The flag of Portugal consists of a rectangular bicolour with the colour green on the flag hoist side and the colour red furthest from the flag hoist side. The red section of the flag's bicolour is larger than the green section. The colour red represents revolution whilst the colour green represents Portugese exploration, in particular King Henry the Navigator. Between the two colours sits the former royal arms of Portugal, placed inside an armillary sphere (an early navigation instrument used by Portugese explorers). The former royal arms of Portugal consists of five small blue shields (representing the five Muslim princes defeated by King Alfonso Henriques) inside a white shield, edged by a red border inside which sits seven castles (representing the marriage of King Alfonso III to a Spanish princess in 1252). The Portugese flag's dimensions are 2:3.
The present day flag of Portugal was adopted on 30 June 1911 following the demise of Portugal's constitutional monarchy and the establishment of the First Portugese Republic. The official flag day of Portugal is 1 December.
The flag of Portugal flies in Lisbon, Portugal