Bulgaria

About the flag

This is Bulgaria’s flag, a horizontal tricolor officially adopted in 1879 after independence from the Ottoman Empire. Inspired by the Russian tricolor, it replaces blue with green to honor Bulgaria’s fertile land. The colors are often read as white for peace and freedom, green for agriculture and nature, and red for courage and the sacrifices made for independence. To avoid mix-ups: Hungary uses red–white–green (different order), Belgium’s stripes are vertical, and Azerbaijan’s flag features a crescent and star. Memory tip: picture Bulgaria’s green fields “sandwiched” between peace above and bravery below—white over green over red.