The flag of the

Serbs of Croatia The Serbs of Croatia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Срби у Хрватској, Srbi u Hrvatskoj) or Croatian Serbs ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", хрватски Срби, hrvatski Srbi) constitute the largest national minority in Cro ...

( sr, Застава Срба у Хрватској /Zastava Srba u Hrvatskoj) is the official symbol of the

Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

national minority The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. It was introduced into official use throughout the country on 9 April 2005 based on the decision of the

Serb National Council sr, Српско народно вијеће , image = Serb_National_Council_Logo.gif , size = 250px , alt = , caption = SNV logo , motto = , budget = , ...

, an elected political, consulting and coordinating body which acts as a form of

self-government __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...

and autonomous cultural institution of the Serbs of Croatia. The council received consent of the Council for National Minorities of the Republic of Croatia before the decision. At the time of the statewide introduction, the flag was already officially used in Eastern Slavonia since the 14 November 1997 decision of the

Joint Council of Municipalities sr, Заједничко веће општина , logo = Joint Council of Municipalities Logo.png , size = 150px , alt = , caption = Flag of The Joint Council of Municipalities , ...

made at the final stage of the

UNTAES The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacebuilding transitional administration in the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia in the eastern parts of Croatia ...

deployment in the region. The flag of Serbs of Croatia is similar to the flag of the Republic of Serbia but has no coat of arms just like the

flag of Republika Srpska The flag of Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted on 24 November 1992. The flag is a rectangular tricolor with three equal horizontal bands of red, blue and white. The flag was handed over to representatives of Serbian minority in Croatia by the Ambassador of Serbia in Croatia on 8 July 2005 at the ceremony organised to mark the occasion of the introduction of the flag, thereby giving it additional legitimacy in the Serbian community. While the Serb National Council as of 2021 never adopted the coat of arms of Serbs in Croatia the Joint Council of Municipalities in eastern Slaonia introduced it as well in 1997. In 2013

Milorad Pupovac Milorad Pupovac (; born 5 November 1955) is a Croatian politician and linguist. He is a member of the Sabor, the former president of the Serb National Council, and the president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party. He was also an observer ...

stated that the new statewide joint Coat of Arms of Serbs in Croatia will probably contain symbols of the

Military Frontier The Military Frontier (german: Militärgrenze, sh-Latn, Vojna krajina/Vojna granica, Војна крајина/Војна граница; hu, Katonai határőrvidék; ro, Graniță militară) was a borderland of the Habsburg monarchy and ...

Flag protocol

The flag protocol is prescribed by the

Serb National Council sr, Српско народно вијеће , image = Serb_National_Council_Logo.gif , size = 250px , alt = , caption = SNV logo , motto = , budget = , ...

's ''Decision on the Flag of the Serbian National Minority in Croatia''. The flag of Serbs of Croatia should be used in accordance with the decision and in a way that emphasize dignity and honor of the Serbian people. The flag is prohibited to stand in dilapidated, untidy, torn or in any other way damaged state.

History

The Tricolour flag ( sr-Cyrl, Тробојка) appeared in 1835.

Sretenje Constitution The Constitution of the Principality of Serbia ( Slavonic-Serbian: ) known as the Sretenje Constitution ("Candlemas Constitution"), was the first constitution of the Principality of Serbia, adopted in Kragujevac in 1835. The Constitution was writte ...

Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation wa ...

described the colours of the Serbian flag as bright red, white and čelikasto-ugasita (that could be translated as steelish-dark). The constitution was criticised, especially by

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, and the flag was specifically singled out as being similar to the revolutionary flag of France. Soon afterwards,

Miloš Obrenović Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name Sportsmen * Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower * Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer * Miloš Budaković, Serbian ...

was requesting to the

Porte Porte may refer to: *Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire *Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy *John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator *Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who competes ...

that the new constitution should contain an article about the flag and coat of arms, and subsequent

ferman A firman ( fa, , translit=farmân; ), at the constitutional level, was a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in an Islamic state. During various periods they were collected and applied as traditional bodies of law. The word firman com ...

(1835) allowed

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

to use their own

maritime flag A maritime flag is a flag designated for use on ships, boats, and other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea and the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. The flag flown is related to the country ...

, which will have "upper part of red, middle of blue, and lower of white",D. Matic, Javno pravo Knjazevstva Srbije, Beograd, 1851, 33 which is the first appearance of the colours which have remained until today.

Historically used flags

Image:State Flag of Serbian Krajina (1991).svg, Flag of

Republic of Serbian Krajina The Republic of Serbian Krajina or Serb Republic of Krajina ( sh, Република Српска Крајина, italics=no / or РСК / ''RSK'', ), known as the Serbian Krajina ( / ) or simply Krajina, was a self-proclaimed Serb proto-state, ...

(1991-1995) Image:Flag of the Republic of Eastern Slavonia - Baranja - and Western Syrmia.svg, Flag of Eastern Slavonia (1995-1998) Image:Flag of Serbian Krajina (1991).svg,

SAO Krajina The Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Srpska autonomna oblast Krajina, Српска аутономна област Крајина) or SAO Krajina () was a self-proclaimed Serbian autonomous region (oblast) wit ...

(1990-1991)

SAO Western Slavonia The Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Western Slavonia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srpska autonomna oblast Zapadna Slavonija, Српска аутономна област Западна Славонија) was a Serbian self-proclaimed autonomous region (oblast) ...

(1990-1991)
SAO Eastern Slavonia (1991-1992) File:Flag of Serbia (1947-1992).svg, Flag of the Socialist Republic of Serbia used in Serb-inhabited towns in SR Croatia before 1991. File:War Flag of Serbian Krajina.svg, RSK war flag

References

{{Serbian minority institutions and organizations in Croatia *Flag Ethnic flags

Flag protocol

History

Historically used flags

See also

References