Europe ยท BG / BGR
Flag of Bulgaria
The Bulgaria flag is a horizontal tricolor of white, green and red, from top to bottom. It was first adopted after the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War and written into the Tarnovo Constitution of 1879. The current flag was re-established by the 1991 Constitution.
What the flag of Bulgaria looks like
The national flag of Bulgaria has three equal horizontal stripes: white at the top, green in the middle and red at the bottom. It is a plain tricolor with no emblem, and its proportions are 3:5.
A popular version with the national coat of arms on the left, across the white and green stripes, is also widely seen, but it has no official status. The official flag is the plain tricolor. The Bulgaria flag emoji shows the plain version.
Bulgaria flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0HEX
#00966ERGB
0, 150, 110CMYK
100, 0, 27, 41HEX
#D62612RGB
214, 38, 18CMYK
0, 82, 92, 16Bulgaria flag meaning and symbolism
The colors are commonly explained as follows. White stands for peace, and in some accounts for the love of freedom. Green stands for the fertile land and agriculture, and for hope and freedom. Red stands for the courage and blood of the people who fought for the country's independence.
These are traditional explanations rather than a legal definition. The 1998 flag law says only that the flag is a national symbol expressing the independence and sovereignty of the Bulgarian state.
History of the Bulgarian flag
Bulgaria was liberated from the Ottoman Empire in 1878 after the Russo-Turkish War. The flag was described in the Tarnovo Constitution of 1879 as three-colored, with white, green and red placed horizontally. Its colors are those of the Russian flag with green in place of blue.
Bulgaria became fully independent as a kingdom in 1908, and the tricolor was kept. After the People's Republic was established in 1946, the 1947 constitution added a national emblem on the left of the white stripe, with a lion in a wreath of wheat ears under a red star. It was modified in 1971. After the fall of communism, the plain tricolor was restored, set out in the 1991 Constitution and confirmed by a 1998 law.
Flags that look like Bulgaria's
The flag is often confused with a few others that use the same colors in a different order. Hungary has red, white and green, with red at the top, so the colors run in the opposite direction. Russia uses white, blue and red, so the only difference is that the middle stripe is blue instead of green. Italy has green, white and red in vertical stripes. The easiest rule for Bulgaria is white at the top, green in the middle, red at the bottom.
Bulgaria flag facts
| Country | Republic of Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | November 27, 1990 |
| Proportions | 3:5 |
| Colors | #FFFFFF, #00966E, #D62612 |
| Flag emoji | ๐ง๐ฌ |
| Country code | BG, BGR (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Sofia |
| Continent | Europe |
| Population | 6,423,207 |
| Area | 110,994 kmยฒ |
| National anthem | Mila Rodino |
Bulgaria flag: frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of the Bulgarian flag?
White usually stands for peace, green for the land and freedom, and red for the courage and blood of those who fought for independence.
What is the difference between the Russian and Bulgarian flags?
Both have white at the top and red at the bottom. Russia's middle stripe is blue, and Bulgaria's is green. Bulgaria's flag is also slightly shorter, at 3:5 rather than 2:3.
What is the difference between the Hungarian and Bulgarian flag?
Hungary's flag runs red, white, green from top to bottom, while Bulgaria's runs white, green, red. Both are horizontal tricolors, but the order of the colors differs.
What is the alternate flag of Bulgaria?
A popular version with the full coat of arms on the left, across the white and green stripes, is also commonly seen, but it has no official status. The plain tricolor is the national flag.
What flag is ๐ง๐ฌ?
๐ง๐ฌ is the flag of Bulgaria, a country in southeastern Europe, with white, green and red horizontal stripes.
Is Bulgaria in Asia or Europe?
Bulgaria is in Europe, in the southeast of the continent on the eastern Balkans. It borders Greece, Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia and Romania and lies west of the Black Sea. The capital is Sofia, and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.
