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Greece: History of the national flag. I - 1822-1828

Flags of Greece, 1822-1828
Left, war ensign - Image by Željko Heimer, 11 October 2001
Right, war flag - Image by Ivan Sache, 19 June 1995

The Greek flags adopted in 1822
Civil ensign

See also:

The Greek flags adopted in 1822

In January 1822 the National Assembly adopted blue and white as the national colours. The flag was only prescribed on 15 March 1822 (Julian calendar as used in Greece at the time) / 27 March (Gregorian calendar), in accordance with Decree No. 540 by the Temporary Administration. This Decree prescribed:

1. A flag to be used by the armed forces at sea (war ensign); this flag has nine horizontal stripes, in turn blue and white, and a white cross on a blue square field in canton. It is today the Greek national flag.

2. A flag to be used by the armed forces on land (war flag); this flag is blue with a white cross.

3. A flag to be used by merchant ships (civil ensign).

Two of the islands which played an important role in the revolution, Hydra and Samos, had already chosen a flag with blue and white colours before the Greek national flag was adopted.

Yannis Natsinas & Andre van de Loo, 14 March 2003

Civil ensign

Civil ensign, 1822 - Image by Ivan Sache, 19 June 1995

The civil ensign is blue with a canton made of a blue cross on a white rectangular field.

Yannis Natsinas & Andre van de Loo, 14 March 2003