Cardiff Flag

The flag of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, is a distinctive banner of arms featuring a red dragon on a green and white field. The design is based directly on the city's official coat of arms, which was granted in 1906, and serves as a heraldic banner. The flag's central charge is a red Welsh dragon passant, a powerful national symbol, standing upon a green mount or hill.

This mount is positioned on a horizontal bicolor field divided per fess, meaning split horizontally. The upper half of the field is a vibrant leaf green, while the lower half is white. The dragon itself is depicted in a classic heraldic posture, facing the hoist side with one foreleg raised.

The flag's composition is clean and emblematic, prioritizing the iconic dragon symbol over complex additional elements. Its design clearly communicates its Welsh identity and civic authority through the use of traditional heraldic conventions and locally significant colors and symbols.

The flag's primary symbol, the red dragon (Y Ddraig Goch), is an ancient emblem of Wales, representing power, authority, and Welsh heritage. Its presence on the Cardiff flag directly links the city to the nation's history and identity. The dragon stands upon a green mount, which can symbolize the land, growth, and the city's foundation.

The colors of the field carry specific meanings. The leaf green in the upper section is traditionally associated with the Welsh leek, another national symbol, and represents the country's natural landscape. The white lower section often signifies peace, honesty, and the River Taff which flows through the city. Together, the green and white are colors long connected to Cardiff and its civic heraldry.

The flag's design originates from the coat of arms granted to the city by the College of Arms in 1906. Cardiff received its city charter in 1905, and the subsequent grant of arms formally established its heraldic identity. The flag itself is a banner of these arms, a common practice in British civic vexillology where the shield's design is rendered as a rectangular flag.

While the arms date from the early 20th century, the use of the red dragon as a symbol for the area predates this; it was featured on the seal of the former Cardiff Borough Council in the 19th century. The flag has been in continuous use since its adoption, representing the city council and flying on civic buildings.