Flag of Uzbekistan
Three horizontal stripes of light blue, white and green, separated by two thin red lines, with a white crescent moon and twelve white stars in the top left corner.
At a glance
- Adopted
- November 18, 1991
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Tashkent
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- light blue (azure)
- white
- green
- red
What it means
- Light blue: the sky and clear water; some say it was also the colour of the banner of the great ruler Timur (Tamerlane)
- White: peace and good luck
- Green: nature, new life and a good harvest
- Thin red lines: the power of life flowing through all living things
- Crescent: officially the birth of a new, independent nation; some sources also link it to Islam
- Twelve stars: sources differ: the months of the year in the old calendar, the signs of the zodiac, or the country's regions; they also stand for the search for perfection
Where it came from
After Uzbekistan declared independence on 1 September 1991, a design contest received more than 200 entries. The winning flag, by Farhod Yo'ldoshev, was approved on 18 November 1991. Uzbekistan was the first newly independent Central Asian republic to adopt a new flag.
History
From 1952 the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic used a red flag with a blue stripe across it, edged in white, plus the Soviet hammer, sickle and star. The new flag kept a long 1:2 shape but replaced the communist symbols with the crescent and stars.
Fun facts
- More than 200 designs were sent in for the flag contest.
- The flag is twice as long as it is tall.
- The twelve stars are arranged in three rows, getting longer from top to bottom.
- Uzbekistan was the first of the newly independent Central Asian countries to choose a new flag.
Easy to mix up with
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone has green, white and blue stripes but no red lines and no symbols
Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan also has a white crescent and stars, but on a green field with a carpet stripe
Questions
What does the flag of Uzbekistan look like?
Three horizontal stripes of light blue, white and green, separated by two thin red lines, with a white crescent moon and twelve white stars in the top left corner.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Uzbekistan mean?
Light blue: the sky and clear water; some say it was also the colour of the banner of the great ruler Timur (Tamerlane); White: peace and good luck; Green: nature, new life and a good harvest; Thin red lines: the power of life flowing through all living things; Crescent: officially the birth of a new, independent nation; some sources also link it to Islam; Twelve stars: sources differ: the months of the year in the old calendar, the signs of the zodiac, or the country's regions; they also stand for the search for perfection.
When was the flag of Uzbekistan adopted?
The current flag of Uzbekistan was adopted on November 18, 1991.
What colours are on the flag of Uzbekistan?
The flag of Uzbekistan uses light blue (azure), white, green and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Uzbekistan?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone has green, white and blue stripes but no red lines and no symbols
Famous landmarks in Uzbekistan
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)