Flag of Greece

What the flag looks like

Nine equal horizontal stripes alternating blue and white, with a blue square canton bearing a white cross in the upper hoist corner.

What it means

The nine stripes are traditionally said to match the syllables of 'Eleftheria i Thanatos' ('Freedom or Death'); the cross stands for Greek Orthodox Christianity.

How to remember it

Nine blue and white stripes, one per syllable of 'Freedom or Death', with a cross in the corner: Uruguay has a sun in the corner instead.

Fun facts

• The striped design dates from 1822, but until 1978 a plain white cross on blue served as the flag on land.
• Greeks often call the flag the 'Galanolefki', meaning 'the blue and white'.

Greece at a glance

Capital

Athens

Region

Southern Europe

Population

10 million

Area

131,990 km²

Languages

Greek

Currency

Euro (€)

Flag adopted

1978

Flags often confused with Greece

• Uruguay: Greece and Uruguay both have nine blue and white stripes with a corner square. Greece's corner is blue with a white cross; Uruguay's is white with a golden sun, and its blue is lighter.
• Finland: Finland and Greece both use blue and white with a cross. Finland is a single blue cross on white; Greece has blue-and-white stripes with a small white cross in the corner.
• Cuba: Cuba and Greece both have blue and white horizontal stripes. Cuba has five stripes and a red triangle with a white star at the hoist; Greece has nine stripes and a blue square with a white cross in the corner.