History of the Cyprus Flag and Older Cypriot Flags

The national flag of the Republic of Cyprus came into use on 16th August 1960, under the Zurich and London Agreements, whereby the federal government drafted a constitution and proclaimed that Cyprus is a sovereign and independent state.

Well-known Cypriot artist Mr. İsmet Güney designed the flag in late 1959/early 1960. The President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios III, invited Mr. Güney to design a flag for Cyprus.

Symbolism of the Flag

What is the meaning behind the symbols?
Until 2008 and the introduction of the Kosovo flag, Cyprus was the only country to have its official flag displaying its land area. The background of the flag is white, which represents peace.

In the middle of the flag, there is a map of the island. The island is colored copper to represent the historical attachment of Cyprus to this metal.

Under the island’s map, there are olive tree branches. The branches of the olive tree are also a symbol of peace.

However, in May 2010 it was announced that the national flag would undergo a face-lift to make it sleeker.

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Changes in the national republic flag

Although the government made no significant changes to the design, the latest flag of Cyprus features a slightly extended map of the island, and the olive branches will be longer.

The specifications for the latest flag design are:

• Copper (Pantone 1385, Hex #CC7A02) for the island.
• Dark green (Pantone 574, Hex #495928) for the olive branches.
• The dimensions (Height to Width ratio) should be 2:3

These specifications standardize both the dimensions and colors of the Cyprus flags, which has had some variations before, for example, alternately using yellow or copper for the island’s outline.

The background will remain white, and the designated material is a polyester thread.

The national flag of Greece is often used together with the flag of Cyprus.

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Constitutional Mentions of the Flag

The Republic of Cyprus constitution about the flag of Cyprus, Article 4, was adopted on 16th August 1960 and refers to the national flag as follows:-

The Republic shall have its flag of neutral design and color, chosen jointly by the President and the Vice-President of the Republic.

The authorities of the Republic and any public corporation or public utility body created by or under the laws of the Republic shall fly the flag of the Republic, and they shall have the right to fly on holidays together with the flag of the Republic both the Greek and the Turkish flags at the same time.

The authorities of the Republic and any public corporation or public utility body created by or under the laws of the Republic shall fly the flag of the Republic, and they shall have the right to fly on holidays together with the flag of the Republic both the Greek and the Turkish flags at the same time.

The Communal authorities and institutions shall have the right to fly on holidays together with the flag of the Republic, either the Greeks or the Turkish flag, at the same time.

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Historical Cypriot Flags from Britannica to Joining the Euro

Shown below are versions of the Cypriot flag from various points in time of Cyprus’s history. Click on the thumbnails to see a larger image of the flags.

 

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The Republic of Cyprus Coat of Arms

Much like the current flag, the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Cyprus represents peace with a white dove carrying in its beak an olive branch.

The dove resides on a shield in the yellow color of copper, a metal directly related to Cyprus’s ancient history. In the lower part of the shield, the year of establishing the Republic of Cyprus, i.e., 1960, is inscribed.

Two green olive branches encircle the shield, which together with the white dove constitute indelible symbols of peace.

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Video Overview of Cypriot Flags

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