The red flag with the black double-headed eagle is one of the most recognisable flags in Europe. Here is where it comes from, what it means, and a few things people often get wrong.
The design
A red field with a black double-headed eagle in the centre. The flag is drawn in proportions of 5:7.
Where the eagle comes from
The design comes from the seal of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, the 15th-century leader who led a revolt against the Ottoman Empire and is Albania’s national hero. Read his story. The Kastrioti family arms showed a black double-headed eagle on red.
By tradition, Skanderbeg raised his flag over the fortress of Krujë on 28 November 1443. That date matters, as you will see below.
28 November 1912
On 28 November 1912, Ismail Qemali proclaimed Albania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire in Vlorë and raised the red and black flag. The date was chosen to echo Skanderbeg’s flag raising, and today it is Independence Day, better known as Flag Day (Dita e Flamurit). Here is how Albanians celebrate it.
One flag through every era
Every government since 1912 has kept the red field and the eagle, sometimes adding a symbol above it. The communist-era star was removed in April 1992, and a 2002 law standardised the design used today.
What do red and black mean?
There is no official definition. Red is commonly said to stand for bravery, strength and courage. Treat these as popular interpretations rather than an official meaning. For most Albanians, the flag simply means home.
Does Shqipëria mean “land of the eagles”?
You will often hear that Shqipëria, the Albanian name for Albania, means “land of the eagles”, because it sounds like shqiponjë, the word for eagle. It is a popular story, but many linguists connect the name to shqip, meaning to speak clearly or understandably. The question is not settled. The eagle is the national symbol either way.
What about the flag of Kosovo?
Kosovo adopted its own flag when it declared independence on 17 February 2008: a blue field with a gold map of the country and six white stars. Many Kosovo Albanians also fly the red and black flag, and you will see both side by side.
Wear it
Every A&P piece carries the eagle for one reason: it says who we are. See the first pieces in the shop.
Sources: Britannica: Flag of Albania · Wikipedia: Flag of Albania · Britannica: Skanderbeg · Wikipedia: Albanian Declaration of Independence · Wikipedia: Shqiptar · Wikipedia: Flag of Kosovo