Adopted in 1862. The San Marino flag has two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center. The main colors derive from the shield of the coat of arms, which features three white towers on three peaks on a blue field. The towers represent three castles built on San Marino's highest feature, Mount Titano: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale. The coat of arms is flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty); the white and blue colors are also said to stand for peace and liberty respectively. (ref: CIA World Factbook). The civil or maritime flag is without the crest. San Marino is a small independent republic situated on the Adriatic side of the Apenine Mountains and situated entirely within northeastern Italy. It is a UN member, but not a member of the Eurpean Union.