The flag of the Spanish region of Cantabria is made up of two horizontal stripes of equal width, white on the top and red on the bottom, and the region's coat of arms in its centre. The design is established in the text of the Autonomy Statute, except for the coat of arms, which was established by a Law of the Regional Assembly approved on 30 December 1981. The design traces its lineage to the ship registration flag of the maritime province of Santander, assigned by Royal Order on 30 July 1845.