The national flag of Mongolia is a vertical triband with a red stripe at each side and a blue stripe in the middle, with the Mongolian Soyombo symbol centering on the leftmost stripe. The blue stripe represents the eternal blue sky, the red stripes thriving for eternity, and the yellow color symbolize Tibetan Buddhism. The Soyombo symbol is a geometric abstraction that represents fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and a Yin and Yang symbol representing two fish as in Mongol mythology fish never sleep thus symbolizing that the spirit of the Mongol people never sleeps.
The current flag was adopted on 12 January 1992, with the current official colour standards being set on 8 July 2011. Until 1992, the flag had a communist star above the Soyombo, during the final 47 years of the Mongolian People's Republic. The flag was originally designed by artist Dodiin Choidog ().
It has become common practice among Mongolians in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to hang the Mongolian flag, although the Chinese government is allegedly against public displays of Mongolian national or cultural symbols due to concerns of separatism.
Construction sheet
1050px|center
Colours
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!Colour Scheme
! style="background:#c7272f; width:200px" | <span style="color:#FFFFFF;">Red</span>
! style="background:#025299; width:200px" | <span style="color:#FFFFFF;">Blue</span>
! style="background:#fbd100; width:200px" | <span style="color:#000000;">Yellow</span>
|-
| style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:centre" |HEX
|<code>#c7272f</code> || <code>#025299</code> || <code>#fbd100</code>
|-
| style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:centre" |CMYK
| <code>10/100/90/0</code> || <code>100/60/0/0</code> || <code>0/15/100/0</code>
|-
|Source
| colspan="3" |
|}
Historical flags
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="150px"|Flag!!width="100px"|Date!!width="800px"|Description
|-
|-150px|border || 1206–1368 || unknown
|-
|150px|border || 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". Surviving flags can be seen with minor individual differences of the complex design.
|-
|150px|border || 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.
|-
|150px|border || 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.
|-
|150px|border || 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.
|-
|150px|border || 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.
|-
|150px || 1930–1940 || Flag of unclear type used between 1930 and 1940. It is for example listed among flags and maritime ensigns in a Soviet Red Army atlas from 1938.
|-
|border|150px || 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.
|-
|150px|border || || Flag of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee.
|-
|150px || || Flag of the Mongolian Armed Forces.
|-
|150px || || Flag of the Mongolian Ground Force
|-
|150px || || Flag of the Mongolian Air Force
|}
Administrative divisions
<gallery>
File:Flag of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.svg | Flag of Ulaanbaatar
File:Mn flag arkhangai aimag 2014.svg | Flag of Arkhangai Province
File:Mn flag bayankhongor aymag.png | Flag of Bayankhongor Province
File:Mn flag bayan olgiy aymag.svg | Flag of Bayan-Ölgii Province
File:Mn flag bulgan aimag 2022.svg | Flag of Bulgan Province
File:Mn_flag_darkhan_uul_aymag.svg | Flag of Darkhan-Uul Province
File:Mn_flag_dornod_aimag_2001.svg | Flag of Dornod Province
File:Mn flag dornogovi aimag 2011.svg | Flag of Dornogovi Province
File:Mn_flag_govi-altai_aimag_2011.svg | Flag of Govi-Altai Province
File:Mn_flag_govisümber_aimag.svg | Flag of Govisümber Province
File:Khentii_aimag_Flag.svg | Flag of Khentii Province
File:Khovd_stars_flag.svg | Flag of Khovd Province
File:Mn_flag_khövsgöl_aimag_2014.svg | Flag of Khövsgöl Province
File:Orkhon_Aimag_Flag.svg | Flag of Orkhon Province
File:Mn_flag_selenge_aimag_1999.svg | Flag of Selenge Province
File:Mn_flag_sükhbaatar_aimag.svg | Flag of Sükhbaatar Province
File:Tov_aymag_flag.svg | Flag of Töv Province
File:Mn_flag_ömnögovi_aimag_2011.svg | Flag of Ömnögovi Province
File:Uvs_Aimag_Flag.svg | Flag of Uvs Province
File:Mn_flag_Ovurhangai_aymag.svg | Flag of Övörkhangai Province
File:Mn_flag_zavkhan_aimag.svg | Flag of Zavkhan Province
</gallery>
See also
- List of Mongolian flags
- Emblem of Mongolia
- National anthem of Mongolia
- Soyombo symbol
- Tug (banner)
- Flag of Laos (similar triband, horizontal pattern instead of vertical one)