Flag of Indonesia

What the flag of Indonesia looks like

The flag of Indonesia has two horizontal stripes of equal width: red at the top and white at the bottom. The ratio is 2:3. There is no emblem or text on the flag.

Its official name in the constitution is Sang Saka Merah-Putih, and it is commonly called Bendera Merah Putih or just Merah Putih. It is usually presented as two simple stripes, which is why it is often confused with other flags. See the Indonesia flag emoji for the small version, or use the download page to get a file.

Indonesia flag meaning and symbolism

Several opinions exist about the meaning of the colors. One is that red stands for courage and white for purity, and Sukarno described them in these terms. Another is that red represents the human body or physical life and white the soul or spiritual life, so together they stand for a complete human being.

More important than any single meaning is the long history of the red and white colors in the region: the flag's colors are derived from the banner of the 13th-century Majapahit Empire, and the Pararaton chronicle records a red and white banner even earlier, in the Kediri era.

History of the Indonesian flag

Red and white were used in the Indonesian nationalist movement from early in the 20th century, when the area was the Dutch East Indies. Students and then nationalists revived the colors as an expression of nationalism against the Dutch. The modern red and white flag was first flown in Java in 1928 and was quickly prohibited under Dutch rule.

The flag was raised for the first time as the national flag on 17 August 1945 in Jakarta, when Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed independence. The first flag, now called the Bendera Pusaka (heirloom flag), was sewn by Fatmawati, Sukarno's wife. It was hoisted every year at the independence day ceremony until 17 August 1968, and since then a replica has been used because the original was too fragile.

The flag was hoisted again when the Dutch formally transferred sovereignty on 27 December 1949, after the war of independence. The design has not changed. The flag is described in Article 35 of the 1945 Constitution, and Law No. 24/2009 on the flag, language, national symbols and anthem sets rules on how the flag is displayed and respected.

Each year on 17 August there is a flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace and across the country.

Indonesia flag vs Monaco and Poland

The flag of Indonesia is almost identical to the flag of Monaco, which is also red over white. The difference is the proportions: Indonesia's is 2:3 and Monaco's is 4:5, so the Monaco flag is a little squarer. The red in Monaco's flag is also slightly different in shade. The two flags are a coincidence. Monaco's colors come from the arms of the Grimaldi family, who have ruled the principality for centuries, and its flag was made official in 1881. The Indonesian flag was adopted in 1945 from its own independence movement, and after independence was recognized Monaco filed a complaint that was largely ignored. So in terms of an official date, Monaco's came first.

Poland's flag has the same two colors in reverse order: white on top and red below. Poland's flag was set by law in 1919. Together these three flags are among the most commonly confused in the world.