Flag of Uganda

Meaning and history of the flag of Uganda

Uganda's flag was adopted on October 9, 1962, the date the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. It features six alternating horizontal stripes of black, yellow, and red, repeated twice from top to bottom. At the center is a white disc bearing an image of the grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum), Uganda's national bird, facing the hoist.

Black represents the African people of Uganda, yellow symbolizes the abundant sunshine bathing the country, which straddles the equator, and red represents African brotherhood and the blood that unites all the continent's peoples. These are the same three colors used by the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), the party that led the country to independence. The repetition of the stripes gives the flag a balanced, symmetrical rhythm.

The grey crowned crane at the center is an elegant bird that inhabits Uganda's wetlands and was chosen as the national emblem for its beauty and gentle bearing, symbolizing the mild temperament of the Ugandan people. The same bird appears on the country's coat of arms. Featuring a bird at the center of the flag is a distinctive trait shared by few nations, among them Guatemala with its quetzal and Albania with its eagle. Uganda's flag is the only one in the world to feature a grey crowned crane.

You can view the flag of Uganda in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Uganda profile, its map, or the current local time in Kampala.