The Latvian flag is one of the oldest in the world

The flag of Latvia, one of the oldest flags in the world, was first mentioned in a medieval chronicle called the Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia. While no one knows for certain when the red and white flag was first used in Latvia, historical evidence suggests it could have been as early as the 13th century. A red flag with a white stripe was first mentioned in the Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia — the flag was used in 1279 during a battle between ancient Latvian tribes from Csis.

The red and white flag was formally adopted in 1918 and was used until Soviet occupation of Latvia began in 1940. The flag of independent Latvia was finally restored in 1990. According to legend, the red of the Lativian flag represents the blood of a Latvian chief who was wounded in battle and wrapped in a white sheet. The white part depicts where the chief was laying while the two edges were stained with his blood.