Flag of Brunei
The flag of Brunei is yellow, crossed by a white and a black diagonal stripe, with the red national crest in the middle.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 29, 1959the yellow flag with white and black diagonal stripes has been used since 1906; the red crest was added in 1959
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Bandar Seri Begawan
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- yellow
- white
- black
- red (crest)
What it means
- Yellow: the sultan; yellow is a traditional royal colour in Southeast Asia
- White and black stripes: traditionally the sultan's two chief ministers, who signed the 1906 treaty with Britain; some sources say white is purity and black is strength
- Parasol and wings: the royal umbrella stands for the monarchy, and the four-feathered wing for justice, calm, prosperity and peace
- Hands: the government's promise to care for the people's welfare and peace
- Crescent and writing: the crescent stands for Islam; its Arabic motto means roughly "Always render service with God's guidance", and the scroll below says "Brunei Darussalam", "abode of peace"
Where it came from
Before 1906, Brunei had no national flag; the sultan and his top officials only had personal banners. When Brunei became a British protectorate in 1906, it began using a yellow flag with white and black diagonal stripes.
On 29 September 1959, when Brunei got a new constitution, the red crest was added in the centre. The crest itself is often dated to 1932.
History
The 1959 flag is long, twice as wide as it is tall, and it has stayed the same since. Brunei became fully independent in 1984 and kept this flag.
Fun facts
- The white stripe is a little wider than the black one, to show that the first chief minister ranked above the second.
- The crest has a royal umbrella, wings, two raised hands and a crescent moon, all on one flag.
- Brunei's full name, Brunei Darussalam, is written on the flag in Arabic letters.
Easy to mix up with
Bhutan: Bhutan is also yellow with a diagonal split, but the lower half is orange and it shows a white dragon
Questions
What does the flag of Brunei look like?
The flag of Brunei is yellow, crossed by a white and a black diagonal stripe, with the red national crest in the middle.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Brunei mean?
Yellow: the sultan; yellow is a traditional royal colour in Southeast Asia; White and black stripes: traditionally the sultan's two chief ministers, who signed the 1906 treaty with Britain; some sources say white is purity and black is strength; Parasol and wings: the royal umbrella stands for the monarchy, and the four-feathered wing for justice, calm, prosperity and peace; Hands: the government's promise to care for the people's welfare and peace; Crescent and writing: the crescent stands for Islam; its Arabic motto means roughly "Always render service with God's guidance", and the scroll below says "Brunei Darussalam", "abode of peace".
When was the flag of Brunei adopted?
The current flag of Brunei was adopted on September 29, 1959. (the yellow flag with white and black diagonal stripes has been used since 1906; the red crest was added in 1959)
What colours are on the flag of Brunei?
The flag of Brunei uses yellow, white, black and red (crest).
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Brunei?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Bhutan. Bhutan is also yellow with a diagonal split, but the lower half is orange and it shows a white dragon
Famous landmarks in Brunei
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)