Albania’s flag is red with a black double-headed eagle that has no border or crown.
The design is rooted in the banner associated with Gjergj Kastrioti, better known as Skanderbeg, the 15th-century Albanian nobleman who resisted Ottoman expansion. Albania revived this symbolism when Ismail Qemali declared independence from the Ottoman Empire at Vlorë on 28 November 1912. The eagle became a powerful emblem of Albanian identity and independence.
The flag has changed under different regimes. A communist-era red star appeared above the eagle, while earlier versions sometimes used more elaborate heraldic details. The present design, restored after the fall of communism, is deliberately simpler: a plain red field and the black eagle alone.
A common mix-up is Montenegro, whose red flag also features a double-headed eagle. Montenegro’s emblem is a detailed coat of arms with a crown, shield and other heraldic elements. Serbia also uses a double-headed eagle, but it appears within a larger coat of arms on a tricolor flag. Albania is the unmistakable plain red-and-black answer.