Spain’s official flag, also known as "la Rojigualda", is composed of two red horizontal bands at the top and bottom with a thicker band of yellow twice as wide as the red situated in the middle. Off center and towards the hoist is a depiction of the European nation’s coat of arms which is topped off by a royal crown. The present day version of the Spanish flag was adopted on Dec. 19, 1981.

The two principle colors of the flag; red and golden yellow, were established by a Spanish Royal Decree in 1981. These two colors were initially used by the Spanish King in the 1700s as a means of differentiating his country’s ships from those boats belonging to other nations. The two colors are also featured on the coat of arms of the Castile and Aragon regions of Spain which were united during the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

The red and yellow color scheme which currently adorns the official modern day Spanish flag has a long history dating back to the time of King Charles III when they were used by the country’s navy. Spain’s official flag was established by a provision in the country’s 1978 national constitution. It was designed by Antonio Valdés y Fernández Bazán, an officer in the Spanish navy.

Spain has a long history which includes numerous versions of its official flag. Prior to the unification of the nation each Spanish kingdom was represented by its own flag. In 1931 the Second Spanish Republic included a band of purple in the flag’s design. Following Spain’s Civil War in 1936 an eagle was added to the national flag.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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