Flag History | red stands for revolution, green for hopt. The armillary sphere (a navigational instrument of the Age of Discovery) commemorates Prince Henry the Navigator, who inspired the sea voyages that let to the discovery of new lands and created Portugal's colonial empire. The central part of the shield shows the arms of Portugal, adopted by Alfonso Henriques after the Battle of Ourique in 1139. The five blue shields represent the defeated Moorish kings of Lisbon, Badajoz, Beja, Elvas, and Evora. The divine assistance that enabled Henriques to be victorious is commemorated on each shield by white dots representing the five wounds of Christ. The red border which is charged with seven yellow castles was added to the arms after the annexation of Algarve and the wedding of King Alfonso III and Beatriz of Castile in 1252. |
Flag Date of Adoption | 30 June 1911 |
Flag Symbolism | two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line |