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Montenegro

Crna Gora

by zeljko heimer

Proportions of the Flag
Heraldry of Montenegro
Montenegrin Flag

See also:

Yugoslavia

Proportions of the Flag

The latest _Flagmaster_ reports that Montenegro has adopted the proportions 1:3 (sic) for its state flag. Presumably this is to differentiate it from that of Serbia, which would otherwise be the same.

roy stilling 30-JAN-1996

Heraldry of Montenegro

It existed as a seperate entity in the Middle Ages, resurrected in 1908 as a kingdom. From 1908 to 1918 it had the following arms: Gules, a double-headed eagle Argent beaked, membered and tongued Or, bearing an escutcheon: Azure, a lion passant Or on a champagne Vert.

Francois Velde 30-JUN-1995

Montenegrin Flag

Montenegro is one of the two republics forming modern Yugoslavia. The flag is indeed identical with that of Serbia (and always has been), but the flag of Serbia is not the flag of Yugoslavia without the stars. They are all horizontal tricolours: that of Yugoslavia is blue, white, red; those of Serbia and Montenegro are red, blue, white (from top to bottom). In the former Yugoslavia all of these had a red yellow-edged star over all in the centre. Now they don't.

William Crampton 16-JUL-1995

The flags of Serbia and Montenegro are indeed the same red, blue, white. But they were different while there where two independent states i.e. from 1878 (if I am not wrong, both states were recongnized then as principates, latter kingdoms, independent from Ottoman Empire) til 1918, when Montenegrin kingdom was joined to Serbian one. In that period difference was in coat of arms of their respective states in the middle of the flag. Montenegrin with golden lion - coat of the house of Petrovic, and Serbian with cross and 4 Cs.

In a short period betveen the union of Serbia and Montenegro and the forming of Kingdom of SHS, Serbian flag was used.

When Yugoslavia (i.e. Kngdm of SHS) was formed a new flag was found of panslavene colours blue, white, red. All national flags were banned (Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, Montenegrin; B&H; had no flag, nither Macedonia, being considered as a part of Serbia), however red-blue-white flag (with or without of coat) was tolerated and made official as a religious flag (of Serb Orthodox Church).

In 1945 all states were made republics, and they got their flags back, this time with stars. There was no way to tell now which one is of Serbia and which of Montenegro. Never the less, when the flags of Republics were displayed there were allways two of the red-blue-white flag.

When Serbia and Montenegro remained the only two Republics in Yugoslavia, they removed the stars, so now we have simple horisontal tricolores for both of them.

I have seen flags flying by independantist movements of Montenegro (mostly abroad, but sometimes in Montenegro also) with some distinctive device in the middle. Sometimes it is the old Petrovics coat, sometimes a silhuete of mt. Lovcen with Njegos mausoleum as in the former coat of Socialist Republic of Montenegro, and sometimes some other. None of them aren't, of course, official.

zeljko heimer 31-OCT-1995