17 Different Country Flags Featuring the Sun

Written by Drew Wood
Updated: September 7, 2023
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National flags are a powerful symbol of a country’s identity, history, and values. One common feature among many national flags is the image of the sun. This is a universal symbol of light, warmth, and life, as well as power, vitality, and enlightenment. In this article, we explore the meaning and significance of the sun in national flags. We also examine 16 examples of flags that feature this iconic image. From the Republic of China to the Philippines, we delve into the history and symbolism behind these flags. Get ready to discover how the sun has been used to represent the unique identity of each nation!

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a nation of two Caribbean islands. It has beautiful beaches and vibrant island culture. The country’s flag is divided into three triangular spaces. The red triangles represent the country’s determination and drive. The central V-shape stands for victory. Inside it, the black band symbolizes the black majority population and the soil. The blue stripe stands for the sea which is such a vital part of the island’s life and culture. White brings to mind picturesque beaches that attract tourists from all over the world. And finally, the golden sun pays homage to the sunny tropical climate of the country. All in all, a great representation of this tropical paradise.

flag of antigua and barbuda

The sun on the flag of Antigua and Barbuda is an apt symbol for an island nation.

©nortongo/Shutterstock.com

Argentina

The flag of Argentina features a horizontal triband of light blue and white with a sun radiant in the center. The country officially adopted this flag on February 27, 1818. The blue represents the sky and symbolizes revolutionary ideals during the war for independence. White represents peace, purity, and the ideals of freedom and democracy. The radiant sun symbol is known as the “Sun of May.” It is a reference to the May Revolution of 1810 which led to the country’s independence from Spain. It has 32 rays symbolizing the provinces of Argentina. Its face symbolizes the sun of freedom and the new nation emerging. The sun also symbolizes the Inca sun god Inti and the Inca Empire. This incredible empire has had a strong cultural influence on Argentina.

The flag of Argentina

The sun on the Argentine flag is in part an homage to the country’s Inca roots and sun-centered ancient religion.

©iStock.com/daboost

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. In addition to its teeming cities, most of the country is agricultural and has enormous pristine forests. In fact, it has the world’s largest mangrove forest and the longest natural sea beach.

The Bangladeshi flag displays a simple red circle on a green field. The field recalls the lush greenery of the country. The red circle has a dual reference to the bright tropical sun and the sacrifices of the Bengali people. Fine Arts majors at the university designed the flag during the country’s independence struggle from Pakistan in 1971. It was officially adopted as the national flag in 1972.

The flag of Bangladesh is a red field with a red disc slightly offset towards the hoist.

©iStock.com/de-nue-pic

Ecuador

Ecuador is a country located in South America. It features diverse geography, including the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and the Galapagos Islands. It also has a rich culture, including traditional music, art, and festivals. Ecuador is home to many indigenous communities with unique customs and languages.

The sun may not be immediately evident on the flag of Ecuador. The first things you’ll notice are the yellow, blue, and red horizontal band. They represent the country’s crops, ocean and skies, and the blood of its defenders. Look more closely at the coat of arms and you’ll see a beautiful scene. It includes the highest mountain in the country, a steamboat, a condor, and other features. Above the mountain shines a golden sun surrounded by zodiac symbols for the months of March to July. This is the duration of the country’s March Revolution of 1845.

flag of Ecuador

The sun in the Ecuadorian flag is accompanied by zodiac symbols for the months of March to July, the duration of the country’s March Revolution.

©MP_Foto/Shutterstock.com

Japan

The flag of Japan features a red disc on a white background. The flag was officially adopted as the national flag on August 5, 1854. It has been in use ever since, with some slight modifications throughout history. The white represents the purity of Japan and its people, as well as its striving for peace. The red disc represents the sun, and it symbolizes Japan’s warmth, brightness, and positive energy. An order of the Tokugawa Shogunate adopted the flag in August 1854. It was widely used by the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army. After World War II, the Allied occupation authorities banned it. However, they re-adopted it on August 15, 1954, when Japan adopted a new post-war Constitution.

flag of japan

The flag of Japan has a lot of rich history and symbolism.

©PX Media/Shutterstock.com

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan adopted its flag after it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1992. It is a country of vast rolling steppe prairies under an enormous sky, so the choice of a sky blue flag is a logical choice for anyone who has seen this gorgeous, windswept country in person. The eagle is one of Kazakhstan’s national symbols, as training golden eagles as hunting birds is a sport dating back thousands of years. The golden sun has 32 rays representing the country’s 31 provinces and its capital city. It also symbolizes the country’s hope for the future. Finally, the pattern that forms a partial border on the hoist side is a traditional Kazakh decorative design.

Textured Flag of Kazakhstan ideal for backdrops

The flag of Kazakhstan is a vibrant shade of aqua blue with a sun and a soaring eagle in the center.

©iStock.com/imagoGY

Kiribati

Kiribati is a small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, made up of three main groups of islands: the Gilbert Islands, Phoenix Islands, and Line Islands. The flag of Kiribati features a red top half with a gold frigate bird flying over a rising sun and a blue bottom half with three white wavy stripes. The 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba. The yellow frigate bird symbolizes command over the sea, freedom, and dance patterns. The blue and white wavy stripes represent the Pacific Ocean surrounding Kiribati, and the sun represents Kiribati’s position on the equator.

Flag of Kiribati

The sun on the Kiribati flag represents the country’s position on the equator.

©iStock.com/Enrique Ramos Lopez

Kyrgyzstan

Located in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is well-known for its beautiful landscapes, including the Tien Shan Mountains. Located on the ancient Silk Road, it is home to many ethnic groups and cultures. Some of its nomadic peoples are noted for their expert horseback riding and eagle-hunting skills that date back thousands of years.

The flag of Kyrgyzstan, adopted in 1992, is red with a yellow sun in the center. The sun contains a depiction of a yurt, a traditional Kyrgyz dwelling. The 40 rays of the sun represent the 40 tribes that make up the Kyrgyz people. The red represents bravery and valor, while the yellow symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Together, they represent the unity of the Kyrgyz people. The yurt in the center also symbolizes the nomadic heritage of the Kyrgyz people and the preservation of traditional customs and values. Each region of Kyrgyzstan also has its own flag which depicts local landmarks or historical and cultural symbols.

flag of Kyrgyzstan

The flag of Kyrgyzstan has a sun partially obscured by the structure of a yurt’s central opening.

©Tatohra/Shutterstock.com

Malawi

Malawi is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, known for its rich wildlife, including the famous Lake Malawi, which is home to many species of fish, as well as its large tea and tobacco industry. The friendliness of its people is legendary, earning the country the nickname the “Warm Heart of Africa.”

The flag of Malawi, adopted on July 6, 1964, symbolizes the country’s independence from the United Kingdom and its new hope as the 31st African nation. It features a rising sun on a black field, with 31 rays, representing the dawn of a new era and the country’s name “sun” or “flame” in the local language. The black represents the people of Malawi and their heritage, the red symbolizes the sacrifice for freedom, and the green represents nature and hope for a bright future. The combination of these colors represents the unity of the people, their sacrifices, and their aspirations for a prosperous future.

Malawi has been described as the “warm heart of Africa” due to the friendliness of its people.

©iStock.com/Enrique Ramos Lopez

Namibia

Namibia is a relatively large country located in southwest Africa. Its territory is almost completely covered by the vast Kalahari desert, home to some of the world’s most unique plant and animal species and indigenous people groups with fascinating languages nearly impossible for outsiders to master. Starting in the late 1800s, Namibia was colonized by Germany and later became a protectorate of South Africa. It finally won its independence in 1990.

The Namibian flag has a diagonal red band with white edges, symbolizing the country’s people and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity. The upper section of the flag is blue, representing the clear Namibian sky, the Atlantic Ocean, and the country’s precious freshwater supplies. The lower portion is green, symbolizing vegetation and agricultural resources. In the blue section of the flag is a golden sun with 12 rays that represent life, energy, and hope for the future.

Namibia's flag waving

Namibia’s flag colors represent its natural environment and the sun represents life and energy.

©em_concepts/Shutterstock.com

Nepal

The flag of Nepal is the world’s only non-rectangular national flag. It is a combination of two triangular pennons, colored red with a blue border. Some have noted that when turned on its side, the flag mimics the shape of the Himalayan Mountains that make up most of the country’s terrain. Red is a favorite color in Nepal symbolizing bravery as well as the national flower, the rhododendron. The blue border symbolizes peace. The flag includes white symbols of the crescent moon and the sun, which combined symbols used by two different branches of the ruling dynastic family.

flag of Nepal

Nepal’s flag includes two pennons with a sun and a moon that represent two rival branches of the ruling dynasty.

©railway fx/Shutterstock.com

Niger

The national flag of Niger has been in use since 1959, a year before the country gained independence from French West Africa. It features horizontal bands of orange, white, and green, with an orange disc in the center. The symbolism behind the flag’s colors is not officially confirmed, but common interpretations include that the orange band represents the northern regions of the Sahara Desert or the Sahel, the white band represents purity or the Niger River, and the green band represents hope and the fertile regions of southern Niger. The disc is thought to represent the sun or independence.

Niger’s flag includes an orange disc in the center representing the sun.

©iStock.com/Oleksii Liskonih

North Macedonia

The flag of North Macedonia uses an ancient symbol of the region of a sun with broad rays extending in all directions. It is a reference to the phrase “new sun of Liberty” used in the country’s national anthem. North Macedonia is the southernmost of the countries that emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia. North Macedonia’s independence has been unsettling to neighboring Greece, to the south.

Historically, Alexander the Great came from Macedonia and took control of Greece before going on to conquer most of the known world. Greece is concerned that an independent Macedonia, which is landlocked, would lay claim to territories in northern Greece and try to gain access to the Aegean Sea, which is today pretty much a Greek lake. To gain recognition from Greece and open doors of diplomacy and trade, Macedonia had to change its name to “North Macedonia” and remove an ancient sun symbol claimed by Greece as part of its own heritage. A Macedonian artist designed the current flag design, which was adopted in 1995.

North Macedonia's Kutlesh Flag

The North Macedonian flag uses an artistic representation of a sun with rays extending in all directions.

©benjaminac/Shutterstock.com

Philippines

The Philippines flag features three horizontal stripes of red, blue, and white with a white triangle at the hoist. The center of the triangle features a sun with eight rays representing the eight provinces, and three yellow stars representing the main island groups. When displayed upside down, with the red stripe on top, it indicates a state of war. It was officially adopted on October 30, 1898, during the Philippines Revolution against Spanish colonial rule. The predominant colors of red, white, and blue reflect the nation’s historical connection with the United States, which liberated the islands from Spanish rule and finally recognized their independence after World War II.

Flag of the Philippines

The flag of the Philippines is red and blue with small yellow stars and a sun on a white triangle.

©Osman Bugra Nuvasil/Shutterstock.com

Rwanda

Rwanda is a small landlocked country in Central and East Africa. It features lush green hills and the tragic history of the 1994 genocide. It has made significant economic and social progress since then. In fact, it is a model for post-conflict development.

The flag of Rwanda, officially adopted on October 25, 2001, features blue, yellow, and green colors. The blue band represents happiness and peace, the yellow band symbolizes economic development, and the green band symbolizes prosperity. The yellow sun represents enlightenment. The flag promotes unity and reconciliation following the genocide of 1994. It replaces the previous flag, which was closely associated with the Hutu-dominated government responsible for the genocide.

Flag of Rwanda

The flag of Rwanda was adopted to help reconcile the country in the years following the 1994 genocide.

©Sparrowbh/Shutterstock.com

Taiwan

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has a complex relationship with China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. While Taiwan operates as an independent nation with its own government, economy, and political system, The People’s Republic of China insists that it is part of its own territory.

Taiwan’s flag features a blue corner on the top left (hoist side) and a central image of a white sun with twelve rays, symbolizing the twelve months of the traditional Chinese calendar. The red background represents the sacrifices of revolutionaries, the white symbolizes peace, and the blue represents nationalism sentiment. The 12 points of the white sun represent unceasing progress and the three colors, blue, white, and crimson, stand for the Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy, and social well-being. The blue represents brightness, purity, and freedom, the white represents honesty, selflessness, and equality, and the crimson represents sacrifice, bloodshed, and brotherly love.

flag of Taiwan

The flag of Taiwan features a white sun on a blue square, with a red background.

©Pavlo Lys/Shutterstock.com

Uruguay

The flag of Uruguay features nine horizontal stripes of blue and white, representing the nine original departments of the country. The flag of Argentina and the United States flag inspired the design. The blue and white stripes went from nine to four due to visibility problems. The canton of the flag is white and features the golden Sun of May, symbolizing the May Revolution of 1810 and Inti, the sun god and founder of the Incan Empire. The Sun of May also appears in the flags of Argentina and Bolivia. It features 16 rays, alternating between triangular and wavy.

The flag of Uruguay, like that of Argentina, includes a sun in reference both to the May Revolution and to the Inca heritage of both countries.

©iStock.com/Oleksii Liskonih

The sun is obviously vital to life on Earth, so it is fitting that it is part of the flags of nations around the world. If you’re curious to see some of the other symbols that grace the flags of the world, try out some of the articles below.

Summary of 17 Different Country Flags Featuring the Sun

NumberFlag Featuring the Sun
1Antigua and Barbuda
2Argentina
3Bangladesh
4Ecuador
5Japan
6Kazakhstan
7Kiribati
8Kyrgyzstan
9Malawi
10Namibia
11Nepal
12Niger
13North Macedonia
14Philipinnes
15Rwanda
16Taiwan
17Uruguay
Summary of 17 Different Country Flags Featuring the Sun

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Oleksii Liskonih


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About the Author

Drew Wood is a writer at A-Z Animals focusing on mammals, geography, and world cultures. Drew has worked in research and writing for over 20 years and holds a Masters in Foreign Affairs (1992) and a Doctorate in Religion (2009). A resident of Nebraska, Drew enjoys Brazilian jiu-jitsu, movies, and being an emotional support human to four dogs.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

What is the only country of the world that has a flag that is not square or rectangular?

Nepal. Its flag is a double-pennant shape.

When did Japan re-adopt its flag after it was banned by occupying Allied forces during World War II?

The flag was officially adopted as the national flag and ensign of Japan in August 1854 by an order of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and it was widely used by the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army. After World War II it was banned by the Allied occupation authorities, but was re-adopted on August 15, 1954, when Japan adopted a new post-war Constitution.

What does the sun on the flags of Argentina and Uruguay represent?

The radiant sun symbol is known as the “Sun of May.” It is a reference to the May Revolution of 1810 which led to the independence of both countries from Spain. It also symbolizes the Inca sun god Inti and the Inca Empire, which had a strong cultural influence on the region.

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