Flag of Latvia
Conflicting stories exist to explain the tri-bar of the Latvia’s flag. It was first mentioned in a chronicle of 1280, when a force from a northern region carried it as the banner of their castle. Another legend tells of a Latvian tribal leader, wounded in battle and laid on a white sheet. Where he lay, the sheet stayed white but the sides folded over him were stained by his blood. The banner was described as ‘red with a white cut’. This vague description was interpreted as the present flag in 1918. Latvia was invaded several times though history, and was under Russian rule between 1789 and 1918. The flag had been used secretly under Russian rule and was adopted officially at independence. In 1940 Latvia lost its independence to the USSR. When it was regained in 1991, the traditional flag was revived.
The ratio of the flag is 1:2.
