South Ossetia

South Ossetia
Country	Independent (de facto) Georgia (de jure)
Adopted	November 26, 1990
Designed by	Yu.S. Gagloyti or Alan Chochiyev
Proportions	1:2

The flag of South Ossetia is a horizontal tricolour of white (the upper band), red, and yellow.

Both self-proclaimed and partially recognised Republic of South Ossetia and pro-Georgian government in exile of the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia use the same flag.

The flag of North Ossetia, a region of Russia, is almost identical to this flag.

Other flags of South Ossetia

"The Banner of the Republic", as used by the President and the army of South Ossetia

Proposed flag of Samachablo, a province of Georgia planned to be created in place of South Ossetia

Symbolism

According to Yu.S. Gagloyti, an Ossetian scientist:

• White is the colour of the Scythian princes; it symbolises moral purity.
• Red and golden are the colours of the caste of warriors; the red symbolises courage, and the golden — wealth.

History

The flag of the National Guard, as used in early 1990s

South Ossetia was formed as an autonomous oblast within Soviet Georgia in 1922.

Ossetians had no flag until late 1980s when Ossetian nationalists began to use a flag identical to the current one.

On November 10, 1989, the Oblast Council of South Ossetia decided to reorganise the territory into South-Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and in September 20, 1990, it proclaimed the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic. On December 11, 1990, the authorities of Georgia responded eliminating any autonomy the region had. After a war followed, on May 29, 1992, the Supreme Council of South Ossetia proclaimed independence from Georgia, which was not recognised by the latter.