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Flags of the World

Page created: 9th March 1997 Last updated: 11th February 2013
The FAME is a site devoted to the systematic and scientific study of flags and coats of arms. Such symbols often bear strong political and other messages. Inclusion of those symbols here does not mean that the author supports or approves of the ideas they may stand for.	This site is harvested for the NSK digital archives.

Yugoslavia, 1945 - 1991 - Republics and Autonomous Regions

• Bosnia and Herzegovina, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina, PR/SR, Variants
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina, People's Republic, 1946 proposal
• Montenegro, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991
  • Montenegro, People's Republic, 1945 variant
• Croatia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991
• Macedonia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991
  • Macedonia, Variant 1
  • Macedonia, Variant 2
• Slovenia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991
• Serbia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991
  • Vojvodina, Autonomous Region, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Autonomous Region, 1963 – 1991
  • Kosovo i Metohija, Autonomous Area, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Autonomous Region of Kosovo, 1963 – 1991

Until 1946/47 Yugoslav constituent states were not called republics (since Yugoslavia was not yet declared republic itself), but were tilted 'Democratic Federal [e.g. Croatia]' (Demokratska Federalna [npr. Hrvatska]). Kosovo was not treated as separate entity, but Sandjak was. In constitutions of 1946 and 1947 republics were defined as 'People's Republic' (Narodna Republika, in Slovene Ljudska Republika), and Autonomous Region of Vojvodina (Autonomna Pokraijna Vojvodina) and Autonomous District of Kosovo and Metohija (Autonnmna Oblast Kosovo i Metohija, often shortened to Kosmet) were formed. In 1963 the titles were changed to 'Socialist Republic' (Socijalisticka Republika, In Slovene Socijalisticna Republika) and 'Socialist Autonomous Region' (Socijalisticka Autonomna Pokrajina), now for both Vojvodina and Kosovo. Since the ARs were parts of Serbia, the Serbian flag was used there.

• Yugoslavia, 1941 - 1991
• Yugoslavia, 1918 - 2006

Bosnia and Herzegovina, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991

Narodna Republika Bosna i Hercegovina, Socijalistička Republika Bosna i Hercegovina

1:2

The flag is red with small canton with Yugoslav flag fimbriated in yellow. The width of the small flag is 1/4 of the width of the entire flag, as is the length 1/4 of the entire length. Before the flag was adopted, sometimes a red flag with yellow bordered star in the middle was attributed to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Coat of arms blazoning: behind two garbs of wheat, two smoking chimneys in front of a cog wheel, surrounded by a wreath with a red ribbon. Yellow bordered red star in chief.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, PR/SR, Variants

Variations of the flag of B&H were often seen in use or in documents, with the Yugoslav flag shown larger then prescribed, with the yelow finbriation replaced with white and with the cantonal flag offset from the edges so that the red backgound is visible along them. These are to be attributed to the imperfection of production rather then anything else.
The original artwork of the B&H coat of arms was black and white and such was delivered to the WIPO. As possible designers are named Hasan Brkić, Ismet Mujezinović, and Vojo Dimitrijević. The later collor version is usually attributed to Đurđe Andrejević Kun (but may be result of a comission work, see Croatia below).

Bosnia and Herzegovina, People's Republic, 1946 proposal

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The flag for PR Bosnia and Herzegovina proposed in the original Draft Constitution published on 15 November 1946 was different from the eventually adopted one: the tricolour of blue over white over red with two superimposed star in the centre of it, the bottom star yellow, with "fatter" rays and reaching with one ray into 1/3 of the red stripe, and the top red star bordered yellow reaching into 1/2 of the blue stripe. This proposal was rejected after the public discussion and the red flag with the tricolour in the canton was adopted on 31 December 1946.
A different coat of arms was also proposed and rejected: an inflamed torch held by three hands in front of the mountains surrounded with a wreath of wheat topped with the red star and bound with a ribbon bearing the date 1-VII-1944 - the day of 2nd session of ZAVNOBiH, when the statehood of B&H was decided upon.

Montenegro, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991

Narodna Republika Crna Gora, Socijalistička Republika Crna Gora

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The Montenegrin flag uses the same tricolour patter as Serbian flag since at least 1880's. Adding the same red star in the middle made them exactly the same. The coat of arms show Lovćen mountain rising from waves with the Njegoš mausoleum at the top within a golden laurel wreath with tricolour ribbon and five-pointed red star in chief. The description of the arms in the Constitution was slightly changed in 1963, omitting the mention of the Njegoš chapel at the top of the mountain, hoiwever the same depictions were continued to be used.
The original idea and artwork for the coat of arms was made by Milan Božinović in 1945, adapted by Milo Milunović in 1946.

Montenegro, People's Republic, 1945 variant

No flag.

The original design by Božinović included larger depiction of the Lovćen chapel and included a tricolour ribbon inscirbed "Federal Montenegro".

Croatia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991

Narodna Republika Hrvatska, Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska

1:2

The flag is traditional Croatian tricolour introduced in 1848 with the yellow bordered red star in the middle. The star is inscribed in a circle centered in the centre of the flag with diameter 2/3 of the flag width. The coat of arms is chequy gules and argent shield issuant from a wavy azure and argent. Behind shield a rising sun. All surrounded with a wreath of wheat with an anvil in base and a red five pointed star above.
The coat of arms is a result of work of a committe led by Moša Pijade and including Đorđe Andrejević Kun and Božidar Jakac determining the arms of all republics in late 1946 (some based on pre-exsisting designs).

Macedonia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991

Narodna Republika Makedonija, Socijalistička Republika Makedonija

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The flag is red with yellow bordered five-pointed star in canton. The star is inscribed in a circle in the center of the first quarter of the flag with radius 1/6 of the flag width. The traditional Macedonian symbol was yellow lion in red shield. The flag was sometimes erroneously shown with oversized star, with "fat star", or also with those stars set in the middle. The coat of arms is described this way in the law adopting it (Act on the Coat of Arms of the People's Republic of Macedonia, adopted by the People's Assembly of the People's Republic of Macedonia on its second extraordinary session held on July 27, 1946, later on altered by article 8 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia): The coat-of-arms is composed with a garland of ears of wheat, tobacco and poppy, tied by a ribbon with the pattern of a traditional costume. In the centre of such a circular space there are mountains, rivers, lakes and the sun; where the ears join there's a red five-pointed star. All this represents 'the richness of our country, the struggle and the freedom'. This coat of arms was retained as the coat of arms of the Republic of Macedonia after independence until 2009, when the star was removed.

Macedonia, Variant 1

1:2

The original artwork for the new coat of arms was adopted with a separate law prior to the Constitution, it had minor stylistic differences and included inscription P. R. Macedonia in the ribbon. It was designed by Vasilije Popović - Cico. This artwork was modified by the end of the year, as the author of redesign is mentioned Đorđe Andrejević Kun, but it was probably joint design of the commission (see Croatia above).
The version of the flag with the "fat star" was used relatively frequently during and years follwing the World War II.

Macedonia, Variant 2

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The variant shown on the 1980 post stamps includes an oversized star.

Slovenia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991

Ljudska Republika Slovenija, Socijalistična Republika Slovenija

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The Slovenian tricolour originates in 1848 movements. The star is inscribed in a circle centered in the centre of the flag with diameter 2/3 of the flag width. Slovenian freedom fighters used (also in the middle of tricolour) Triglav and waves symbol between letters OF, that was also set in the flag, sometimes with the red star. Coat of arms: Argent, triple peak azure and three wavy bars of the first underneath. Surrounded with a wreath of wheat and linden with a red band and a red five pointed star above.
As author of the arms is mentioned Branko Simčič, after the emblem of the OF designed by Edvard Ravnikar.

Serbia, People's Republic, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Republic, 1963 – 1991

Narodna Republika Srbija, Socijalistička Republika Srbija

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The Serbian tricolour was introduced in 1835, based on inverted Russian colours. The star is inscribed in a circle centered in the centre of the flag with diameter 2/3 of the flag width. The star made the flag the same as the Montenegrin one. The coat of arms contains a red shield with four fireirons (the traditional coat of arms of Serbia but without the cross) above a rising sun and a cog wheel within a wreath of corn ears and oak leaves with red ribbon bearing years 1804 and 1941 (The First Serbian Uprising and the uprising against the occupation in World War II), and in chief a red five-pointed star. The coat of arms was retained by the Republic of Serbia even after 1992 until 2009. The flag with star was formally reatined too, although it was de facto not used since May 1992.

Vojvodina, Autonomous Region, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Autonomous Region, 1963 – 1991

Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodina, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodina

No flag adopted. Flag of Serbia was used.

Kosovo i Metohija, Autonomous Area, 1945 – 1963, Socialist Autonomous Region of Kosovo, 1963 – 1991

Autonomna Oblast Kosovo i Metohija, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo

No flag adopted. Flag of Serbia was used. Some sources attribute to Kosovo the flag of Albanians in Yugoslavia (red flag with black eagle in the middle and yellow bordered star in canton). Though this flag was often seen in Kosovo where the largest population of Albanians was, this is the ethnic flag and not the flag of the Autonomous Region.

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Flags of the World