Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The national flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted on 4 February 1998. Designer of the flag is Mladen Kolobarić, the head of the so-called Westendorp Commission to redesign the flag was. Carlos Westendorp from 1997 to 1999, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Description and significance

The flag shows a golden triangle against a blue background. At the bottom of the triangle is an imaginary infinite chain pulls as white, five-pointed stars along.

The triangle symbolizes the geographical outline of Bosnia and Herzegovina and also stands for the three ethnic groups in the country. The color yellow stands for peace and the sun. The blue color and the stars symbolize Europe. There are also some unofficial interpretations of the flag.

Colors

History

In the archive in Mostar there is a flag of 1760, which was used by landowners in West Herzegovina mainly in the war. The green flag with dovetail shows a white, narrow crescent with a white, eight-pointed star.

After deduction of the Ottoman troops in Bosnia for a few months was de facto independent. During this time, a similar flag was used as already Hussein Kapetan Gradaščević used during the revolution 1831/32: A green flag with a golden crescent and star.

? Flag during the revolution 1831/32

? Bosnia 1878

1878 Bosnia and Herzegovina came under the rule of Austria - Hungary. First, the territory belonged to neither of the two parts of the country Austria and Hungary. Therefore, it was given its own flag: A horizontal Bikolore in red and yellow with the coat of arms of the territory, which was acquired in the 14th century by Vukčić Hrvatinić. 1908, but was annexed by Austria and Bosnia used as the national colors of the Bikolore red and yellow, while the yellow and red Herzegovina used.

? After the annexation of Bosnia, 1908-1918

? Herzegovina after the annexation, 1908-1918

On December 31, 1946 was Bosnia- Herzegovina as part of the communist state of Yugoslavia, a red flag with the Yugoslav state flag as a naval jack. Red symbolizes communism.

As Bosnia - Herzegovina became independent in 1992, led to a white flag with the emblem of the house a Kotromanić in the middle. It is a symbol of the Bosnian Kingdom, before the conquest of Bosnia-Herzegovina by the Ottomans dar. With independence in 1992, should this coat of arms in the national flag at the independence and heyday of Bosnia recall in the Middle Ages. Although since 1998, a new national flag was introduced, this flag is considered a real thing, so she is often seen at sporting events of the Bosnian national teams for the fans of many Bosnians. Today, the coat of arms with the six lilies is unofficially as a symbol of the Bosniaks. It also reflects such a coat of arms also in living in Serbia and Montenegro Bosniaks who have their own flag for the Sandzak since 2004, which was strongly constructed based on this flag.

1:2? Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992-1998

For the redesign of national flags, several proposals were before. Including a version that is based on the Czech flag and should represent the three ethnic groups in the country. Other proposals were based on the flag of the United Nations. On a light blue background a golden olive branch or the country outline of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been proposed. Other proposals show a diagonal striped tricolor in the colors red, white and blue. In the central white stripe a map of the country was surrounded by ten or twelve five-pointed yellow stars under consideration. The results of Westendorp Commission included three proposals. The first corresponds essentially to the present flag, but uses a lighter blue on the basis of the color of the United Nations. The other two variants have a different number of white and yellow horizontal stripes on a light blue background.

1:2? Variant based on the flag of the United Nations

1:2? Version with white country outline

1:2? Tricolor with ten stars

1:2? Tricolor flag with twelve stars

1:2? First Westendorp proposal

1:2? Second Westendorp proposal

1:2? Third Westendorp proposal

Sub-national flags

The Republika Srpska has its own flags, which have no resemblance to the flag of the State. The flag for the part of State Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was abolished on 14 June 2007 and so far not replaced by new ones.

Main article: Flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, flag of the Republika Srpska

Flag of the Republika Srpska

Similarly, the cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and communities run their own flags in the country.

Main article: Flags of the Cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina