Asia ยท LK / LKA
Flag of Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka flag shows a golden lion holding a sword on a maroon panel, with a green and an orange stripe beside it and a yellow border around everything. The lion is an ancient symbol of the Sinhalese people.
What the flag of Sri Lanka looks like
The flag has a yellow border surrounding two panels. The panel on the hoist side is divided into two vertical stripes, green next to the pole and orange beside it. The larger panel on the fly side is maroon, and it carries a yellow lion facing the hoist and holding a sword in its right forepaw. A yellow leaf of the bo (sacred fig) tree sits in each corner of the maroon panel. The ratio is 1:2.
The lion on the flag is a golden lion holding a kastane sword in its right forepaw.
Sri Lanka flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#FFBE29RGB
255, 190, 41CMYK
0, 25, 84, 0HEX
#8D153ARGB
141, 21, 58CMYK
0, 85, 59, 45HEX
#00534ERGB
0, 83, 78CMYK
100, 0, 6, 67HEX
#EB7400RGB
235, 116, 0CMYK
0, 51, 100, 8Sri Lanka flag meaning and symbolism
Each part of the flag is read as a symbol of the country's communities and values. The lion and the maroon background represent the Sinhalese, the majority community. In the Mahavamsa chronicle the lion is associated with strength and with the origin of the Sinhalese people. The two stripes stand for the two largest minorities, and the yellow border for the country's other minority communities.
- Orange stripe: the Tamils (Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils)
- Green stripe: the Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims)
- Yellow border: the other minority communities
- Four bo leaves: the four Buddhist concepts of loving-kindness (meththa), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita) and equanimity (upekkha)
History of the Sri Lankan flag
The lion flag goes back to the kings of Kandy, the last native monarchy on the island. A mural at the Dambulla cave temple shows King Dutugemunu, in his campaign against Elara in 162 BC, with a banner bearing a lion carrying a sword. The Kandyan Convention of 1815 ended the reign of the last king, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, and the Union Flag replaced his royal standard.
Ceylon, as the country was known until 1972, became independent from Britain in February 1948. In the early 20th century the Kandyan king's original standard was rediscovered at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in England. The lion flag was proposed in Parliament as the national flag on 16 January 1948 and adopted in 1948, then changed in 1953 and redesigned in 1972. A notable feature of the 1972 version, when the country became a republic and was renamed Sri Lanka, was that the four spearheads in the corners were replaced by four bo leaves. The name Sri Lanka is often translated as "resplendent island".
Sri Lanka marks the day of independence on 4 February.
Sri Lanka's flag among the flags of Asia
Neighbor India, to the north, uses a saffron, white and green tricolor with a wheel. You can find more Asian designs on the flags of Asia page, and the Sri Lanka flag emoji shows the lion in a simplified form.
Sri Lanka flag facts
| Country | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Flag adopted | 1972 |
| Proportions | 1:2 |
| Colors | #FFBE29, #8D153A, #00534E, #EB7400 |
| Symbols | lion, sword |
| Flag emoji | ๐ฑ๐ฐ |
| Country code | LK, LKA (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte |
| Continent | Asia |
| Population | 21,444,000 |
| Area | 65,610 kmยฒ |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee |
| National anthem | Sri Lanka Matha |
Sri Lanka flag: frequently asked questions
What do the colors on the Sri Lankan flag represent?
Orange stands for the Tamils, green for the Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims), and the lion and maroon background for the Sinhalese. The yellow border represents the other minority communities, and the four bo leaves stand for four Buddhist concepts.
Is Sri Lanka the oldest flag in the world?
The lion symbol is very old, but the flag in its present form dates from the 1972 redesign. The oldest continuously used national flag is usually said to be Denmark's.
What is the original Sri Lankan flag?
It was the lion flag of the last kings of Kandy, which was adopted as the national flag in 1948 and later modified in 1953 and 1972.
What country did Sri Lanka belong to?
Sri Lanka, then called Ceylon, was ruled by the Portuguese and Dutch on its coasts and then by Britain, which controlled the whole island from 1815 until independence in 1948.
Why is there a lion on the flag of Sri Lanka?
The lion represents the Sinhalese people. The Mahavamsa chronicle traces them to Sinha, often read as "lion", and Prince Vijaya is said to have raised a lion flag on landing. The Sri Lanka flag lion holds a kastane sword in its right forepaw.
What flag is ๐ฑ๐ฐ?
The ๐ฑ๐ฐ emoji is the flag of Sri Lanka, showing the golden lion on maroon with the orange and green stripes. It is built from the regional indicator letters L and K. Windows shows the letters LK instead of the flag.
Is Sri Lanka in Asia or India?
Sri Lanka is in Asia, in South Asia, but it is not part of India. It is an independent island country in the Indian Ocean, separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It was formerly known as Ceylon.
