Flag of Canada

The Maple Leaf, or l'Unifolie in French

The flag of Canada has a white square in the middle with a red eleven-pointed maple leaf, between two red bands at each side.

At a glance

Adopted: February 15, 1965
Shape (height : width): 1:2
Capital: Ottawa
Continent: North America
Colours: red
white

What it means

Red and white: Canada's official colours since 1921, when King George V gave Canada its royal coat of arms
Maple leaf: a symbol of Canada and its nature, used by Canadians since the 1800s

Where it came from

The idea came from historian George Stanley, who was inspired by the red and white flag of the Royal Military College in Kingston. Member of Parliament John Matheson helped get it chosen, and graphic artist Jacques Saint-Cyr drew the final maple leaf.

Saint-Cyr gave the leaf 11 points so it would stay clear and not look blurry when the flag waved in the wind. The number of points has no special meaning.

History

Before 1965 Canada used the British Union Jack and, on many occasions, the Red Ensign: a red flag with the Union Jack in the corner and Canada's shield. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson promised a truly Canadian flag before the country's 100th birthday in 1967.

His own choice, nicknamed the "Pearson Pennant", had three red leaves between blue bands. It was strongly opposed, and in 1964 a committee of Parliament held a long argument known as the Great Flag Debate. It chose Stanley's single-leaf design, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed it, and it was first raised on Parliament Hill on 15 February 1965.

Fun facts

15 February is National Flag of Canada Day.
The maple leaf has 11 points, chosen after tests showed which shape stayed clearest in the wind.
People can ask for a free flag that has flown over Parliament Hill, but the waiting list is said to be many decades long.
The white part in the middle is a perfect square.

Easy to mix up with

Peru: Peru also has red-white-red vertical bands, but the bands are equal and there is no maple leaf
Lebanon: Lebanon has a green cedar tree on white between red stripes that lie horizontally

Questions

What does the flag of Canada look like?

The flag of Canada has a white square in the middle with a red eleven-pointed maple leaf, between two red bands at each side.

What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Canada mean?

Red and white: Canada's official colours since 1921, when King George V gave Canada its royal coat of arms; Maple leaf: a symbol of Canada and its nature, used by Canadians since the 1800s.