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The flag of Lesotho

The flag of Lesotho
Three horizontal bands of blue, white and green, the white double height, with a black mokorotlo hat centred on it.
Ratio 2:3 · current design adopted 2006

The 2006 redesign replaced a flag showing an assegai, a knobkerrie and a shield with a hat — a deliberate swap of weapons for a cultural emblem, timed for the fortieth anniversary of independence. The mokorotlo's shape is said to be drawn from Mount Qiloane, a distinctive peak near the old Basotho stronghold at Thaba Bosiu. Lesotho's motto, Khotso, Pula, Nala, means "Peace, Rain, Prosperity", and the three bands run in that order. Very few national flags depict an item of clothing.

What the colours mean

  • Blue #00209F Rain — which is what the country's motto asks for
  • White #FFFFFF Peace
  • Green #009543 Prosperity
  • Black #000000 The mokorotlo, and the Basotho people

Flag laws usually specify a Pantone chip, a CMYK mix or just a colour name. Converting any of those to sRGB is lossy, which is why published hex values disagree.

The symbols on it

What What it stands for
Mokorotlo The conical Basotho straw hat, modelled on the shape of Mount Qiloane
Ratio
2:3
Current design adopted
2006
Colours
blue, white, green, black

Common questions

What does the flag of Lesotho look like?
Three horizontal bands of blue, white and green, the white double height, with a black mokorotlo hat centred on it.
What do the colours of the Lesotho flag mean?
Blue: rain — which is what the country's motto asks for. White: peace. Green: prosperity. Black: the mokorotlo, and the Basotho people.
When was the Lesotho flag adopted?
The current design dates from 2006, and its official ratio is 2:3.

Related pages

Sources

  1. The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (Public domain (US Government))

How these figures are compiled and checked