Uruguay’s national flag has nine alternating horizontal stripes, five white and four blue, with a golden Sun of May in a white canton at the upper hoist. The present form was established in 1830.
What does the Uruguayan flag look like?
The flag contains nine stripes in total, beginning and ending with white. Four blue stripes alternate with five white stripes. In the upper hoist is a white square containing a gold sun with a face and 16 rays.
Why nine stripes?
Uruguay’s first national flag law of December 1828 created a design with nine blue stripes representing the nine departments into which the territory was then divided. The law of July 12, 1830 simplified the design to the current arrangement of four blue stripes on a white field, producing nine alternating stripes overall.
The Sun of May
The Sun of May is a regional independence-era emblem also seen on Argentina’s flag. Uruguayan regulations specify a golden, human-faced sun surrounded by 16 rays.
Uruguay flag facts
- Stripes: nine total — five white and four blue
- Sun: gold with 16 rays
- First national flag law: 1828
- Current stripe arrangement: 1830
- Ratio: 3:2 length to height under official regulation
Sources
Primary references: Uruguay’s official legal database — national flag specifications and the parliamentary compilation of national-symbol legislation.
