Nepal

Nylon national flag of Nepal.

Nepal's is the only national flag in the world that is not a rectangle. Its two stacked pennants are so particular that the constitution itself gives step-by-step geometric instructions for drawing them.

Design

Two stacked crimson pennants with a blue border. The upper pennant bears a white crescent moon with rays; the lower bears a white twelve-rayed sun.

History & Symbolism

The shape descends from the triangular pennants long flown by Himalayan rulers, joined into one. The modern geometry was standardized when the flag was adopted on 16 December 1962. Crimson is the color of the rhododendron, Nepal's national flower, and blue stands for peace. The two peaks are often read as the Himalaya, or as Hinduism and Buddhism. The moon and sun express the hope that Nepal will endure as long as they do.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 16 December 1962
• Official proportions: about 1.22:1, taller than it is wide
• Colors: crimson, blue, white
• Emblems: moon and sun

Vexillographer's Note

Because the flag is taller than it is wide, a Nepalese flag sized to fly alongside 3×5' flags fills a narrower, taller space than its neighbors.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864