The Flag of Timor-Leste: History, Meaning, and Symbolism

Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is a Southeast Asian nation covering half of the island of Timor. One of the distinguishing marks of East Timor (Timor-Leste) is its national flag, which is called the Bandeira de Timor-Leste (which literally translates to “flag of East Timor”) in Portuguese. The flag is red with a larger yellow triangle based on the hoist-side that extends to the center. Both colors are overlaid on a smaller black isosceles triangle. There is a white five-pointed star in the middle of the flag. The flag also features a white five-pointed star in the center. On this page, you can find out more about the flag of Timor-Leste, such as its history, meaning, and symbols.

The Flag of Timor-Leste History

The early 1700s

Before it was incorporated into the Portuguese Empire, East Timor did not have a national flag of its own. The first use of a flag that could be considered a forerunner to the present flag took place in 1702. A suggestion to adopt a modified version of the Portuguese flag to symbolize East Timor was presented in 1965. However, it was never accepted by Portugal.

1975

Even though the country adopted its flag and declared independence in the same year, 1975, it was only flown for a short time. Unfortunately, Indonesian forces invaded and took control of the country. From 1976 to 1999, when it was still a part of Indonesia, East Timor flew a different flag than it does today. During that time, the flag of the United Nations flew over the country while it made its way back to complete independence. The current flag took its place in 2002 after the previous one was retired.

2002

The flag of East Timor has flown over the country ever since it was officially adopted in 2002. In 1975, when East Timor declared its independence from Portugal several days before it was invaded by Indonesia, it did so under the same flag. On May 19, 2002, at twelve o’clock in the morning, the flag of the United Nations was dropped. On May 20, 2002, during the early morning hours of Independence Day, the flag of East Timor was raised.

Other flags

During the inaugural East Timorese National Convention, which took place in Portugal back in April 1998, delegates from different political parties and entities proposed a new flag. This flag was designed to represent the CNRT (Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense). The convention delegates unanimously agreed to make the CNRT flag the provisional flag of East Timor due to the organization’s widespread support. In 2002, it was changed back to the original 1975 style.

The Flag of Timor-Leste Design And Colors

This flag was inspired by one flown by Fretilin (the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor) during the 1975 and 1976 resistance to Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor. The national flag is a rectangle made from two overlapping isosceles triangles. One triangle is black. Its height is one-third the length overlapped by the yellow triangle. Its height is one-half the flag’s length.

A white star with five points represents the guiding light in the middle of the black triangle. The white star is tilted such that its point is closest to the top right corner of the flag. Other than the white of the star, the flag is crimson.

The Flag of Timor-Leste Symbolism

The flag of Timor-Leste represents a nation that is aware of its colonial history. It strives to transcend the effects of that history. The cultural history of East Timor is represented in the design of the flag. It combines images from the country’s history with those signifying hope for the future. The flag of East Timor is one of the few that have ever flown over the entirety of Timor-Leste. Additionally, it is the only flag in the history of Timor-Leste to ever symbolize the country as an independent state rather than a colony.

The red field shows how the country fought to get rid of colonial rule, and the yellow triangle shows how colonial rule changed the country. The black triangle stands for the dangers posed by threats, while the bright star denotes East Timor’s continued development toward a brighter future.

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