North Rhine-Westphalia

Landesflagge
Use	Civil flag and ensign
Proportion	3:5 (or 1:2)
Adopted	1953 (in use from 1948)
Design	A horizontal tricolour of green, white, and red.
Landesdienstflagge
Use	State flag
Proportion	3:5 (or 1:2)
Adopted	1953 (in use from 1948)
Design	The civil flag with the addition of the coat of arms.

The flag of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia is a horizontal tricolor consisting of green, white and red.

After the establishment of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1946, the tricolor was first introduced in 1948, but was not formally adopted until 1953.^[1] The plain variant of the tricolor is considered the civil flag and state ensign, while government authorities use the state flag (Landesdienstflagge) which is defaced with the state's coat of arms.^[1]

The flag is a combination of the two former provinces of Prussia that comprise most of the state: the Rhine Province and Westphalia. The state ensign can easily be mistaken for the flag of Hungary, as well as the former civil flag of Iran (Persia) (1910–1980) and the flag of the Parti patriote. The same flag was used by the Rhenish Republic (1923–1924) as a symbol of independence and freedom.

Flags from preceding Prussian provinces:
Rhine Province (1822–1946)	Westphalia (1815–1946)

• 
  Electorate of Trier (898–1801)
• 
  Free Imperial City of Aachen (1166–1801)
• 
  Prince-Bishopric of Münster (1770–1803)
• 
  Cisrhenian Republic (1797)
• 
  County of Dülmen (1803–1806)
• 
  Arenberg (1803–1810)
• 
  Principality of Salm (1802–1811)
• 
  Grand Duchy of Berg (1806–1808)
• 
  Rhine Province (1822–1946)
• 
  Province of Westphalia (1815–1946)
• 
  Principality of Lippe (c.1858–1880)
• 
  Principality of Lippe (1880–1918) and Free State of Lippe (1918–1947)
• 
  Rhenish Republic (1923–1924)

• Flags of German states

• North Rhine-Westphalia at Flags of the World

v t e Flags of Germany
National	Flag of Germany
States	Baden-Württemberg Bavaria Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hesse Lower Saxony Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Saarland Saxony Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thuringia
Districts	Berlin Bremen Hamburg
Municipalities	Baden-Württemberg Bavaria Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hesse Lower Saxony Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Saarland Saxony Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thuringia
Historical and cultural	Alsace Baden Franconia Frisia Masuria Mecklenburg Prussia Silesia and Lower Silesia Upper Silesia Western Pomerania German Empire Nazi Germany East Germany Wirmer Flag Hanseatic flags