Flag of Uzbekistan

Meaning and history of the flag of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan's flag was adopted on November 18, 1991, following independence from the Soviet Union. It consists of three horizontal stripes—light blue at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom—separated by two thin red lines. In the upper hoist corner of the blue stripe sit a white crescent moon and twelve white five-pointed stars arranged in three rows.

The light blue recalls the flag of Timur, the great Turco-Mongol conqueror whose empire was centered on Samarkand, and also symbolizes the sky and water as sources of life. White represents peace and purity of purpose. Green symbolizes nature and the fertility of the country's valleys, as well as renewal. The thin red stripes represent the life force flowing through every living being, symbolically connecting the three main stripes.

The crescent moon symbolizes Uzbekistan's rebirth as an independent nation and also references the country's Islamic heritage. The twelve stars represent the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the zodiac, linking the flag to the calendar and astronomy, sciences in which the scholars of ancient Samarkand and Bukhara excelled. Uzbekistan's flag is distinguished from other Central Asian flags by its particular shade of light blue, sometimes called "Timurid blue," and by its dividing red stripes, an element rarely seen in vexillology.

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