Statehood and heraldry
Lithuanian flag: the yellow, green and red tricolour
Lithuania’s national flag is a tricolour with three equal horizontal stripes: yellow at the top, green in the middle and red at the bottom. Its height-to-length ratio is 3:5.
Colours and proportions
Article 15 of the Constitution gives the flag’s colours as yellow, green and red. The national flag law specifies equal horizontal bands and a 3:5 height-to-length ratio. Yellow belongs at the top.
The on-screen diagram explains the order and proportions. It is not a manufacturing colour standard: displays vary, while official flags must meet approved requirements.
How did the tricolour emerge?
In 1917–1918 a commission consisting of Jonas Basanavičius, Antanas Žmuidzinavičius and Tadas Daugirdas worked on the flag. The Seimas history distinguishes the commission’s decision on 19 April 1918 from approval by the Council of Lithuania on 25 April.
The tricolour is associated with the restoration of the modern Lithuanian state. It returned to public life during the national revival; on 7 October 1988 it was raised again on Gediminas Castle Tower in Vilnius.
What do the colours mean?
A cultural explanation published by the Lithuanian National Library associates yellow with the sun, light and prosperity; green with nature, freedom and hope; and red with the land, courage and blood shed for the homeland. This is a familiar symbolic interpretation, distinct from the flag’s statutory description.
The tricolour and the historical flag
Lithuania’s historical armorial flag is a separate symbol: a red field bearing Vytis, the mounted knight. It is not the tricolour with a rider added. The law governs the purposes and use of both flags.
For a flag-raising or official ceremony, consult the current legal text for the precise duties, occasions and protocol. This cultural introduction does not replace those rules.
Sources
Other state and heraldic symbols
Frequently asked questions
What is the order of the Lithuanian flag’s colours?
From top to bottom: yellow, green and red. The three horizontal bands are equal in width.
What are the Lithuanian flag’s proportions?
Its height-to-length ratio is 3:5.
Is the red flag with a knight the Lithuanian tricolour?
No. It is Lithuania’s separate historical armorial flag. The tricolour has yellow, green and red bands.