Maldives Flag: Meaning, Colors, History & Facts
The Maldives national flag has a red field surrounding a green rectangle with a white crescent. The current form dates to the 1965 independence period and is precisely defined in the Constitution.
What does the Maldives flag look like?
The flag has a broad red field, a green rectangle centred inside it and a white crescent in the middle of the green area. The crescent opens toward the fly.
What do the colors and crescent mean?
Government and public-institution sources associate red with the nation and sacrifices made for sovereignty, green with peace, progress and prosperity, and the crescent with Islam.
What does the Constitution specify?
Article 12 and Schedule 3 define the national flag, including the green rectangle, red border, white crescent and exact construction measurements.
What is the official ratio?
The flag’s width is two-thirds of its length, giving it a 2:3 ratio.
How did the flag develop?
Older Maldivian flags were dominated by red. A black-and-white hoist strip known as the dhandimathi was later added, followed by the green panel and crescent during the twentieth century.
What changed in 1965?
During the independence period the black-and-white hoist strip was removed, leaving the modern red-green-white design. The Maldives gained full independence from Britain on July 26, 1965.
Read the Maldives flag history →
How can you identify it?
Look for a white crescent on a green rectangle completely surrounded by red. The design has no star or text.
Maldives flag facts
| Colors | Red, green, white |
|---|---|
| Central symbol | White crescent |
| Ratio | 2:3 |
| Modern form | 1965 |
| Constitutional basis | Article 12 and Schedule 3 |
