Myanmar

The flag of Myanmar, also called Burma consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green and red with a five-pointed white star in the middle.

The flag is similar to the flag of Lithuania, which is a plain horizontal tricolour of yellow, green, and red.

Symbolism[]

The three colors of the stripes are meant to symbolize solidarity, peace and tranquility, and courage and decisiveness.

Other national flags[]

History[]

United Kingdom — The Union Jack was used by the British administration of Burma in 1886-1939

Burma (civil ensign) 1952 — Civil ensign in 1952-1974

Burma (naval ensign) 1952 — Naval ensign in 1952-1974

First_raising_of_the_2010_flag_of_Burma — First raising of the 2010 flag of Burma

The ceremony of the first raising of the new flag of Myanmar (Burma), as presented by Hanthawaddy TV Unit, October 21, 2010

In many Asian countries the earliest flag representing the ruler had a plain background with a distinctive national animal in the centre. In Myanmar the peacock was that central emblem, introduced in 1757 by King Alaungpaya. The peacock, symbolic of the sun and of Buddhism, was also said to stand for happiness and unity. Under the colonial rule of the British (1886–1948), when the country became known as Burma, there was a special Blue Ensign with a gold disk bearing the peacock, although for most of the years of British rule the Union Jack alone was displayed.

In August 1943 a Japanese-sponsored puppet regime established a horizontal tricolour of yellow-green-red bearing a white disk with a gold central peacock. The regime was opposed by the Anti-Fascist Organization (later the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League), whose red banner with a single white star in the upper hoist corner inspired the national flag of Burma at the time of its independence (January 4, 1948). That new flag was red and had a large white star on a blue canton; the star had five smaller stars between its points, representing the different ethnic groups of the country. A new regime changed the national flag on January 3, 1974.^[1]

The 1974 flag was red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 14, white, five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven administrative divisions and seven states.^[2]. The 14 stars and 14 cogs represented the 14 administrative divisions of Burma/Myanmar, the cog-wheel symbolized industry, and the rice symbolized agriculture. The red colour signified courage and certainty, the white colour represented purity and good worth, and the blue colour signified peace and honesty.^[3]^[4] The flag probably was influenced by the flag of the Republic of China, because Kuomintang military units were present in the country during the Second World War and after their defeat in 1949 fled to Burma instead of Taiwan, remaining the dominant force in Shan State until 1961.^[5] The flag of Myanmar was similar to the flag of Samoa, and to the Chinese flag as used by Taiwan.

In 2008 took place a referendum, that approved a new constitution, with a new national flag described in it. The new constitution and national flag took effect in 2010.^[6]