The Majapahit Empire in 13th-century Indonesia had a red and white flag as its banner, and these colours were considered to be holy in Indonesia at that time. They were used in the region throughout medieval and early modern times and were revived in the 20th century as an expression of nationalism against Dutch East India Company since the 18th century. The current flag was first used in the 1920s, being adopted officially as the national flag of the republic on August 17, 1945 when the country declared its independence. Its red over white bands stand for its proportion and it is identical to the flag of Monaco.