Flag of Mongolia

The national flag of Mongolia is a vertical triband with red stripes on the sides and a blue stripe in the middle. In the center of the left red stripe is the Mongolian Soyombo symbol, a special design with important meanings.

The blue color stands for the eternal blue sky, and the red stripes represent thriving for eternity. The yellow in the Soyombo symbol stands for Tibetan Buddhism.

The current flag was officially adopted on 12 January 1992, and the exact colors were set on 8 July 2011. Before that, from 1945 to 1992, the flag had a communist star during the time of the Mongolian People's Republic. The flag was created by an artist named Dodiin Choidog.

In the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, many people hang the Mongolian flag even though the Chinese government does not support showing Mongolian national symbols in public.

Construction sheet

Colours

The flag of Mongolia has three vertical stripes. The two outer stripes are red, and the middle stripe is blue. The blue stripe means the endless sky. The red stripes mean lasting prosperity.

In the center of the left red stripe is the Soyombo symbol. The yellow in this symbol shows the importance of Tibetan Buddhism. The symbol also has shapes that stand for fire, the sun, the moon, earth, and water. It also has a symbol of balance from Mongol myths.

Historical flags

Flag	Date	Description
	1911–1919	Following the 1911 Mongolian declaration of independence during the fall of the Chinese Qing dynasty, the Bogd Khanate of Mongolia adopted a national flag as symbol of this independence. The decision to adopt a national flag was also made to follow the international standard at the time in order to promote the image of a modern independent state. A decree established the colours and dimensions of the flag; a yellow oblong rectangle with religious prayer text, in the middle of which was a Soyombo, lotus flower, and the letters "E" and "Bam". From this rectangle flowed red silk tails containing the letters "Om", "Ah", and "Hum". Larger flags were intended for government use while smaller versions were intended for ordinary people. Surviving flags can be seen with minor individual differences of the complex design.
	1920–1921	In late 1919 Chinese troops began occupying Mongolia. On 1 January 1920 a ceremony was held which revoked Mongolian autonomy and reincorporated it into China, raising the five-striped flag of the Republic of China.
	1921–1924	Following the communist Revolution of 1921 Mongolian independence was restored. The country was formally still a monarchy and its flag remained, which had been carried by many of the revolutionary soldiers.
	1924–1940	Following the death of the Bogd Khan in 1924, the Mongolian People's Republic was proclaimed. The new republic's first constitution was adopted on 26 November 1924 and described its new flag. The flag's exact shape and design was not completely standardised and only defined as "the flag is red with the state emblem at the center." It can therefore be seen with some variations, such as without any text or using a rectangular shape without the three tails.
	1940–1945	In November 1939 Mongolian leader Khorloogiin Choibalsan discussed the adoption of a new constitution with the leadership of the Soviet Union while visiting there. On 30 July 1940 the second constitution of the Mongol People's Republic was adopted, and with it, the second flag. After having reviewed a draft of the new state emblem, Joseph Stalin advised that "in order to show that there are many animals, the coat of arms should have a man with a horse in the middle and various animal figures around him". This new emblem, stripped of any remaining religious symbolism, was present on the new flag which was described as "consisting of 1:2 sized red cloth with the state emblem in the center and "Mongol People's Republic" written on either side".
	1945–1992	At the Yalta Conference, towards the end of World War II, it was agreed to preserve the status quo of Mongolia's existence. A new flag with national symbolism was considered necessary for the success of Soviet and Mongolian attempts to convince the Chinese to recognize Mongolian independence. Choibalsan brought up the issue of adopting a new flag at the 43rd meeting of the Presidium of the State Conference on 10 July 1945, where the new flag's design was approved. Choibalsan chose to restore the Soyombo as a national symbol on the flag and described its adoption as a high celebration of Mongolia's independence. The new flag was amended into the constitution in 1949 and was included from the beginning in the constitution adopted in 1960. The flag was used until the adoption of the democratic constitution and a new flag in 1992.
	1992–2011	Earlier version of Mongolia's current flag, the star had been removed.

Other flags of Mongolia

Flag	Date	Description
	1921–1924	Reconstruction of the flag of the Communist Revolutionary Provisional Government of Mongolia used during the Mongolian Revolution of 1921. There exists no images or surviving examples of this flag, only descriptions. Therefore, dimensions of the flags shape and the exact position of the symbol is unknown.
	1930–1940	Flag of unclear type used between 1930 and 1940. Some sources list it as the national flag between 1930 and 1940, but no clear adoption date or amendment into the constitution exists and evidence shows the 1924-flag being used until 1940. Possibly a civil or naval ensign of the very small Mongolian Navy, which was established in 1930. It is for example listed among flags and maritime ensigns in a Soviet Red Army atlas from 1938.
	None; 1924–1930 (erroneous)	Erroneous flag of the Mongolian People's Republic, with an unusual blue Soyombo, which appears in several Western sources. This contradicts Mongolian sources, contemporary depictions, and photographic evidence of the real 1924-flag in use at the time.
		Flag of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee.
		Flag of the Mongolian Armed Forces.
		Flag of the Mongolian Ground Force
		Flag of the Mongolian Air Force

Administrative divisions

Flag of [Ulaanbaatar](/wiki/Ulaanbaatar)

Flag of [Arkhangai Province](/wiki/Arkhangai_Province)

Flag of [Bayankhongor Province](/wiki/Bayankhongor_Province)

Flag of [Bayan-Ölgii Province](/wiki/Bayan-Ölgii_Province)

Flag of [Bulgan Province](/wiki/Bulgan_Province)

Flag of [Darkhan-Uul Province](/wiki/Darkhan-Uul_Province)

Flag of [Dornod Province](/wiki/Dornod_Province)

Flag of [Dornogovi Province](/wiki/Dornogovi_Province)

Flag of [Govi-Altai Province](/wiki/Govi-Altai_Province)

Flag of [Govisümber Province](/wiki/Govisümber_Province)

Flag of [Khentii Province](/wiki/Khentii_Province)

Flag of [Khovd Province](/wiki/Khovd_Province)

Flag of [Khövsgöl Province](/wiki/Khövsgöl_Province)

Flag of [Orkhon Province](/wiki/Orkhon_Province)

Flag of [Selenge Province](/wiki/Selenge_Province)

Flag of [Sükhbaatar Province](/wiki/Sükhbaatar_Province)

Flag of [Töv Province](/wiki/Töv_Province)

Flag of [Ömnögovi Province](/wiki/Ömnögovi_Province)

Flag of [Uvs Province](/wiki/Uvs_Province)

Flag of [Övörkhangai Province](/wiki/Övörkhangai_Province)

Flag of [Zavkhan Province](/wiki/Zavkhan_Province)