View source for Flag of Nepal

{{short description|none}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
| Image = Flag of Nepal.svg
| Noborder = yes
| Nickname = Triangle 
| Use = 111000
| Symbol = {{FIAV|111000}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}
| Proportion = [[#Aspect ratio|see below]]
| Adoption = {{start date and age|1962|12|16|df=yes}}
| Design = Two juxtaposed triangular figures creating an irregular pentagon with a red-coloured base and deep blue borders, there being a white emblem of the crescent moon with eight rays visible out of sixteen in the upper part and a white emblem of a twelve rayed sun in the lower part<ref>{{Citation | chapter = Part-1(8) National symbol | title = Constitution of Nepal | year = 2015 | chapter-url = http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/985 | publisher = Nepal Law Commission | language = en-US | access-date = 2020-05-22 | archive-date = 4 June 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200604162030/http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/985 | url-status = live }}</ref>
 | Designer = [[Prithvi Narayan Shah]] (original)<br>[[Shankar Nath Rimal]]<br> (modern)
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

The [[national symbol]] of [[Nepal]]{{efn|{{langx|ne|नेपालको झण्डा|Nepālko jhaṇḍā}}, {{IPA|ne|nepälko d͡zʱʌ̤n̠d̠ä|IPA}}}} is the world's only non-rectangular symbol which is used as both the [[National symbol|state]] and [[civil flag]] of a [[sovereign country]].<ref name= "crw">{{Cite web|url= https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/np.html|title= Flag of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal|work= CRW Flags|access-date= 31 December 2018|archive-date= 20 November 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181120095443/https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/np.html|url-status= live}}</ref> The symbol is a simplified combination of two single [[pennon|pennants]], known as a double-pennon. Its crimson red is the symbol of bravery and it also represents the color of the [[rhododendron]], Nepal's national flower, while the blue border is the color of peace. Until 1962, the symbol's emblems, both the sun and the crescent moon, had human faces, but they were removed to modernize the symbol.

The current symbol was adopted on 16 December 1962, along with the formation of a new constitutional government.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Nepal|title= Flag of Nepal|work= Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date= 24 July 2018|archive-date= 18 November 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201118154653/https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Nepal|url-status= live}}</ref> [[Shankar Nath Rimal]], a civil engineer, standardised the symbol on the request of King [[Mahendra of Nepal|Mahendra]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=रातोपाटी |title=यसरी बनेको थियो राष्ट्रिय झण्डाको डिजाइन्, चन्द्र–सूर्य र त्रिकोणको अर्थ के ? |url=https://ratopati.com/story/100828/2019/9/18/national-flag |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=RatoPati |language=ne |archive-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531192325/https://ratopati.com/story/100828/2019/9/18/national-flag |url-status=live }}</ref> It borrows from the original, traditional design,<ref>{{cite constitution|article=I|section=5|polity=Nepal|ratified=1962|date= 2018}}</ref> used throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and is a combination of the two individual pennons used by rival branches of the ruling dynasty.<ref name=crw /> It is the only current national flag that is not a quadrilateral.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flag of Nepal - Everest Education Expedition {{!}} Montana State University |url=https://www.montana.edu/everest/facts/flag-of-nepal.html#:~:text=The%20national%20flag%20of%20Nepal,rhododendron,%20the%20country's%20national%20flower. |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.montana.edu}}</ref>

==History==
{{see|List of flags of Nepal}}
[[File:Krishna Arjuna Gita.jpg|thumb|right|A similar ''(right)'' flag used in the ''[[Mahabharat]]''; chariot with [[Krishna]] and [[Arjuna]] during the [[Kurukshetra war]]; traditionally the [[King of Nepal|Nepalese monarchs]] were Hindu and considered the [[avatar|reincarnation]] of Lord [[Vishnu]]]]
[[File:Flag of Nepal (1856-c.1930).svg|thumb|200x200px|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of Nepal (1856–{{Circa|1930}})|left|border]]
[[File:Flag of Nepal (1743–1962).svg|thumb|222x222px|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of Nepal (c. 1930—1962)|border|left]]
Historically, triangular shaped flags in South Asia were very common, since it was compact in size so the flag furled even with the lowest wind, thus making it visible over long distances.{{cn|date=November 2023}} The traces of triangular flags could be found in Hinduism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flags in Hinduism |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/rel-hi.html |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=CRW flags |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529032302/https://www.crwflags.com/Fotw/flags/rel-hi.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The flag's history is vague and there are no specific accounts of its creator. Nepal has historically used both quadrilateral flags as well as non-quadrilateral flags throughout its history.<ref>{{Cite web |last= Nosowitz |first= Dan |date= 2018-09-03 |title= Decoding the Unusual Shape of the Nepali Flag |url= http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/nepal-flag-shape |access-date= 2022-07-09 |website= Atlas Obscura |archive-date= 18 November 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201118154654/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/nepal-flag-shape |url-status= live }}</ref>

The flags of almost all states in South Asia were once triangular. A 1928 French book about Nepal shows a double pennant flag with a green border rather than the modern blue.<ref>{{cite book|last=Perceval|first=Landon|year=1928|title=Nepal Vol I|publisher=Constable & Co.}}</ref> There are other forms of pennant-type flags, mostly used in Hindu and Buddhist temples around Nepal. Many accounts date the creation of the double-pennant to King [[Prithvi Narayan Shah]]. The flag of the ancient Gorkha kingdom started off as a single triangular war banner of the Shah kings with a red colour and with various deities and other symbols as symbols in the flag. After [[Prithvi Narayan Shah]] unified all small principalities of Nepal, the double-[[pennon]] flag became the standard flag. According to some historians, the Rana ruler Jung Bahadur changed the sun and moon symbols into faces of the sun and moon symbolizing the kings as the Rajputs of Lunar dynasty and the Rana themselves as the Rajputs of the Solar dynasty. Nepal has simply maintained its ancient tradition, while every other state has adopted a rectangular or square version in the European vexillological tradition.<ref name= "ourtechroom.com2">{{Cite web |title=Nepal Flag : Interesting Fact about the Flag of Nepal |url=https://www.ourtechroom.com/Nepal/nepal-flag-fact-flag-of-nepal/ |access-date=8 September 2019 |website=Our tech room |archive-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912225303/http://ourtechroom.com/nepal/nepal-flag-fact-flag-of-nepal/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Nepal flag 1927.jpg|thumb|The flag of Nepal (1927–1930)]]
The present flag of Nepal was adopted under the Nepalese constitution adopted on 16 December 1962.<ref>{{Cite web |title= flag of Nepal |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Nepal |access-date= 2022-07-09 |website= Britannica |archive-date= 18 November 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201118154653/https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Nepal |url-status= live }}</ref> The modern flag seems to be a combination of the ancient [[Mustang Kingdom]]'s flag and the ongoing flag used by the former [[Gorkha Kingdom]]. The colour gradients have been adopted from the Mustang Kingdom. Prior to 1962, both symbols on the flag, the sun and moon, had human faces. The constitution dedicated an entire section to the precise size and shape of the flag, since people were drawing it incorrectly. This section is continued even today even though multiple constitutions were introduced in the country during the period.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

In May 2008 during the drafting of the new constitution, various political parties demanded changes to the flag's design since it symbolized Hinduism and monarchy,<ref>{{Cite web |date= 2009-09-17 |title= Nepal Maoists want to change national flag |url= https://www.oneindia.com/2009/09/17/nepalmaoists-want-to-change-national-flag.html |access-date= 2022-07-09 |website= One India |archive-date= 9 July 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220709225537/https://www.oneindia.com/2009/09/17/nepalmaoists-want-to-change-national-flag.html |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= 17 September 2009 |title= Maoists want to change national flag of Nepal |url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/maoists-want-to-change-national-flag-of-nepal/articleshow/5023223.cms |access-date= 2022-07-09 |website= The Times of India |archive-date= 9 July 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220709225542/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/maoists-want-to-change-national-flag-of-nepal/articleshow/5023223.cms |url-status= live }}</ref> but this proposal was rejected.<ref>{{Cite news |date= 2009-12-26 |title= Nepal constitution panel rejects Maoists bid on 'People's War' |language= en-IN |work= The Hindu |url= https://www.thehindu.com/news/international//article59877921.ece |access-date= 2022-07-09 |issn= 0971-751X |archive-date= 9 July 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220709225537/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international//article59877921.ece |url-status= live }}</ref>
[[File:Shree Sabuj flag.png|thumb|169x169px|Flag used during Nepal-Tibet War, the Nepal-British War and both World Wars]]

==Symbolism==
In modern times, the flag's symbolism has evolved to incorporate several meanings. The crimson red indicates the bravery of Nepali people (and is the country's national color) and the blue border represents peace and harmony. The colors are often found in Nepalese decoration and works of art.<ref name=":0" /> A theory is that the two points represented peace and hard work, using the symbols of the moon and sun respectively. Traditionally the flag of Nepal is derived from [[Hinduism]] which is common in [[Hindu]] cultures. However, the modern and government-sanctioned representation is of Hinduism and [[Buddhism in Nepal|Buddhism]], the main religions of the country.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2081.html|title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|language=en|access-date=24 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701210145/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2081.html|archive-date=1 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-06-03/whats-funny-shape-nepals-flag|title=What's with the funny shape of Nepal's flag?|work=Public Radio International|access-date=24 July 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=26 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026091742/https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-06-03/whats-funny-shape-nepals-flag|url-status=live}}</ref>

The inclusion of the [[celestial bodies]] indicates Nepal's permanence and the hope that Nepal will enjoy the same longevity as the Sun and the Moon. The moon also symbolizes the cool weather of the [[Himalaya]]s, whereas the sun symbolizes the heat and the high temperature of the southern lowlands ([[Terai]]).<ref name=":1" /> Additionally, the stylized moon represents the calm demeanor and purity of spirit of the Nepali people, while the stylized sun represents their fierce resolve.<ref name="ourtechroom.com2"/>

==Flag layout==

A precise geometrical description of the Nepalese national flag was specified in Article 5, Schedule 1 of the former constitution of the [[Kingdom of Nepal]], adopted on 9 November 1990.<ref name= "unibe">{{cite web |url= http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/np01000_.html |title= Nepal – Constitution – Schedules: Schedule 1 (Relating to Article 5) |work= International Constitutional Law |publisher= University of Bern |date= 9 November 1990 |access-date= 1 June 2012 |archive-date= 1 May 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160501104849/http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/np01000_.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Schedule 1 of the [[Constitution of Nepal]], adopted on 20 September 2015, details a specific method of making the national flag of Nepal.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Schedule-1 National Flag of Nepal|url= http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/821|publisher= Nepal Law Commission|language= en-US|access-date= 2020-05-22|archive-date= 12 October 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221012124800/https://lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/821/|url-status= live}}</ref>
[[File:Nepal Flag Construction.png|alt=Overview about the construction of Nepal's flag|border|thumb|500x500px|none|Overview about the construction of Nepal's flag]]
===Aspect ratio===
When constructed according to the stated geometric construction law, the [[List of national flags by aspect ratio|ratio]] of the height of the flag to the longest width is an [[irrational number]]. This is common for the hypotenuse of triangles.
:<math>1:\frac{6136891429688 - 306253616715\sqrt{2} - \sqrt{118-48 \sqrt{2}} \left( 934861968 + 20332617192 \sqrt{2} \right) }{4506606337686}</math> ≈ 1:1.21901033… ({{OEIS2C|A230582}}).<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://0xc.de/flags/nepal/ | lang = de | trans-title = Calculation of the aspect ratio of the national flag of Nepal | work = 0xc | title = Berechnung des Seitenverhältnisses der Nationalfahne von Nepal | date = 8 June 2012 | access-date = 11 August 2016 | archive-date = 1 August 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160801180236/http://0xc.de/flags/nepal/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

This ratio is the least root of the [[quartic polynomial]]<ref>{{Cite OEIS|sequencenumber=A230582|name= Decimal expansion of the ratio of height to width of the bounding rectangle of the national flag of Nepal, as defined in Schedule 1 of Article 5 of its Constitution.}}</ref><math display= "block">243356742235044 r^4 - 1325568548812608 r^3 + 2700899847521244 r^2 - 2439951444086880 r + 824634725389225,</math>
and arises from the addition of the blue border after construction of the red field.  The bounding rectangle of the red field alone has the rational aspect ratio 3:4 (=1:1.333…).<ref name="unibe" />

==Variations at the Olympics==

[[File:Flag of Nepal (white background, aspect ratio 3-2).svg|thumb|The flag used for Nepal at some 2016 Olympic venues.]]

The large-scale production of the Nepal flag is difficult because of its exact proportions and it is normal for it to be completely out of shape during large events. The current Olympic protocol determines that all flags used during the Games have to be manufactured in a 2:3 ratio. On some occasions, such as the flags displayed at some venues of the [[2016 Summer Olympics]], the flag has been printed on a white cloth.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pqvzn|title= Closing Ceremony, 2016, Olympic Ceremonies|work= Sport|publisher= BBC|access-date= 21 December 2017|archive-date= 22 July 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220722233104/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pqvzn|url-status= live}}</ref> The protocol manual for the [[2020 Summer Olympics]], by contrast, specifically named Nepal as the only exception to the standard size requirement, instead requiring the Nepali flag to be the same height as the other flags.<ref>[https://library.olympics.com/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/1568069/flags-and-anthems-manual-tokyo-2020-the-tokyo-organising-committee-of-the-olympic-and-paralympic-gam?_lg=en-GB FLAGS AND ANTHEMS MANUAL : TOKYO 2020]</ref>

==Incorrect versions==

During a 2018 visit of the [[Prime Minister of India|Indian Prime Minister]] [[Narendra Modi]] to [[Janakpur]], a version of the flag with incorrect shape and geometrical proportions was flown by officials, causing outrage on social media and with national personnel.<ref>{{Cite news | url = http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2018-05-15/ministry-seeks-explanation-on-disfigured-national-flag.html | work = Kathmandu post | title = Ministry seeks explanation on disfigured national flag | publisher = Ekantipur | access-date = 24 July 2018 | archive-date = 22 November 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181122212215/http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2018-05-15/ministry-seeks-explanation-on-disfigured-national-flag.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Nepal}}
* [[List of flags of Nepal]]
* [[Emblem of Nepal]]
* [[Largest Human Flag of Nepal]]
* [[Timeline of Nepalese history]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Flags of Nepal}}
*[https://www.sourcenepal.com/nepal/national-flag-of-nepal/ Flag of Nepal]
*{{FOTW|id=np|title=Nepal}}
* Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/f2Gne3UHKHs Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120803161952/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Gne3UHKHs&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|last=Grime|first=James|title=The Most Mathematical Flag|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Gne3UHKHs|work=Numberphile|date=3 August 2012 |publisher=[[Brady Haran]]}}{{cbignore}}
* [http://www.explorenepal.com/nepal/flag.php Explore Nepal – Download Nepal Flag]
* [http://deependrac.com.np/nepal-flag-facts-about-flag-of-nepal/ Amazing Facts about Flag of Nepal]
* [https://www.merokalam.com/nepal-flag-history-meaning-facts/ Nepal Flag – History, Meaning, Facts and More]

{{Asia topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Asia]]}}
{{nationalflags}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Nepal}}
[[Category:Flags of Nepal| ]]
[[Category:National symbols of Nepal]]
[[Category:National flags|Nepal]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1847|Nepal]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1962|Nepal]]
[[Category:Flags with blue, red and white]]
[[Category:Flags displaying a sun]]