The flag of the Republic of Macedonia is red with a golden yellow sun. The sun has eight rays that extend from the solar disk to the edges of the flag. The sun's rays intersect diagonally, horizontally and vertically. The diameter of the solar disk is one-seventh the length of the flag. The center of the sun coincides with the intersection of the flag's diagonals. The ratio of flag width to length is one to two.
The flag of Macedonia depicts a yellow sun with rays emanating from it on a solid red cloth. The sun has been associated with Greek art since ancient times, where it was often included in images of the gods. It was also found on a golden box in a Macedonian tomb. The box contained ashes that probably belonged to a member of the ruling family of Macedonia shortly before the reign of Alexander the Great. The use of the sun emblem on the Macedonian flag represents the country's ancient heritage, while the new variation of the emblem can be seen as a sign of the nation's readiness for change, but at the same time respect for its past.
The first flag of the 1944-1946 version was a red cloth with a red five-pointed star in a golden frame in the middle. This flag was based on the flag of the Macedonian battalion "Gotse Delchev". From 1944 to 1946, this flag was used as a national symbol. In 1946, a traditional red flag was approved, which differed from the previous one only in the size and location of the star. The yellow five-pointed star was located in the upper left corner. This version was in use until 1992. From the moment of independence until 1995, the flag featured the Virginia Star. This led to massive protests in Greece and an economic blockade on the border due to the Greek nature of the symbol. Later, in 1995, during negotiations with Greece, it was decided to create a new flag for the Republic of Macedonia. The new flag was to depict the sun and use the colors of the previous flag.
The government of the Republic of Macedonia commissioned architect and graphic designer Miroslav Garchev to propose a graphic solution for the new national flag. It was important to choose a symbolic and visual element that would maintain a traditional identity with the previous flag, but also stand out from the crowd. The goal was to avoid disappointment and political pressure. In addition to the flag proposal, Garchev had to submit a design for a new coat of arms that would match the motif and stylization of the flag. The first phase of the project resulted in twelve flag designs with different stylistic groups, depending on the interpretation of the sun symbol. After 12 different proposals were presented, an eight-ray version was approved, which was adopted on October 5, 1995, with the aspect ratio changed to 1:2.
