SPAIN
Red and gold were chosen as the national emblem in 1785, but the present Spanish flag was not adopted until 1981.
The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Spain consists of a shield bearing the arms of the former kingdoms of Castilla (a castle), León (a lion rampant), Aragón (four vertical red bands against a golden background) and Navarra (a gold chain against a red background), with a pomegranate, the symbol of the kingdom of Granada, at the bottom. The pillars of Hercules, representing the Straits of Gibraltar, were added by Charles V to evoke the overseas expansion of his empire. The pillar bearing the word plus is topped by an imperial crown; the other pillar is topped by a royal crown. The present arms of the State are those of the Spanish monarchy, symbolised by the emblem of the Bourbon monarchy, which was restored in 1975: three golden lilies against a blue background.