Uganda Flag

The Ugandan flag, known in Ugandan languages as Bendera ya Uganda, was adopted on October 9, 1962, the day Uganda won independence from the British Empire. The flag has six equal-width horizontal stripes with the colors black, yellow, red, black, yellow, and red oriented from top to bottom. A white disc overlaid in the center of the flag depicts the national symbol, a grey crowned crane facing the flag's left side.

The Ugandan flag's color scheme has important importance, with black signifying the African people, yellow representing the sun and the nation's bright future, and red representing the bloodshed during the war for independence. The national bird of Uganda, the grey-crowned crane, reflects the country's individuality and vigilance.

According to regulations established in 1865, the British authorities used a blue ensign defaced with the colonial insignia during the colonial era. However, Buganda, the largest traditional kingdom in Uganda's colony, had its own flag. To avoid favoring one region over another, British colonial authorities decided to use the crane emblem on the blue ensign and other official banners. This emblem was later selected as Uganda's national symbol after the country gained independence.