The national flag of Lithuania is a horizontal three-band banner of yellow (top), green (middle) and red (bottom). Commonly referred to as the Lithuanian tricolour, it is one of the principal state symbols alongside the national coat of arms and anthem. The tricolour is widely displayed on public buildings, at civic ceremonies and on national holidays as an emblem of national identity and continuity.
Design and symbolism
The flag's layout is three equal horizontal stripes in the order yellow–green–red. Each colour has widely accepted symbolic meanings that are frequently cited in official and popular descriptions. These meanings are not merely decorative: they are intended to reflect landscape, values and historical memory in a compact visual form.
- Yellow: associated with the sun, light, prosperity and the idea of a promising future.
- Green: evokes the country’s forests, fields, nature and renewal.
- Red: symbolizes bravery, the blood shed in defence of freedom, and the readiness to defend the nation.
History and development
The tricolour was first officially adopted by the Council of Lithuania in 1918 when the modern Lithuanian state was re-established after World War I. It served as the national flag during the interwar period. After Soviet forces entered Lithuania in 1940 the tricolour was replaced by a Soviet-style flag during the period often described as the Soviet occupation.
With the restoration of independence in 1990 the historic yellow–green–red flag was readopted as the national banner and became a central symbol of regained sovereignty. For a time, different official applications used a 1:2 ratio, but in the early 21st century the standard ratio for the national flag was set to 3:5 to provide uniformity for official and diplomatic use. The flag’s reintroduction connected contemporary Lithuania with the state-building efforts of the early 20th century and the national movement that produced the modern republic.
Usage, protocol and variants
Display and handling of the flag are governed by national laws and customary practice. Common rules include respectful display on public buildings, use on national holidays such as the anniversary of the 1918 Act of Independence and the restoration of statehood in 1990, and procedures for hoisting and lowering the flag. Flags are typically raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset; in times of national mourning the flag may be flown at half-mast. Legal provisions also address improper treatment and desecration of state symbols to ensure public respect.
Beyond the plain tricolour, there are related banners and standards used by state institutions. The presidential standard, military colours and certain historical banners often incorporate the national coat of arms (the mounted knight often called the Vytis) or other emblems in addition to or instead of the plain three-band design. Civil and maritime ensigns follow other prescribed forms for their particular contexts. The flag is also used by Lithuanian communities abroad as a marker of national identity.
Significance and public life
The Lithuanian tricolour is a notable example of a national flag that was suppressed during foreign rule and later restored as a symbol of independence. Its colours and form are easily recognisable and have been used in commemorations, public art and civic rituals throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. For concise official and historical summaries see sources linked here: official measures, general information on Lithuania and descriptions of the flag and its elements at flag descriptions and archival summaries about the twentieth century period: Soviet era background.