Flag of Canada

What the flag of Canada looks like

The flag of Canada is twice as long as it is tall, with a 2:1 ratio. It is built from three vertical sections: a red band at each end and a white square in the middle. The width of the red bands is half that of the white square (the ratio is 1:2:1), so the white part is an exact square. In the center of the white square is a stylized red maple leaf with eleven points.

This design is a "Canadian pale", a heraldic term for a vertical band between two others. The leaf is symmetrical, which means the flag looks the same when reversed on the back. The shape of the leaf is not tied to a single species of maple. The eleven-point shape was chosen after wind-tunnel tests, which showed that it stayed clear when the flag was flapping in strong wind.

You can find the flag as the small Canada flag emoji, and an image for use is on the download page. The country is in North America, and you can compare the flag with its neighbors on the North American flags page.

Canada flag meaning and symbolism

The maple leaf has been a symbol of Canada since the 18th century. French settlers in Quebec used it as a sign of Canadian identity from the 1700s, and by the 1800s it was worn by Canadian soldiers and appeared on coins and badges. The maple tree is a major part of Canada's forests, and maple syrup is a well-known product of the country. The leaf on the flag does not represent a particular province or group.

The colors red and white were named by King George V in 1921 as the official colors of Canada. They come from the arms of Canada, in which the red and white appear in the mantling around the shield. They are also the colors of the cross of St George, which is red on white. In the flag, red is said to stand for the sacrifice of Canadians in the First World War, and white for peace and neutrality, but these are popular explanations. The government says the design stands for the country's unity.

History of the Canadian flag

For almost a century after Confederation in 1867, Canada had no official national flag. Many Canadians flew the British Union Jack, and from the late 19th century the Canadian Red Ensign was widely used. It was a red flag with the Union Jack in the corner and the Canadian shield on the fly. In 1945 the government approved the Red Ensign for use on federal buildings, but it never became an official national flag.

The question of a new flag came to a head in the 1960s. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson wanted a flag that would be distinctly Canadian and would not divide English and French Canadians. His proposal, the "Pearson Pennant", had three red maple leaves on a white field with blue bars at each end. This started the "Great Flag Debate" in Parliament in 1964, with many members of the opposition, led by John Diefenbaker, arguing to keep the Red Ensign. A committee examined thousands of designs.

The design chosen was inspired by the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, and it is credited to George Stanley, who was dean of arts at the college. The flag was drawn by graphic artist Jacques Saint-Cyr and it was refined by the committee. Parliament approved it on 15 December 1964, and Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed it. The Maple Leaf flag was first raised on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on 15 February 1965, which is now celebrated as National Flag of Canada Day.

Flags that look like the Canadian flag

The flag of Peru is the closest match. It has a red-white-red design too, but its bands are equal and there is no leaf, and the flag is in a 2:3 ratio. Austria has red and white stripes, but they run horizontally. Canada's provinces and territories have their own flags, such as those of Quebec, Alberta and Yukon.