Portugal Flag

The official flag of Portugal features a vertical green stripe situated on the hoist side which takes up one third of the flag’s total area. The other two thirds are solid red in color. The nation’s lesser coat of arms, made up of an armillary sphere (otherwise known as a celestial sphere) and a Portuguese shield are set in the center of the flag directly on top of the border between the two principal colors. Portugal’s flag was adopted on June 30, 1911. The flag is known as both Bandeira das Quinas (Flag of the Five Escutcheons) as well as Bandeira Verde-Rubra; a reference to its green and red colors.

The green on the flag is representative of Portuguese explorer King Henry the Navigator while the red shield is a reference to the revolutions that took place within Portugal during the 1800s. The shield also represents the country’s rich naval history and Portugal’s expanding influence during the time of King Alfonso Henriques. This esteemed military figure is also the reason behind the five blue shields depicted inside the larger armillary shield. These symbols refer to the five kings that Henriques defeated during Portugal’s Ourique battle. The larger white shield depicts Henriques armor.

Portugal’s flag was designed by a group of native dignitaries including Columbano (a painter), Afonso Palla and Ladislau Pereira (veterans of the 1910 revolution), João Chagas (a journalist) and Abel Botelho (a writer). Following the abolition of Portugal’s monarchy the National Constituent Assembly along with the government appointed a commission with the aim of designing the country’s new official flag.

Throughout its history, Portugal has been represented by a number of different flags. The first such version appeared around 1095 and consisted of a design symbolizing Count Henry of Burgundy. It featured a simple blue cross set against a white background. In later years heraldry designs were added. After that the flag’s red border was replaced by a royal shield. In 1830 the design was changed once again and featured a background consisting of equal parts blue and white.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Lisbon
Languages	Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used)
Ethnic Groups	Homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal
Religion	Roman Catholic 81%, other Christian 3.3%, other (includes Jewish, Muslim, other) 0.6%, none 6.8%, unspecified 8.3%
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Independance	1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)
Area	92,090.00 km²
Water Area	620.00 km²
Land Area	91,470.00 km²
Population	10,833,816.00 Concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities
Location	Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
No. Bordering Countries	1
Bordering Countries	Spain 1,224 km
GDP(PPP)	$297,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$28,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Spain, France, and Germany.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine, and oil products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Spain, Germany, and France.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include agricultural products, chemical products, and vehicles.
Climate	Tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain	The west-flowing Tagus River divides the country: the north is mountainous toward the interior, while the south is characterized by rolling plains
Learn More	Portugal

Portugal Flag

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