Southern Europe
Cyprus
A white flag bearing a copper-orange silhouette map of Cyprus above two crossed green olive branches. It was adopted at independence in 1960 as a deliberately neutral design intended to avoid favoring either the Greek or Turkish communities.
Adopted
1960
Proportion
3:5
Colours
3
Colours & their meaning
White
The white field is generally taken to symbolize peace.
Copper-orange
The island silhouette refers to Cyprus itself and its historic copper deposits, from which the island’s name is often linked.
Green
The olive branches symbolize peace between the island’s communities.
Symbols & emblems
Map of Cyprus
The island silhouette identifies the state directly and alludes to Cyprus’s long association with copper.
Two olive branches
The branches represent peace and reconciliation.
Did you know?
Cyprus is one of the few national flags in the world to display a map of the country.