SPAIN FLAGS AND BUNTING

The basic design of the flag (the yellow stripe is twice as wide as each of the red) was introduced on 28 May 1785. With the state arms placed near the hoist, it was until 1931 the war ensign. Without the arms, it was the merchant flag from 1 January 1928 to 27 April 1931. On 29 August 1936 General Franco decreed that it should be the flag and civil ensign of Spain. Since then the state flag is always with the arms, which changed in 1938, 1945, 1977 and 1981 The colours of the flag are the livery colours of the oldest Spanish kingdoms: the red of León and both colours of Castile, Aragón and Navarre.