Pakistan Flag: Meaning, Colors, History & Facts
Pakistan’s national flag combines a dark-green field with a white hoist stripe, white crescent and five-pointed star. It was adopted on August 11, 1947.
What does the Pakistan flag look like?
The flag has a dark-green field occupying most of its length, with a vertical white stripe at the hoist. A white crescent and five-pointed star appear in the green field.
What does the green field mean?
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the green field represents the country’s Muslim majority.
What does the white stripe mean?
The white band represents religious minorities and minority religions, making minority representation a visible structural part of the national flag.
What do the crescent and star mean?
The crescent represents progress, while the five-pointed star represents light and knowledge.
Explore the crescent and star symbolism →
Who designed the flag?
The design is credited to Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii.
When was it adopted?
Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly adopted the flag on August 11, 1947, three days before independence.
What are the official proportions?
The flag uses a 2:3 ratio. The green area covers three-quarters of the length and the white stripe one quarter.
How did the flag develop?
The design was created for the new state of Pakistan during partition and has remained substantially unchanged since independence.
Read the Pakistan flag history →
Pakistan flag facts
| Colors | Dark green and white |
|---|---|
| Symbols | Crescent and five-pointed star |
| Designer | Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii |
| Ratio | 2:3 |
| Adopted | August 11, 1947 |
How can you identify Pakistan’s flag?
Look for a narrow white vertical stripe at the hoist and a much larger dark-green field carrying a white crescent and star. The white stripe is the easiest feature to miss in simplified or poorly cropped images.
Why is the white stripe important?
The stripe is not decorative. It is deliberately reserved to represent religious minorities, making inclusion part of the flag’s geometry rather than only part of its verbal symbolism.
Pakistan flag FAQ
What does the crescent mean?
Progress.
What does the star mean?
Light and knowledge.
When was the flag adopted?
August 11, 1947.
What proportion is the white stripe?
One quarter of the flag’s length.
Why is the crescent placed in the green field?
The crescent and star sit entirely within the green portion so the white hoist stripe remains visually separate as the symbol of religious minorities. This keeps the two symbolic areas of the flag distinct and easy to read.
