at the centre. Beneath it are two wavy blue lines representing the Adriatic Sea and local rivers and above it are three sixpointed golden stars.

 The flag´s colours are considered to be Pan-Slavic, but they actually come from the medieval coat of arms of the Duchy of Carniola, consisting of a blue eagle on a white background with a red and gold crescent. The existing tricolour was created in year 1848. The official recognition of the Carniolan white-blue-red tricolour instead of the traditional white-blue bicolour was seen as a major achievement by the Slovenes and it became the symbol representing the idea of United Slovenia. In year 1945 a red star was replaced on the flag. Following Slovenian independance from Yugoslavia in 1991, the red star was removed and the new coat of arms was added.