The Flag of Mongolia: History, Meaning, and Symbolism

For centuries flags have been used as symbols all around the world to represent, countries, states, kingdoms, monarchies, and political groups. They can have many variations of symbols and shapes, but although they may look like nothing more than a brightly coloured piece of fabric at first, they actually represent all manner of things.  In fact, flags have often been used as a symbol to rally around, to represent freedom, war, history, peace, power, or hope. But what does the flag of Mongolia represent? Let’s learn about its history, meaning, and symbolism!

About Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in eastern Asia which is bordered by Russia and China. Much of the country is covered in grassy step, although it also has mountains in the northern and western regions, and the vast Gobi desert in the south. Although Mongolia spans 603,909 square miles it is actually very sparsely populated and approximately 30% of the population is nomadic.

Although Mongolia has long been inhabited by nomads, the area has also been ruled by many nomadic empires – also known as steppe empires. Genghis Khan united many Mongol tribes in 1206 to form the vast Mongol Empire which existed until 1368.

Mongolia became part of the powerful Qing dynasty at the end of the 17^th century but eventually declared independence from China in 1921 and in 1924 the Mongolian People’s Republic was formed. Despite this, China did not officially recognize Mongolia’s independence until 1945. In 1992 the “People’s Republic” was dropped from the country’s name, leaving it as the Mongolia that we know today.

History of the Flag of Mongolia

The current flag of Mongolia is a vertical triband which consists of a central blue band with red bands on either side. On the red band on the hoist side is a Soyombo symbol in yellow. Although the flag was adopted in its current form in 1992, it was actually first used in 1945 in its original form.

From 1945 to 1992 the flag of the Mongolian People’s Republic was almost identical to the flag used today except that it had a five-pointed star above the Soyombo symbol. The star was removed in 1992 to give the flag its current design. However, it was changed slightly in 2011 when the colors were standardized, making the central blue band slightly darker.

Symbolism and Meaning

The Mongolian flag actually represents several things, but we’ll begin with the colors. Firstly, blue is a color that represents the eternal blue sky for Mongolian people. The eternal blue sky – or Tengri – is the All-Encompassing God of Heaven in traditional religious beliefs. Furthermore, the red bands symbolize both communism and nationalism. Furthermore, yellow is often used on Mongolian flags as it represents the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism – also known as the Geluk. This is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and became popular in Mongolia during the 16^th century.

Soyombo Symbol

The most fascinating thing about the flag of Mongolia is the Soyombo symbol which consists of several different shapes. These shapes are a flame, sun, moon, yin-yang symbol, triangles, and rectangular bars. The Soyombo symbol is a national symbol of Mongolia and is also found on the Emblem of Mongolia. It is a character in the Soyombo alphabet which was designed by the monk Zanabazar in 1686.

Each part of the Soyombo symbol has its own meaning too. The image of the fire at the top of the symbol represents eternal growth and success. Plus, the flame has three tongues which represent the past, present, and future. Below the flame is the sun and moon which represent eternity as well as the eternal blue sky.

The downward pointing triangles represent the defeat of both internal and external enemies, while the horizontal rectangles symbolize honesty and justice for the people of Mongolia – regardless of whether they are at the top or bottom of society. The vertical rectangles surround the triangles, horizontal rectangles, and the yin-yang symbol and represent the walls of a fort. They also represent strength and unity, as per the Mongolian saying, “The friendship of two is stronger than stone walls.”

Finally, the yin-yang symbol – known in this case as the Taijitu – symbolizes vigilance. This is because it is interpreted as two fish, and fish never close their eyes. However, it also traditionally represents how men and women complement each other.

Previous Flags of Mongolia

Mongolia has had numerous flags representing it in the past, including several others that have incorporated the Soyombo symbol. The exception was the immediate predecessor of the current flag which was in use between 1940 and 1945. It featured a red field with an early version of the state emblem in the centre.

Prior to this flag were three flags of the Mongolian People’s Republic that all featured the Soyombo symbol. The first two were in use between 1924 and 1930. One was a red flag with a blue Soyombo symbol in the center, while the other featured a golden symbol and Mongolian writing down either side.

The third flag was in use between 1930 and 1940. It consisted of horizontal bands of red-blue-red with a pale disc in the centre. In the centre of the disc was a golden Soyombo symbol. This flag was the first to use the bands of red and blue which would then subsequently be used on the Mongolian flag that is flown today.

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