Flag Overview
What does the flag of Myanmar look like? Myanmar’s flag is three horizontal bands of yellow, green, and red with a large white five-pointed star in the middle.
Meaning of the Flag
The flag of Myanmar is bright and colorful and features a unique design. However, like most other flags, there is symbolism behind the design of this flag. The most significant meaning behind the flag of Myanmar is the three colors used in the design. The colors of the Myanmar flag represent solidarity, tranquility and peace, and decisiveness and courage.
Colors of the Flag
The flag of Myanmar features four colors: yellow, green, red and white. The flag features tricolor bands of equal sizes. The upper band is yellow, the middle band is green, and the lower band is red. Centered over the tricolor bands is a white, five-pointed star. This flag design was adopted in 2010 and is significantly different from versions used before.
History of the Flag
The original flags of Myanmar originated during the Burmese Resistance. The flag that was originally used featured a red flag with a white star. Later, in 1948, the flag was changed to feature a red field with a blue canton, which contained a large white star surrounded by five smaller stars. The large star was meant to represent the union, while the smaller stars symbolized the main ethnic groups. This flag was in use until 1974.
At that time, a new flag was introduced. The flag was very similar in design, featuring a red field and blue canton. However, this new design featured 14 stars surrounding a symbol featuring a gear and a rice plant. The gear represented industry, the rice plant represented agriculture, and the stars each stood for the 14 Union member states.
It was in 2006 when a new design was proposed. This design was very similar to the modern design of today with the exception of the size and placement of the white star. It was in 2007 when another design was proposed to add a larger white star to the center. This flag was added to the constitution and old flags were to be lowered and burned by October, 2010. This flag design is still in use today.
Flag Facts
The colors of red, green and yellow are traditionally Pan-African, and when the new flag of Myanmar was adopted, many mistook it as a flag of an African country.
Others have criticized the design of the flag, claiming that it looks similar to the Lithuanian flag.
The government ordered all old flags to be disposed of through burning with the adoption of the new flag.
