Flag of Sri Lanka

Meaning and history of the flag of Sri Lanka

The flag of Sri Lanka, also known as the Lion Flag, is one of the most elaborate in the world. It features a dark maroon field with a golden lion in profile holding a sword in its right forepaw, surrounded by four bo leaves (from the sacred fig tree) in the corners. To the left of the lion panel are two equal vertical stripes of green and saffron orange, and the entire flag is bordered in gold.

The lion with the sword is an ancient symbol of the Sinhalese people dating back to the fifth century BC and represents the nation's courage and strength. The four bo leaves symbolize Buddhism and its four cardinal virtues: loving-kindness, compassion, equanimity, and happiness. The green stripe represents the Muslim minority and the saffron stripe the Hindu Tamil minority, reflecting the country's commitment to multiethnic coexistence. The maroon field symbolizes the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. The flag was adopted in its current form in 1972, though the lion as a national emblem is more than two thousand years old.

You can view the flag of Sri Lanka in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Sri Lanka profile, its map, or the current local time in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (administrative), Colombo (commercial).