thumb|Burundi flag at [[Ruyigi Hospital]]
The original national flag of Burundi (Kirundi: ibendera ry'Uburundi, French: Drapeau du Burundi) was adopted after the Burundian independence from Belgium on 1 July 1962. It went through several revisions and now consists of a white saltire which divides the field into alternating red and green areas. The center of the saltire merges into a white disk, on which there are three red solid six-pointed stars outlined in green. The current ratio is 3:5, which was changed from 2:3 on 27 September 1982.
Symbolism
The flag is divided into four parts by a white saltire. The upper and lower parts are red in color, while the left and right ones are green in color. The white color of the saltire represents peace, green represents the nation's hopes placed on future development, and red symbolizes the suffering of the nation during its freedom struggle. The three stars also stand for the three elements of the national motto: Ubumwe, Ibikorwa, Amajambere ("Unity, Work and Progress"), which can be seen on the coat of arms of Burundi. They also represent the loyalty that the citizens of the nation have pledged to their God, king and country.