Lesotho

3×5' nylon national flag of Lesotho.

Lesotho's flag shows a hat. The mokorotlo, the conical woven straw hat of the Basotho people, is a national symbol so strong that a well-known craft center in Maseru is built in its shape.

Design

Three horizontal bands of blue, white and green, the white band the widest, with a black mokorotlo centered in the white.

History & Symbolism

The flag was adopted on 4 October 2006, the fortieth anniversary of independence from Britain, replacing a 1987 design that showed a shield, spear and club. The new flag was chosen to present a peaceful nation: blue for rain and sky, white for peace, green for prosperity, and the black hat for the Basotho people.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 4 October 2006
• Official proportions: 2:3
• Colors: blue, white, green, black
• Emblem: mokorotlo (Basotho hat)

Vexillographer's Note

Lesotho is one of very few nations to put an item of clothing on its flag.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864