Flag of Lesotho#Historical flags
{{short description|None}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Kingdom of Lesotho
| Article =
| Image = Flag of Lesotho.svg
| Alt =
| Noborder =
| Nickname =
| Morenicks =
| Use =
| Symbol =
| Proportion = 2:3
| Adoption = {{start date and age|2006|10|04|df=y}}
| Relinquished =
| Design = A horizontal triband of blue, white and green in proportions 3:4:3;{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationsonline.org/flags_big/Lesotho_Flag.html|title=Lesotho Flag}} charged with a black mokorotlo (a Basotho hat) centred on the white band.
| Designer =
| Image2 = Royal Standard of Lesotho.svg
| Alt2 =
| Noborder2 =
| Nickname2 =
| Morenicks2 =
| Use2 = Royal Standard
| Symbol2 =
| Proportion2 =
| Adoption2 =
| Relinquished2 =
| Design2 =
| Designer2 =
}}
File:Mokorotlo.jpg is a type of straw hat widely used for traditional Sotho clothing]]
File:Lesotho Border Post at Sani Pass.jpg border post]]
The current national flag of Lesotho, adopted on the 40th anniversary of Lesotho's independence on 4 October 2006,{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Lesotho|title=Flag of Lesotho}} features a horizontal blue, white, and green tricolour with a black mokorotlo (a Basotho hat) in the center. The design is intended to reflect a state that is both at peace internally and with its only neighbour South Africa, replacing the old flag design that featured a military emblem of a shield, spear and knobkerrie.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5405862.stm |publisher=BBC News |title=Lesotho unfurls 'peaceful' flag |date=2006-10-04 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.lesotho.gov.ls/articles/2006/Senators_New_Flag.php |publisher=The Lesotho Government Portal |title=Senators give new flag green light |access-date=2006-10-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208002120/http://www.lesotho.gov.ls/articles/2006/Senators_New_Flag.php |archive-date=2008-12-08 }}
Colours
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2024}}
The symbolism of the colours is:
| class="wikitable" style="text-left;" |
| Colour
! Meaning |
|---|
| style="background:#00209f;color:white;" | Blue
| Represents the sky or rain. |
| style="background:#ffffff;color:black;" | White
| Represents peace. Lesotho has had the ideology of peace since the ages of King Moshoeshoe I.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} |
| style="background:#009543;color:white;" | Green
| Represents prosperity. |
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" | ||||
| 40px Colors scheme ! ! style="background:#00209F; width:100px; color:white;"| Blue ! style="background:#FFFFFF; width:100px; color:black;"| White ! style="background:#009543; width:100px; color:white;" | Green ! style="background:#000000; width:100px; color:white;" | Black | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMYK | 100-80-0-38 | 0-0-0-0 | 100-0-55-42 | 100-100-100-99 |
| HEX
|#00209F |#FFFFFF |#009543 |#000000 | ||||
| RGB
|0-32-159 |255-255-255 |0-149-67 |0-0-0 |
Construction sheet
{{gallery
|height=250
|width=360
|File:Flag of Lesotho (construction sheet).svg|flag construction sheet
}}
History
=1966–1987=
File:Flag of Lesotho (1966–1987).svg
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho (1966–1987).svg
The first flag of Lesotho was introduced on 4 October 1966, the day of Lesotho's full independence from the United Kingdom. It featured a prominent white mokorotlo. The blue stood for sky and rain, the white for peace, the green for land, and the red for faith.
{{clear}}
=1987–2006=
File:Flag of Lesotho (1987–2006).svg
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho (1987–2006).svg
A new flag, designed by Sergeant Retšelisitsoe Matete,[http://www.trc.org.ls/events/events20.063.htm#New%20National%20Flag%20Passed%20by%20Parliament "New National Flag Passed by Parliament"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827203146/http://www.trc.org.ls/events/events20.063.htm#New%20National%20Flag%20Passed%20by%20Parliament |date=2008-08-27 }}, Summary of Events in Lesotho, 3rd Quarter 2006, trc.org.ls. was adopted on 20 January 1987, following a military coup which ousted the Basotho National Party after 20 years in power. A light brown traditional Basotho shield along with an assegai (lance) and knobkierrie (club) replaced the mokorotlo as the primary emblem. The colour scheme and pattern changed as well, with a triangular white field standing for peace. The bottom diagonal contained a blue strip for rain and a green triangle for prosperity.
{{clear}}
=2006–present=
In 2006, a new flag was chosen from four proposed designs; all of these designs included a brown Basotho hat instead of the shield. This was subsequently changed to a black Basotho hat in order to represent Lesotho as a black nation. The bill changing the flag was approved by the National Assembly on 18 September 2006, with 84 members of parliament voting in favour of it, 18 against it, and two abstaining. It was subsequently approved by the Senate as well.
{{clear}}
Gallery
=Historical flags=
File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Union Jack served as the flag of Basutoland (1884–1966)
File:Unofficial flag of Basutoland.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Unofficial flag of Basutoland (1951–1966)
File:Unofficial banner of Basutoland.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Unofficial flag of Basutoland without circle (1951–1966)
File:Flag of the Resident Commissioner of Basutoland (1951–1966).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the Resident Commissioner of Basutoland (1951–1966)
File:Coat of arms of Basutoland.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Coat of arms of Basutoland (1951–1966)
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho (1966–1987, incorrect version).svg|{{FIAV|reconstructed}}Incorrect variant of Royal Standard of Lesotho (1966–1987)
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{clear}}
{{Africa topic|Flag of|title=Flags of Africa}}
{{nationalflags}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesotho, Flag of}}