Flag of Latvia

Country

Flag of Latvia uses carmine field with a narrow white band. Ratio 1:2 and current adoption February 27, 1990.

Hoist Ratio 1:2 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Latvia
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Republic of Latvia
Identifier	LV / LVA
Region	Northern Europe

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	February 27, 1990
First Documented Use	1279
Proportion	1:2
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Carmine, White
Construction	Carmine field with a narrow white band

Documented Colour Values

Colour	Appearance	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Carmine		#9E3039	158, 48, 57	0, 70, 64, 38
White		#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0

Design and Symbolism

Carmine	the willingness to defend freedom, and blood.
White	honesty, truth and justice.
Origin legend	A wounded Latvian chief was wrapped in a white sheet that was stained red on both sides, leaving a white stripe where his body lay — one of the oldest flag traditions in Europe.

Proportions

Ratio	1:2
Hoist	1 units
Fly	2 units

About the Flag of Latvia

Carmine field with a narrow white band The recorded proportion is 1:2. Within this library it is grouped with horizontal tricolour designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Latvia is Carmine (#9E3039) and White (#FFFFFF). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Origin legend: A wounded Latvian chief was wrapped in a white sheet that was stained red on both sides, leaving a white stripe where his body lay — one of the oldest flag traditions in Europe.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1279. The adoption field for the present record is February 27, 1990.

Additional flag context

The carmine shade is officially specified and is noticeably darker than ordinary red, which is what distinguishes the flag from Austria's.

The bands are not equal: the white centre occupies one unit while each red band occupies two, giving a 2:1:2 layout.

The design was reconstructed in 1917 from a description in a thirteenth-century chronicle, making it one of very few modern flags built from a medieval text.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Carmine field with a narrow white band, a 1:2 proportion and the visible origin legend. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Latvia — Specialist vexillological reference

Other horizontal tricolour flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Latvia

Latvia is recorded as carmine field with a narrow white band.
The reference proportion for the flag of Latvia is 1:2.
The stored palette for Latvia contains Carmine and White.
The adoption field for this country flag record is February 27, 1990.
The design record traces first use to 1279.
Its construction is grouped with the horizontal tricolour design family in this library.
Origin legend: A wounded Latvian chief was wrapped in a white sheet that was stained red on both sides, leaving a white stripe where his body lay — one of the oldest flag traditions in Europe.
The carmine shade is officially specified and is noticeably darker than ordinary red, which is what distinguishes the flag from Austria's.
The bands are not equal: the white centre occupies one unit while each red band occupies two, giving a 2:1:2 layout.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Latvia

What does the flag of Latvia look like?

Carmine field with a narrow white band, with a recorded proportion of 1:2.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Latvia?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 1:2.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Latvia?

The reference palette lists Carmine #9E3039 and White #FFFFFF.

What do the symbols on the flag of Latvia represent?

Origin legend — A wounded Latvian chief was wrapped in a white sheet that was stained red on both sides, leaving a white stripe where his body lay — one of the oldest flag traditions in Europe.

When was the present flag record for Latvia adopted?

The adoption field in this record is February 27, 1990.

Which design family does the flag of Latvia belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with horizontal tricolour designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Latvia?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.