Latvia Flag: Meaning and History
History of the flag
The flag of Latvia was created in 1917 and adopted in 1919, until the Soviet occupation in 1940.
It was reintroduced in 1990, a year before the country declared independence.
What do the elements of the flag mean?
In 1917, the national banner was judged to be too close to the one of Austria, and the white stripe, an expression of truth and honor, was reduced. The garnet red, symbolizing blood shed for the fatherland, also echoes the banners colored with mulberry juice by Latvian warriors in the XIIIth century.