Flag of Indonesia
Sang Saka Merah-Putih ("the noble red and white")
Two equal horizontal stripes: red on top and white below.
At a glance
- Adopted
- August 17, 1945first raised on independence day, 17 August 1945; the colours go back to the Majapahit empire of the 1200s
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Jakarta
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- red
- white
What it means
- Red: courage, according to Sukarno; another common reading is the human body
- White: purity, according to Sukarno; another common reading is the soul
Where it came from
Red and white banners were used by the Majapahit empire on Java in the late 1200s, and old chronicles mention red-and-white banners even earlier. Indonesian students and nationalists brought the colours back in the 1920s as a sign of resistance to Dutch rule.
The modern flag was first flown in Java in 1928, and the Dutch soon banned it.
History
On 17 August 1945, when Sukarno declared independence, the flag was raised in front of his house in Jakarta. It had been sewn by his wife, Fatmawati. This first flag is called the Bendera Pusaka, the "heirloom flag".
The heirloom flag was raised every independence day until 1968. It became too fragile, so a copy has been used since. The 1945 constitution names the flag Sang Saka Merah-Putih.
Fun facts
- The flag of Monaco looks almost the same; only the red shade and the shape are a little different.
- In 1945 young people in Surabaya tore the blue stripe off a Dutch flag at the Yamato Hotel to turn it into an Indonesian one.
- The original flag sewn by Fatmawati is kept safe as a national treasure.
- The navy has a special jack with nine stripes, five red and four white, linked to the Majapahit era.
- Under a 2009 law, damaging or misusing the flag can lead to up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 500 million rupiah.
Easy to mix up with
Poland: Poland has the same colours upside down: white on top, red below
Questions
What does the flag of Indonesia look like?
Two equal horizontal stripes: red on top and white below.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Indonesia mean?
Red: courage, according to Sukarno; another common reading is the human body; White: purity, according to Sukarno; another common reading is the soul.
When was the flag of Indonesia adopted?
The current flag of Indonesia was adopted on August 17, 1945. (first raised on independence day, 17 August 1945; the colours go back to the Majapahit empire of the 1200s)
What colours are on the flag of Indonesia?
The flag of Indonesia uses red and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Indonesia?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Poland. Poland has the same colours upside down: white on top, red below
Famous landmarks in Indonesia
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)