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Basque Country: Meaning and History

Embroidered flag patch — Basque Country

History of the flag

The flag of the Basque Country, also known as the Ikurriña, dates back to 1894. It was designed by the Arana brothers. The flag was originally designed to represent the province of Bizkaia, and was later adopted as the flag of the Basque government in 1936.

What do the elements of the flag mean?

  • The red background represents the Basque people.

  • The green cross is that of St Andrew and symbolizes the Lege zaharra or ‘customary law’ : a set of laws governing Basque society.

  • The white cross represents God and Catholicism.

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