Female reproductive unit in flowering plants (angiosperms). It usually comprises an ovary containing one or more ovules, the stalk or style, and a stigma at its top which receives the pollen. A flower may have one or more carpels, and they may be separate or fused together. Collectively the carpels of a flower are known as the gynoecium.
The arms depict the Carpathian Mountains which traverse the Slovak Republic. The flag uses the pan-Slav colours representing liberation from foreign domination. Effective date: 3 September 1992.