Use National flag Adopted June 2, 1992 Proportion 1:2 | Proportion 1:2 Use Historical | |
Design A horizontal tricolor of red, blue, and orange with a white sideways zig-zag chevron in the fly | ||
On June 2, 1992, the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, a de facto independent republic claimed by Azerbaijan, in the South Caucasus region, adopted a flag derived from the flag of Armenia, with only a white pattern added. A white, five-toothed, stepped pattern was added to the flag, beginning at the two verges of the flag's right side and meeting at a point equal to one-third of the distance from that side. The white pattern symbolizes the current separation of Artsakh (the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) from Armenia proper and its aspiration for eventual union with "the Motherland." This symbolizes the Armenian heritage, culture and population of the area, and represents Nagorno-Karabakh as a separated region of Armenia by the triangular shape and the zigzag cutting through the flag. The white pattern on the flag is also similar to the designs used on rugs, a symbol of national identity. The ratio of the flag's breadth to its length is 1:2, same as the Armenian Tricolor.
Armenian Influence
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's flag heavily borrowed from that of the Republic of Armenia. Similar to the Armenian flag, the red stands for the blood of the 1.5 million Armenians killed in the Armenian Genocide, blue is for the Armenian pure sky, and orange represents the country's courage. Artsakh uses this flag because a majority of its inhabitants are, and consider their nation to be Armenian.