The flag of North Ossetia consists of a tricolor of white, red and yellow. The colours symbolise moral purity (white), martial courage (red), and wealth and prosperity (yellow).
The flag is also said to represent the social structure of ancient Ossetian society, which was divided into three social groups forming an organic whole: the military aristocracy, the clergy, and ordinary people.
The flag of South Ossetia has identical colours, but slightly different proportions (being narrower horizontally).
Under the Soviet Union, North Ossetia had a predominately red flag with a blue trim on the left edge, the hammer and sickle and the words "North Ossetian ASSR" in both Russian and Ossetian. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was replaced with the present flag, which was adopted on October 2, 1991.
See also
