Flag of Greece

Hellenic Republic

Other names	Η Γαλανόλευκη (I Galanolefki, 'The Blue and White'), Η Κυανόλευκη (I Kyanolefki, 'The Azure and White')
Use	National flag and ensign
Proportion	2:3 (and also 7:12)
Adopted	22 December 1978; 45 years ago (1978-12-22) (Naval Ensign 1822–present, National Flag 1969–70; 1978–present)
Design	Nine horizontal stripes, in turn blue and white; a white Greek cross throughout a blue canton.

The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the "turquoise and white one" (Greek: Γαλανόλευκη, Galanólefki) or the "azure and white" (Κυανόλευκη, Kyanólefki), is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has 5 equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolises Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The blazon of the flag is Azure, four bars Argent; on a canton of the field a Greek cross throughout of the second. The official flag ratio is 2:3.^[1] The shade of blue used in the flag has varied throughout its history, from light blue to dark blue, the latter being increasingly used since the late 1960s. It was officially adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus on 13 January 1822.

While the nine stripes do not have any official meaning, the most popular interpretation says that they represent the syllables of the phrase Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος ("Freedom or Death"): the five blue stripes for the syllables in Ελευθερία, the four white for those of ή Θάνατος.^[2] The total of nine stripes is also said to represent the letters of the word ελευθερία ("freedom").^[2] White and blue symbolise the colours of the Greek sky and sea.^[3]