Flag: Slovakia

It stands for Slovakia, Slovak people and anything Slovak. Slovakia is a country of about 5.4 million people, with Bratislava as its capital and Slovak as its language. The emoji tags nationality or heritage in a bio, a trip or home town in a post, a Slovak athlete or team, or news from the country.

The flag is three horizontal stripes, white over blue over red, the shared colours of many Slavic nations. On the left half sits a red shield with a white double cross standing on three blue hills. The double cross, with two crossbars, is a very old Christian symbol that Slovaks link to the Byzantine missionaries Cyril and Methodius, who brought Christianity to the region in the 9th century. The three hills are traditionally the mountain ranges Tatra, Fatra and Mátra.

Slovakia adopted this flag in 1992, while preparing to become an independent state on 1 January 1993. The plain white-blue-red tricolour goes back to Slovaks in the 19th century, but it was identical to Russia's flag, so the coat of arms was added to make it unmistakable.

What does it mean when someone sends 🇸🇰?

Usually "I'm Slovak", "I'm in Slovakia" or "Go Slovakia". In a profile or a caption it marks where the writer is from or lives. During a match it is a cheer, and the match is often ice hockey, which Slovaks follow with real passion; football, tennis and cycling fans use it too. It carries no attitude on its own.

Slovaks often pair it with 🇨🇿. The two countries were one state, Czechoslovakia, until they split peacefully in 1993, and the languages are close enough that Czechs and Slovaks largely understand each other. The pair usually reads as sibling affection or a Czech–Slovak event; the words around it decide anything more.