CIRCA - 1848 🇭🇷 - horizontal tricolor of red (top), white (middle) & blue (bottom) equal stripes, with centered coat of arms

HISTORY: A version of 1848 Spring of Nations revolution flags, (drawn from Russia's tricolor🔍,

the preeminent Slavic power.) The flag was revived after declaring independence from

Yugoslavia in 1990, with ⛨ coat of arms replacing the communist red ★ star emblem.

VEXILLOLOGY:* Underscoring ethnic unity with pan-Slavic🔍 colors, but interpreted specifically

to symbolize the historic kingdoms that make up Croatia;

• The RED Stripe is for the 🩸 bloodshed of Ottoman wars (1493–1699), where Croat forces bore much of the burden.

• The WHITE Stripe  represents purity &  ☮︎ peaceful integrity, as reflected in 9c historic Slavonian baptismal banners.

• The  BLUE 🔍 Stripe  is for the strategic & cultural centrality of the Adriatic🔍 coastline 🌊 off historic Dalmatia

  
  

• The RED & WHITE ŠAHOVNICA 𖣯 (Checkered) COAT OF ARMS ⛨ is a 10c Croatian heraldic symbol of sovereignty)

  👑 'crowned' by 5 Multi-BLUE ⛊ ESCUTCHEONS (shields) - each denoting a historical region** incorporated into Croatia

The design understandably resembles the flags of neighboring Serbia🔍, Slovenia🔍 & Slovakia🔍 as well very similar to the flag of the Netherlands🔍

& that of Luxembourg🔍 or even the French flag🔍, on it's side, but non-Balkan🔍 flag resemblances were not intentional.

* The STUDY of FLAGS; their history, symbolism, usage, and design. From Latin vexillum - referring to a Roman military standard / flag (from velum= cloth/ covering/sail/curtain

[PIE🔍 root weg = to weave / to cover]) + Greek suffix -logia = study]

** 5x5 checkerboard SHIELD ⛨ of 13 red fields & 12 white topped, from left to right, (the lessor) 1) 19c Croatian Arms; [often incorrectly credited as 'oldest' due to it's inspiration dating to 13c]

a light blue field with gold 6-point ✶ 'morning star' Venus & white crescent ☽, 2) 14c Arms of Dubrovnik; (a dark blue field with 2 red bars =, 3) 13c ... Dalmatia; light blue field

with 3 gold, crowned 👑 leopard heads 🦁, 4) 19c ... Istria; dark blue field with gold goat 🐐 - symbolizing local fauna in medieval insignia, & 5) 15c ... Slavonia; light blue field with a

gold 6-point ✶ 'morning star' Mars above a red horizontal bar ━, bordered by horizontal white stripes = (representing rivers Drava & Sava; Northern & Southern border of Slavonia)

on which a black pine-marten 𓃮 (~weasel) prowls - alluding to the historical fur trade.