The
Flag of Europe, or
European Flag, consists of a
circle of 12 golden (yellow) stars on an
azure background. It is an official symbol of two separate organizations — the
Council of Europe (CoE) and the
European Union (EU) — both of which term it the "Flag of Europe" or the "European Flag". It was first adopted in 1955 by the Council of Europe to represent the European continent as a whole. Due to the subsequent emergence of the EU, the flag is sometimes colloquially known as the "flag of the European Union", but this term is neither official nor accurate.
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In its broadest sense, the flag represents the continent of Europe or the countries of Europe independent of any institution. Consequently, the number of stars does not vary according to the member states as they are intended to represent all the peoples of Europe, including those outside the EU.
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