The colors of Croatia's flags were adopted form the coat of arms. It was adopted on December 21, 1990, and in 1991, it gained independence from Yugoslavia. One interpretation of the flag states that the colors represent the three symbols of Croatian history/people. Red is the blood of the Croatian martyrs, the white symbolizes the peaceful nature of Croatia, and the blue represents the devotion to God. The checkerboard is a symbol of Croatian kings in the 10th century, and the crowns represent the historical regions from which Croatia originated.