The flag of East Timor (Portugues: Bandeira de Timor-Leste) (also known as Timor-Leste) was adopted in 2002. It is the same as the 1975 flag.

At midnight on May 19, and during the first moments of Independence Day, 20 May 2002, the United Nations Flag was lowered and the flag of an independent East Timor was raised.

As per the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the yellow (PMS 123) triangle represents "the traces of colonialism in East Timor's history". The black triangle represents "the obscurantism that needs to be overcome"; the red (PMS 485) base of the flag represents "the struggle for national liberation"; the star, or "the light that guides", is white to represent peace.

[edit] Official description of the flag

"The national flag is rectangular and is formed by two isosceles triangles, the bases of which are overlapping. One triangle is black and its height is equal to one-third of the length overlapped to the yellow triangle, whose height is equal to half the length of the Flag. In the center of the black triangle there is a white star of five ends, meaning the light that guides. The white star has one of its ends turned towards the left side end of the flag. The remaining part of the flag is red."

-The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, Part I, Section 15

[edit] Other flags

A different flag had been suggested by the representatives of the Timorese political parties and organizations during the first East Timorese National Convention held in April 1998 in Portugal. This flag was originally the flag of CNRT (National Council of East Timorese Resistance) Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense. Because of CNRT's popularity, there was a consensus of the participants of the Convention to adopt their flag as a temporary flag for East Timor. It was replaced by the former design of 1975 in 2002.

[edit] External links

• East Timor at Flags of the World

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