Europe

Flag of Latvia

Latvia is one of the three Baltic states, situated between Estonia and Lithuania on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004. Riga, the capital, is the largest city in the Baltic states and is renowned for its outstanding collection of Art Nouveau architecture — the largest concentration of such buildings in the world.

CapitalRiga
RegionEurope
Current flag since1990
Main coloursRed, White
Populationabout 1.9 million
Areaabout 65,000 km²
Flags in history4

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Latvia means

The carmine-white-carmine flag is linked to a 13th-century account in the Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia, which describes a red banner with a white stripe. Legend says a wounded chieftain was wrapped in a white sheet whose edges were stained with his blood. The flag was adopted in 1922, banned under Soviet rule and restored in 1990. Its dark shade of red is often called Latvian red.

How to recognise it

Horizontal dark carmine red-white-dark carmine red. One of the world's oldest flag designs, used since 1280.

Did you know?

Latvia has the largest collection of Art Nouveau architecture in the world, concentrated in Riga.

Easily confused with

Latvia's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Austria

Lithuania

Flag history of Latvia

Every flag that has flown over Latvia, from today back through time.

1990–present

Flag of Latvia (restored)

Among the world's oldest flag designs, traced to a 13th-century chronicle, the maroon-white-maroon flag was restored in 1990. Its deep carmine shade is officially called "Latvian red".

1953–1990

Latvian SSR

A gold hammer, sickle, and star on red above white and blue wavy bands symbolizing the sea.

1940–1953

Latvian SSR (early)

Imposed after the 1940 Soviet annexation, a red flag with gold "Latvijas PSR" lettering and a hammer and sickle, used until the 1953 redesign.

1918–1940

Independence era

The ancient carmine-and-white flag was adopted at independence in 1918 before Soviet annexation, then restored unchanged in 1990.

Related historical states

Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of Latvia.

1922–1991

Soviet Union

The gold hammer and sickle beneath a red star stood for the worker-peasant alliance. The exact shade and proportions were fixed by Soviet law in 1955.

1561–1795

Duchy of Courland and Semigallia

A Polish-Lithuanian vassal duchy in modern Latvia that — astonishingly — founded colonies on Tobago in the Caribbean and an island in the Gambia in the 1650s.

1953–1990

Latvian SSR

A red flag whose lower edge bore stylized white waves of the Baltic Sea beneath the hammer, sickle and star, used until Latvia restored its independence.