Flag of Kyrgyzstan

What the flag means

Red is commonly explained as bravery, and it recalls the banner of the epic hero Manas. The sun stands for peace and prosperity, and its 40 rays for the 40 tribes that Manas united. The tunduk stands for home.

History

Kyrgyzstan's first flag after independence, with a sun of 40 wavy rays, was adopted on 3 March 1992. In 2023 President Sadyr Japarov proposed redrawing the sun. Parliament passed the law on 20 December 2023, Japarov signed it on 22 December, and it came into force on 26 December. The law calls for 40 straight golden rays spreading evenly from the centre.

The redesign followed complaints that the old sun looked like a sunflower; in Kyrgyz culture a sunflower can stand for someone who switches sides for gain.

Earlier flags of Kyrgyzstan

1. 1952–1992Kirghiz SSR: red with a blue and white band, hammer, sickle and star
2. 1992–2023Red with a yellow sun of 40 wavy rays around a tunduk

Flags of Kyrgyzstan's neighbours

• China
• Kazakhstan
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan