Asia

Flag of Myanmar

Myanmar (also known as Burma) is a Southeast Asian country with remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity, home to more than 135 distinct ethnic groups. Its ancient city of Bagan contains over 2,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries spread across 40 square kilometres, one of Asia's most extraordinary archaeological landscapes. Myanmar has a deeply complex modern political history and is navigating significant internal challenges.

CapitalNaypyidaw
RegionAsia
Current flag since2010
Main coloursYellow, Green, Red, White
Populationabout 54 million
Areaabout 677,000 km²
Flags in history5

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Myanmar means

Yellow stands for solidarity, green for peace and the land, and red for courage and decisiveness. The large white star represents the union of the country. The flag was adopted in 2010 under a new constitution, replacing a red flag with a blue canton showing a cogwheel and ears of rice.

How to recognise it

Horizontal yellow-green-red with a large white five-pointed star in the centre.

Did you know?

Myanmar has the world's largest mass of jade — around 70% of global supply.

Easily confused with

Myanmar's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Lithuania

Ethiopia

Flag history of Myanmar

Every flag that has flown over Myanmar, from today back through time.

2010–present

Republic of the Union of Myanmar

A yellow-green-red horizontal tricolour with a large white five-pointed star in the center, adopted in 2010.

1974–2010

Socialist Republic of Burma

A red field with a blue canton bearing a white cogwheel and rice-stalk ringed by 14 stars for the states and divisions, adopted under Ne Win's socialist state.

1948–1974

Union of Burma (independence)

A red field with a blue canton containing one large white star surrounded by five smaller stars, adopted at independence in 1948.

1939–1948

British Burma

A British Blue Ensign with a yellow disc bearing a green-and-blue peacock, the emblem of the Konbaung dynasty, used after Burma was separated from British India.

1287–1552

Hanthawaddy kingdom

A Mon kingdom of lower Burma, a great centre of Theravada Buddhism and maritime trade.

Related historical states

Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of Myanmar.

1943–1945

State of Burma (1943)

A yellow-green-red triband with a central peacock disk, flag of Ba Maw's Japanese-sponsored wartime state.

1752–1885

Konbaung Dynasty

The last dynasty of Burmese kings — the 'Third Burmese Empire' — whose peacock banner flew until the British annexed Burma after three Anglo-Burmese Wars.