Spain flag is the national flag of Spain, a country in southwestern Europe. The flag has two horizontal red stripes with a wider yellow stripe between them. The Spanish flag has two forms. The state flag, which is used by the government, bears the national coat of arms on the yellow stripe. The civil flag, flown by individual citizens, does not include the coat of arms.
The coat of arms on the state flag features a shield, a crown, and two white pillars. The shield is divided into four sections that symbolize historic regions in Spain. Moving clockwise from the upper left, the sections represent Castile, León, Navarre, and Aragon. A pomegranate at the bottom of the shield represents the historic region of Granada. At the center of the shield, three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue oval represent Spain’s royal Bourbon dynasty (family of rulers).
The white pillars beside the shield represent the rock formations known as the Pillars of Hercules. The formations lie on each side of the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow body of water that separates Spain from North Africa. A scroll curled around the pillars bears the motto Plus Ultra, which is Latin for Further Beyond. It refers to Spanish lands beyond Europe.
In the late 1700’s, Spain’s King Charles III wanted a new national flag. He chose the red and yellow striped design with a national coat of arms. The flag first flew in 1785. The stripes on Spain’s flag have remained the same, except during the Spanish Republic that lasted from 1931 to 1939. The republic’s flag was a horizontal tricolor of red, yellow, and purple. Spain has changed its coat of arms a number of times. It adopted the present version in 1981.
