Official Palette
Symbolism
The Lion represents the Sinhalese ethnicity. The sword represents the sovereignty of the nation. The four Bo leaves represent the four Buddhist virtues: kindness, compassion, equanimity, and joy. The orange stripe represents Tamils and the green stripe represents Muslims.
History
Adopted on May 22, 1972. The design is based on the flag of the last King of Kandy. The stripes and leaves were added to represent the country's religious and ethnic diversity.
Construction
A 1:2 ratio. A yellow field with a crimson rectangle containing a lion and sword, with green and orange vertical stripes at the hoist.
Color Meanings
yellow: Buddhism and the unity of the nation
crimson: The Sinhalese ethnicity
orange: The Tamil ethnicity
green: The Muslim ethnicity
Country Facts
- Population
- 21.8M
0.4% of Asia
- Capital
- Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
- Languages
- Sinhala, Tamil
- Continent
- Asia
- Subregion
- South Asia
- Landlocked
- Island state
- ISO 3166-1
- LK
Flag Identification
- Adopted
- May 22, 1972
- Proportions
1:2
- Key Symbols
- Emblem, Animal, Weapon
Influences
Flag of the Kingdom of Kandy
Related flags
Flag Protocol
- The lion must hold a sword and be centered in the crimson field
- The four Bo leaves must be in the corners of the crimson rectangle
Practice
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