Flag of Indonesia

Meaning and history of the flag of Indonesia

Indonesia's flag, called Sang Saka Merah Putih, the sacred red and white, is one of the simplest in the world: two equal horizontal stripes, red on top and white below. Red symbolizes courage and human blood, while white represents spiritual purity. Together they embody the whole of the human being, a concept rooted in Indonesian philosophy.

The flag's origins trace back to the thirteenth century and the Majapahit empire, which already used red and white as its emblem. It was first raised as the flag of an independent Indonesia on August 17, 1945, during the declaration of independence from the Netherlands. According to tradition, revolutionaries tore the blue stripe from the Dutch flag, leaving the red-and-white bicolor behind.

Indonesia's flag is nearly identical to Monaco's, differing only in proportions: Indonesia uses a 2:3 ratio, while Monaco uses 4:5, giving the Monegasque flag a slightly more square shape. It also closely resembles Poland's flag, which reverses the color order with white on top and red below. This coincidence has led to diplomatic mix-ups on several occasions throughout history.

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