Estonia .ee

Meaning of the Flag

The national flag of Estonia (Eesti lipp) is a tricolour featuring three equal horizontal bands of blue at the top, black in the middle, and white at the bottom. The flag is called sinimustvalge (lit. 'blue-black-white') in Estonian. A symbolic interpretation made popular by the poetry of Martin Lipp has it that the blue stands for the blue sky above Estonians, the black for the attachment to the soil of their homeland, and the white for purity, hard work and commitment.

Meaning of Flag Colors

Blue, White, Black

Flag History

1. 1870
   In 1870, the predecessor of the Estonian Students' Society, the first Estonian-speaking student organisation, was established at the University of Tartu, and in 1881 it adopted a similar set of three "colours": blue, black, and white.
2. 1953–1990
   

   Flag in use 1953–1990.
3. 1990–present
   

   Current national flag, in use since 1990.

Location