Flag of Lithuania

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The flag of Lithuania is a horizontal tricolor of yellow, green and red. The flag was adopted on March 20, 1989 on the advent of breaking away from the Soviet Union. Before its readoption, this flag was used from 1918 until 1940, when Lithuania was occupied first by Nazi Germany, then annexation by the Soviets. From annexation until 1989, the Soviet Lithuanian flag consisted first of a genric red flag with the name of the republic, then moving to the more familiar red flag with white and green bars at the bottom. The last change to the flag occured in 2004 when the aspect ratio changed from 1:2 to 3:5.

[edit] Design and symbolism

Passed on June 26, 1991, the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Lithuanian State Flag is the law that governs the design, sizes and use of the state flag. The law was last amended on July 8, 2004, with the most notable changes including the switching of the flag ratio from 1:2 to 3:5 and the official adoption of a historical flag as the state flag.

The exact colors of both the national and state flag are made according to the Pantone Matching System. The ratio of both the national and state flag must be 3:5, with the standard flag size to be 1 meter by 1.7 meters. Different sizes of the flags can be created, but they must conform to the color codes and ratio requirements set in the law.

The yellow in the flag is meant to symbolize the tan fields of Lithuania, the green is for the green countrysides, and the red represents all the blood that was shed for Lithuania.

[edit] Other Lithuanian flags

A civil ensign was used by Lithuania starting in 1992. The ensign has a white background charged with a blue cross with the national flag in the canton. The width of each cross is 1/7 of the total width of the ensign, with the ratio being 1:2. [1] Historically, the flag was used as the ensign of the Kaunas Yacht Club, but with a different ratio of 2:3.[2] A naval jack and a masthead pennant were adopted by the Lithuanian navy to use on their ships.

The President of Lithuania was officially given a standard by the Seimas in 1993. The standard is charged State Emblem of Lithuania is charged in the center on a monocolored background. In the state law, the flag color is determined as purple, but the flag is dark-red in practice. The ratio of the flag is 1:1.2.

[edit] External link

• Lithuania at Flags of the World

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