Flag of Bulgaria

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Background knowledge
When Bulgaria was detached from Turkey as a principality as a result of the Russo-Turkish war (1877-1878), and after the peace treaty of San Stefano (03.03.1878) rose as Greater Bulgaria, it was released into partial independence as a Turkish vassal state after the Berlin Treaty (13.07.1878), but with a territory reduced by about 60 er land area.
After 1848, many Slavic peoples chose flags in the colors white, blue and red, because they saw Russia as a model, since the Russians were the only free Slavic nation. All other Slavic peoples lived under Austrian, Turkish or even German rule. That political current which tries to unite all Slavs in one nation under the colors white, blue and red is called Pan-Slavism, and the colors white, blue and red are therefore called Pan-Slavic colors.
The Bulgarians owed their freedom to the Russians, and introduced a flag similar to the Russian one, but the blue stripe was replaced by a green one. However, the colors white, green and red had been used unofficially since 1862, before 1877/78. White stands for freedom and peace, green for the forests and agriculture, red for the blood shed to achieve freedom.
The golden Bulgarian lion on a red background is the traditional symbol of Bulgaria. It was also used on the national flag from 1947, but on a blue background, accompanied by communist heraldry. In 1990 it was again removed from the national flag, and, displacing the communist red star, appears instead on the naval flag. In 1997, a new coat of arms was adopted. The escutcheon is red, with the golden Bulgarian lion. The shield bears a crown and is held by two lions standing on oak branches. Below a band of writing in the national colors with the inscription: "Svedinenieto pravi Silata" => "Unity through strength".
Three equal horizontal stripes (white, green, red).
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