Flag of Kazakhstan
A sky-blue flag with a golden sun of 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, and a golden ornament pattern running down the side by the flagpole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- June 4, 1992
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Astana
- Continent
- Europe and Asia
- Colours
- sky blue (turquoise)
- gold yellow
What it means
- Sky blue: the endless sky and water, and the unity of the Kazakh people
- Sun: life, energy, wealth and plenty; its rays look like grain, the basis of prosperity
- 32 rays: sometimes said to stand for 32 Turkic peoples
- Steppe eagle: freedom, power and the country's flight toward the future
- Ram's-horn ornament: a traditional Kazakh pattern (koshkar-muiz)
Where it came from
The flag was designed by the artist Shaken Niyazbekov and chosen through a government contest held in 1992, after Kazakhstan became independent from the Soviet Union.
The pattern along the pole is a traditional Kazakh ornament called koshkar-muiz, which means "ram's horns".
History
Kazakhstan had no official flag of its own before it became part of the Soviet Union. As the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, it used a red Soviet-style flag, which stayed in use until the new flag was adopted on 4 June 1992.
At first Niyazbekov's ornament was red. It was changed to gold in July 1992, and the design has stayed the same since.
Fun facts
- The sun has exactly 32 rays.
- The ornament stripe was red for the first few weeks before it was changed to gold.
- The flag is twice as long as it is tall.
- Its blue and gold are said to echo the old Soviet-era flag, which had a gold hammer and sickle and a turquoise stripe.
- The design contest for the new flag began on 2 January 1992.
Questions
What does the flag of Kazakhstan look like?
A sky-blue flag with a golden sun of 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, and a golden ornament pattern running down the side by the flagpole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Kazakhstan mean?
Sky blue: the endless sky and water, and the unity of the Kazakh people; Sun: life, energy, wealth and plenty; its rays look like grain, the basis of prosperity; 32 rays: sometimes said to stand for 32 Turkic peoples; Steppe eagle: freedom, power and the country's flight toward the future; Ram's-horn ornament: a traditional Kazakh pattern (koshkar-muiz).
When was the flag of Kazakhstan adopted?
The current flag of Kazakhstan was adopted on June 4, 1992.
What colours are on the flag of Kazakhstan?
The flag of Kazakhstan uses sky blue (turquoise) and gold yellow.
Famous landmarks in Kazakhstan
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)