Flag of Nepal
Nepal's flag is made of two red triangles, one on top of the other, with a blue border, a white moon in the top part and a white sun in the bottom part.
At a glance
- Adopted
- December 16, 1962the modern standardised shape dates from 1962 (Flags of the World also gives 12 December); the double-pennant shape is much older
- Capital
- Kathmandu
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- crimson
- dark blue
- white
What it means
- Crimson: bravery, and the rhododendron, Nepal's national flower
- Blue border: peace
- Moon and sun: a common explanation is the hope that Nepal will last as long as the sun and the moon
- Moon: often said to be peace and the cool Himalayas; Flags of the World says it first stood for the royal house
- Sun: often said to be hard work and the hot southern lowlands; Flags of the World says it first stood for the Rana family
Where it came from
The double-pennant shape is very old. Many accounts link the original design to King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Flags of the World explains that the two pennants once belonged to two rival branches of the ruling family and were later joined.
In 1962 a civil engineer, Shankar Nath Rimal, standardised the modern version at the request of King Mahendra. Nepal's constitution gives step-by-step geometric instructions for drawing it.
History
Older versions showed human faces on the sun and the moon. They were removed in 1962 to make the flag look modern. In 2008, after Nepal stopped being a kingdom, some parties asked for a new flag, but the idea was rejected and the flag stayed the same.
Fun facts
- It is the only national flag in the world that is not a rectangle.
- It is taller than it is wide.
- The exact ratio of its width to its height is an irrational number, about 1 to 1.219.
- The constitution explains how to draw it with lines and arcs, like a geometry lesson.
- The sun on the flag has 12 rays.
Questions
What does the flag of Nepal look like?
Nepal's flag is made of two red triangles, one on top of the other, with a blue border, a white moon in the top part and a white sun in the bottom part.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Nepal mean?
Crimson: bravery, and the rhododendron, Nepal's national flower; Blue border: peace; Moon and sun: a common explanation is the hope that Nepal will last as long as the sun and the moon; Moon: often said to be peace and the cool Himalayas; Flags of the World says it first stood for the royal house; Sun: often said to be hard work and the hot southern lowlands; Flags of the World says it first stood for the Rana family.
When was the flag of Nepal adopted?
The current flag of Nepal was adopted on December 16, 1962. (the modern standardised shape dates from 1962 (Flags of the World also gives 12 December); the double-pennant shape is much older)
What colours are on the flag of Nepal?
The flag of Nepal uses crimson, dark blue and white.
Famous landmarks in Nepal
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)