The flag of Hungary is a horizontal tricolour of red, white and green.
According to historical tradition, the horizontal tricolour was adopted during the 1848 revolution.
The red symbolizes strength, the white symbolizes faithfulness and the green symbolizes hope.
Until 1945, a coat of arms with the royal crown was placed at the centre.
During the era of Stalinism (1948-1956) a coat of arms with a red star was in the centre of the flag. In the 1956 revolution this was cut out of the flag, and thus a tricolour with a hole in the middle has become the symbol of the uprising.
Today, the flag is often decorated with the historical coat of arms of Hungary in the middle. The legal status of this practice is not clear but almost everbody does this, including the government.
Last updated: 08-20-2005 07:19:02
