Monaco (Principality of Monaco) is a city state located in the south of France. This dwarf country has a territory of just over 2 km2 or 200 hectares, with a population of about 40 thousand people. The Principality is a country associated with France.
This is what the modern flag of Monaco looks like:
History of the flag
The history of the country dates back to the 13th century when the Grimaldi dynasty was established. Since then, for seven centuries, Monaco has been ruled by members of this family. From that period until the 18th century, the princely banners were made of red and white diamonds.
In 1641 the territory became a French protectorate and from that time the flag of France was used as the official symbolism.
From 1814, the laconic design with two contrasting colors replaced the previous versions, and the final status as a state symbol it received in April 1881.
In 1943, Monaco was invaded by the Italian army and a fascist administration was formed in the country. For a short period, a different flag – the Italian flag – was used in the Principality.
After the overthrow of Mussolini and the German occupation, the symbol of the Third Reich was used.
After the de-occupation of the country in 1945, the symbol, adopted as an official back in 1881, was restored.
Description
The national symbol of Monaco is a rectangular cloth with the proportions of the sides equal to 4 to 5. It consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width.
The upper stripe is red (scarlet) and the lower stripe is white.
Flag colors
The official symbol of the Principality has two colors: red and white.
Meaning of colors and flag symbol
White is traditionally (according to ancient heraldry) symbolized with purity, and (red) scarlet – with courage and bravery of defenders of the country.
The design of the combination of red and white is historically associated with the coat of arms of the princes of the ruling Grimaldi dynasty (since 1339).
Other Flags
The Principality has officially adopted and uses the Royal Standard.
Similar flags of other countries
Similar to Monaco, the Indonesian flag is red and white. The only difference is the proportions: Monaco is 4 to 5 and Indonesia is 2 to 3.
In 1945, when Indonesia declared its independence from Holland, an image similar to the Monegasque one was adopted as the state symbol. Protests from the Principality could not force Indonesia to change it, as it was proved that historically it was older than the Monegasque one.
There are similarities with the flag of Poland, but its colors are depicted vice versa – red at the bottom and white at the top. And the proportions here are also like 2 to 3.
Similar similarities exist with the banners of Upper Austria and Bohemia, a historical region in Central Europe now part of the Czech Republic.
General information about Monaco
| Official language | French |
| Capital | Monaco |
| Territory | 2,02 km² |
| Population | 37 863 people |
| Currency | Euro (EUR, code 978) |
| Phone Code | +377 |
