![[Croatia]](../images/h/hr.gif)
image by Carlos Esparza, 21 January 2001
Last modified: 2006-01-21 by dov gutterman
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image by Carlos Esparza, 21 January 2001
Official Name: Republic of Croatia (Republika
Hrvatska)
Capital: Zagreb
Location: Southeastern Europe
Government Type: Presidential/Parliamentary
Democracy
Flag adopted: 21
December 1990
Coat of Arms adopted: 21 December 1990
ISO Code: HR
Other Croatian pages in FOTW:
See also:
Other Sites:
Basically, the situation about croatian flags is like this:
Željko Heimer, 9 March 1997
I was asked several times for the Pantone references of the
colorus used in the Croatian flag (and similar), and in the
process I noticed a useful page in this regard at <www.flags.co.uk>.
The figures (red 032, blue 286) are slightly different from those
given in the Album, but not significantly, as far as I have
noticed. The two sources use slightly different shades for their
"basic heraldic" colours - which is utterly
insignificant.
The Album colours are, I blieve, provided more or less in full on
the Mello Luchtenberg's Vexilla
Mundi site.
Željko Heimer, 22 July 2004
The Croatian flag carried in front of the team at Sydney 2000
Olympic games ceremony, was not quite as it should be - the coat
of arms was moved a bit too much down, the space between the
crest and shield was white (should be "transparent",
and therefore red). The shield should be positioned so that four
rows of squares come into white stripe, and only the fifth enters
the blue field. The shield should not enter the red field at all,
only the crest, that should be fimbriated with white and red (as
well as the shield, in fact). However, this error is very common
among foreign flag manufacturers.
The flag was very clearly visible in one moment when the director
of the coverage choosed to show what's being done white the flags
when the athletes reach their final point - they were gathered on
the stage, and the moment of setting of the Croatian flag was
shown.
Željko Heimer, 15 September 2000
Today Croatia is celebrating 10 years since the EU recognized
Croatian independence. Few states recognized Croatia even before
that date e.g. (Vatican, Ukraine, Iceland), others followed soon
(e.g. USA recognition came in April 1992), however, 15 January
1992 is the day generally accepted as the date of the
international recognition of Croatia.
In May 1992 Croatia was admited to United Nations. As I was
reminded in a documentary I just saw on TV, the Croatian flag was
first hoisted ceremoniously infront of the UN HQ in New York on
22 May 1992. (At the same time B&H white flags w/lilies was
also hoisted for the first time there.)
Željko Heimer, 15 January 2002
I cannot make certain the ratio of this flag/banner, but I
will guess it is 1:6. The photo is at <www.osijek-online.com>.
Zachary Harden, 1 January 2005
The photo showes the main square in the city of Osijek. The
longish flags that I also estimate to 1:6 are not unusual in such
places. Such flags are to be seen on the main square in Zagreb
(nowdays together with similarly shaped flags of EU and Zagreb)
and I am sure that they are present in many other cities around
the country.
Showing of those long flags is custom of the Central Europe (an
"Austrian" custom, if you wish), and while in Austria
and southern Germany the tradition is longer preserved and they
include either the flags without the coats of arms (i.e. Landesfarben
only) or with the coat of arms properly rotated. The tradition in
Slovenia and Croatia is taken up after some years of breaking,
and there it is felt that the flags withotu the coat of arms are
not appropriate (unrecognizable), so the coat of arms are
retained and not even rotated, but could be "read"
along the vertical axis.
Željko Heimer, 1 January 2005
Table Flag
![[Croatia]](../images/h/hr_table.gif)
image by Željko Heimer and Zachary Harden, 27
November 2005
This a drawing of the Croat table flag that Željko kindly
sent me. One thing I motice is that no matter if I flip the flag,
it will still have the red facing towards the honor
point. The flag was made with two cardboard like flags
stiched together. One flag has the red facing the
honor point, but if you flip it over vertically, you will see the
Croatia flag like it was rotated at a 90 degree angle.
Zachary Harden, 24 January 2005
After five years, I saw the flag with the red star on the news
on the national TV. It was displayed on a celebration of some
partisan (anti-fascist) unit in Istria. Beside this flag there
was also the Italian flag with a red star (see: Flag of Italian Minority in Yugoslavia).
It is the first time since the declaration of independence that
this flag is displayed publicly. (Maybe to mention, government
officials and high army commanders were there, so it wasn't any
kind of "rebellions" or demonstrations against the
current government).
I have nothing against it, moreover, I think it is (one of the)
historical Croatian flags, and should be respected as any other
historical flag. Many fine Croatians fought under it, for the
freedom of their homeland.
Željko Heimer, 13 November 1995
I have seen rarely that the coat of arms is rotated for 90
degrees, when the flag is hanging vertically, but this is not
usual.
If there is need of a "short" flag, there is a tendency
to "shorten" the horizontal flag so that instead of
being 1:2, it becomes e.g. 5:3, as it was on the parade on 30 May
1995 (Statehood Day).
Željko Heimer, 16 September 1995
See also: Croatia - Other Proposals and Unofficial Variations
Not really, but possibly in some time... Recently a discussion
in newspapers were (re)introduced about the need of the flag
change. Now the discussion was induced by an article in
"Vecernji list" (Zagreb newspapers) transmiting opinion
of one of the presidential candidates (after the elections) dr.
Slaven Letica. He questioned constitutionality of the current
coat of arms (therefore the flag, too) regarding the
"zoo" (the crest) above the shield. He was answered by
several historians and law experts, claiming that he is wrong in
that assumption, and that there is no question of
constitutionality, but however, the Pandorra box is opened... A
designer came forward with his ideas on a new flag, and with
argumentation going further from the constitutionality question.
So, maybe it is best that I left the articles to speak for
themselves. One can see them in two numbers of mentioned
newspapers (in PDF format, with images), but they are rather
large (500K and 2,5M) in Croatian at: <arhiva.vecernji-list.hr/Arhiva/000125-05.pdf>
and <arhiva.vecernji-list.hr/Arhiva/000128-2053.pdf>.
There is also a good vectorial image of Croatian Coat of Arms,
see: <arhiva.vecernji-list.hr/Arhiva/000125-01.pdf>.
Here is translation from Vecernji list, 25 January 2000.,
[my notes in brackets]:
Is the Crown on the Croatian Coat of Arms unconstitutional?
The Constitution regulates only the basics of the Croatian coat
of arms: 25 red and white fields "The coat of arms of the
Republic of Croatia is the historic Croatian Coat of Arms that is
basically 25 interchangeably red and white (silver) fields. The
description of the historic Croatian Coat of Arms and its use and
protection is determined by law." That are two lines from
article 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia on the
Croatia Coat of Arms, while the detailed layout of the Coat of
Arms is regulated by the Law on the Coat of Arms the flag and the
anthem of the Republic of Croatia and the flag and the sashe of
the President of the Republic of Croatia. According to the Law, a
crown is added to the Coat of Arms basics, that features the
oldest known Croatian Coat of Arms and Coat of Arms of the
Republic of Dubrovnik [Ragusa], Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia.
Does the Law steps over the constitutional limits? According to
opinion of dr. Slaven Letica, former councillior to dr. Tudjman,
that he repeated these days, the crown of the five Coat of Arms
is added to the Croatian red- white chequy shield
unconstitutionally. As he claims, Letica has warned the late
President that it is beyond the Constitution, but dr. Tudjman
then replied that it was already decided about the layout of the
Croatian Coat of Arms. Was there need to change the Constitution
because of the layout of the Coat of Arms, for what 2/3 mayority
is needed in parliament? In the time when the Law on Coat of Arms
was being adopted, in 1990, Croatia had more pressing issues, so
that the discussions that rised from time to time, were left on
side. Even if today there are again more pressing matters, the
question of the Coat of Arms might intrigue the public again.
Should the Croatian Coat of Arms be changed and why is the
question with many answers. Many prefer only the chequy shield,
others would say that the five Coat of Arms in the crown does not
represent the entire Croatia, and maybe there fund reason for
constitutionality discussion. The third would discuss if the
chequy shield should begin with white or red field (now it begins
with red), another thing not regulated by the Constitution. Some
would be bothered that there is a crown above the shield, a
symbol of royalty, while others would not like that the five Coat
of Arms refer to Croatian regions. However, the constitution
experts that we consulted could not say if the five Coat of Arms
crown above the shield was really unconstitutionally added. That
is, the Constitution prescribes that the Coat of Arms hav
"basics of 25 fields", that would mean something can be
added to the basics, but how much could be added not to change
the general layout, is the question without simple answer.
Together with the announced Constitutional changes, maybe the
question of the Coat of Arms shall be dealt with again in the
Parliament, even if there are ideas that the citizens should
decide on their Coat of Arms on a referendum, that is if a
referendum would not be to expensive for us. According an other
opinion, the crown is not added unconstitutionally, sinc ethe
Constitution prescribe ofly the basics of 25 red-white fields,
and the current five Coat of Arms crown can be changed by law.
S. Perica
Dr. Petar Strcic: Chequy fields can not be argued
Dr. Petar Strcic, the director of the Croatian arts and sciences
academy archive, talked about Coat of Arms and flags for our
newspapers several years ago. On the origin of the chequy fields
he said that they are firs noted in use by Apennine bishop, but
how they found their home in Croatia it is not known. - The
cheap-political accusations that the current state Coat of Arms
is taken from Ustasha Independent State of Croatia [WWII axis
state, in territory of current Croatia and B&H] are really
funny. highlighted then dr. Strcic. The oldest known Croatian
Coat of Arms is the crescent with six-pointed star, set in first
field of the crown of the Croatian official Coat of Arms. Dr.
Strcic said that the chequy fields as base of the state Coat of
Arms are not and can not be argued about, but the same can not be
said about all other elements of the Coat of Arms. - The Coat of
Arms of Dubrovnik set in the crown is, in fact, a fraud version,
but the biggest problem is with the Coat of Arms with goat
charge, that should represent Istria - said dr. Strcic, pointing
out that the Coat of Arms with a goat was among Istrian Croats
considered expressive symbol of romanization and italianization.
It is in use only from 19th century, and was prometed only by
small Italian and pro-Italian circle. - You can imagine what
would be reaction to the goat in the Croatian Coat of Arms of the
Istrain reformators, bishop Dobrila, Spincic or Laginja? asked
dr. Strcic.
Željko Heimer, 30 January 2000
See also: History of the National Flag
