Flag of Kosovo

The flag of Kosovo was adopted on February 17, 2008 and consists of a blue background with a golden map of the island and six white five-pointed stars above it.

What does the Kosovo flag mean?

• The blue color symbolizes freedom, peace and the sky above the country. The use of blue indicates Kosovo's aspirations for a peaceful future and its European ambitions, as this color is consistent with the colors of the European Union;
• gold symbolizes the nation's rich cultural heritage and territorial integrity. This color also indicates the importance of land and the nation's identity;
• white color symbolizes peace and purity. The white color contrasts with the complex history of the region and expresses the desire for harmony and peaceful coexistence of different ethnic communities. 

Six white stars symbolize the main ethnic groups in Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Bosnians, Turks, Roma, and Gorani. 

However, unofficially, according to Albanian ultra-nationalist ideology, the star represents the six regions that make up Greater Albania: Albania, Kosovo, western Macedonia, parts of northern Greece, parts of Montenegro, and the Presevo Valley in the south.

The flag of Kosovo is similar to the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of colors and shapes, but is unique in that it uses a map as a design element. The use of the Kosovo flag is regulated by law, but the Serbian government is against its use at international conferences and rallies. The structure and color of the Kosovo flag is still undefined, but official documents use CMYK to indicate the colors.

History of the flag of Kosovo

The Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo adopted the flag in the country shortly after the declaration of independence on February 17, 2008. Kosovo's history goes back to the Ottoman Empire's control of the region in 1389. However, at that time, Kosovo did not have its own flag. In the 19th century, there was an Albanian uprising in which Kosovo also participated, which led to the respect of the Albanian flag in Kosovo and the Kosovo flag in Albania. After gaining independence from Serbia and Montenegro in 1878, Kosovo was occupied by Serbia in 1912. In 1918, Kosovo became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, but Kosovo Muslims who sought independence and accession to Albania faced persecution from Serbs. Serbia's influence was manifested through the presence of the Serbian flag in Kosovo.

Kosovo was included in Yugoslavia, which was ruled by communists after World War II. After the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991, the Muslim population of Kosovo held a referendum in which the overwhelming majority voted for independence. Ibrahim Rugova was elected president. 

After the declaration of independence, the Serbs launched a war against Kosovo, but submitted after a UN-organized air strike. The United Nations protected Kosovo, and the UN flag is now the national flag of Kosovo. Processes aimed at finding an identity and secession were suppressed, and Kosovo became an independent country under UN protection.

The national flag of Kosovo has been in use since 2008, but there are other ethnic flags that are also eligible for use. For example, Albanians have used the Albanian flag since 1999, Turks have used the Turkish flag since 2008, and Serbs have used the Serbian flag since 2010.