# List of Sri Lankan flags

This is a list of flags used in Sri Lanka.

## National flag

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 1972 – | Flag of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | Modified flag of the Dominion of Ceylon. Used since the proclamation of the Republic in 1972. |

## Presidential flag (1972–2022)

This flag was personal to every President of Sri Lanka, and as such the design changed when a new president assumed office.
On 15 July 2022, the acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe abolished the presidential flag.
| Date | Use |
| May 22, 1972 – February 4, 1978 | Presidential flag of William Gopallawa |
| February 4, 1978 – January 2, 1989 | Presidential flag of J. R. Jayewardene |
| January 2, 1989 – May 1, 1993 | Presidential flag of Ranasinghe Premadasa |
| May 1, 1993 – November 12, 1994 | Presidential flag of D. B. Wijetunga |
| November 12, 1994 – November 19, 2005 | Presidential flag of Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| November 19, 2005 – January 8, 2015 | Presidential flag of Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| January 9, 2015 – November 18, 2019 | Presidential flag of Maithripala Sirisena |
| November 18, 2019 – July 14, 2022 | Presidential flag of Gotabaya Rajapaksa |

## Civil ensigns

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 1972 – | Blue Ensign of Sri Lanka | A blue ensign with the Flag of Sri Lanka in the canton influenced by the British design. The Blue Ensign is flown by merchant vessels commanded by an officer of the SLVNF. |

## Military flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| 1972 – | President's Colour | A defaced national flag of Sri Lanka with Coat of arms of Sri Lanka. |
| 1972 – | Flag of the Sri Lanka Army | The army flag defaced with the insignia of the Sri Lanka Army. |
| 1972 – | Naval Ensign of Sri Lanka | A defaced white ensign with the flag of Sri Lanka in the canton influenced by the British design. |
| 2010 – | Air Force Ensign of Sri Lanka | A defaced sky blue ensign with the flag of Sri Lanka in the canton and Air Force roundel influenced by the British design. |
| 2010 – | Air Force Colours of Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Air Force ensign with the four vertical stripes of saffron, green, maroon, and yellow in the centre, and superimposed by Sri Lanka national emblem. |

## Government flags

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 1972 – | Flag of the Sri Lanka Police | |
| | 2010 – | Flag of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard | |

## Provincial flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| November 14, 1987 – | Flag of Central Province | The flag is designed to represents the Central Province and its three districts Kandy, Matale and Nuwaraeliya. The Golden colour Lion that carries a sword and the four Bo leaves at the four corners in the maroon colour background represents the Kandy District. The white layout represents Matale District and Nuwaraeiya District which represents the Upcountry is symbolised by the white lotus. The Sun and Moon are for Eternity. |
| January 1, 2007 – | Flag of Eastern Province | |
| November 14, 1987 – | Flag of North Central Province | |
| November 14, 1987 – December 31, 2006 | Flag of North Eastern Province | Was adapted as the Flag of the North Province after the demerger of the North-Eastern Province |
| January 1, 2007 – | Flag of Northern Province | Blue border – ocean resource; Green – the greenery and agriculture; Red – labour, industriousness and Hindu culture, religion; White – fraternity, peace; Radiating sun indicates synergy of power and natural energy source, also Tamil people and language in the Province |
| November 14, 1987 – | Flag of North Western Province | It features a brown bovine with a sun and moon symbol on a white background. There are 15 small eight-pointed cross-stars in the background, and a green and brown woven border surrounds the whole. |
| November 14, 1987 – | Flag of Sabaragamuwa Province | |
| November 14, 1987 – | Flag of Southern Province | A picture of a lion flag can be seen in frescos in historical Dambulla cave temple. This historical flag made of carving a picture of a running lion with a small sword in its forepaw is considered to be the Ruhuna flag. Furthermore, King Dutugamunu left the Magam Kingdom with the lion flag ahead for the battle to unite the country. The flag is a picture of a yellow lion on a red blood colour background. Accordingly, it was decided to use for the Southern Provincial flag the picture of the lion running with a small sword (iluk koolaya) in its forepaw of the Ruhuna flag and the red colour and yellow colour of the flag taken on the war front by King Dutugamunu. It was decided to use the same for the Southern Province flag mixture of colours and the standard to represent all communities in Galle, Matara, and Hambantota and four bo leaves (Metta, Karuna, Muditha, Upeksha) of the national flag. It was agreed that the forms of the sun and moon of the flag of Southern Province flag should be in the same forms as the sun and moon of the flag of Devinuwara Devalaya and that the same form that of the flag of Hambantota District. Accordingly, it was expected to keep the integration of Galle, matara and Hambantota. Therefore, the Southern Province flag can be considered a combination of several traditional flags. The small sword (iluk Koolaya) is the symbol of control, but it does not reflect terror or suppression. The small sword represents Justice and fairness. Running lion represents velocity fearlessness and pride. The sun and moon stand for stability prosperity and augustness. It expresses the traditional saying "Until the sun and moon exists". The sun and moon of the flag are considered to be symbols of victory. The combination of colours around the flag depicts the existence of Southern Sri Lanka, victorious war history, religion and patriotism, mutual cooperation and harmony |
| November 14, 1987 – | Flag of Uva Province | In the days of the Sinhala kings, Sri Lanka had been divided into twelve provinces and ruled and each of these twelve provinces had been allotted a flag. Accordingly, in order to bring about qualities such as pleasantness, innocence, greatness and royalty, a flag with a picture of swan had been allotted to the Uva Province. The flag that was gifted to Uva Province by the King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe who ruled the kingdom of Kandy during the period 1798–1815 can be seen even today at the National Museum ( Courtesy: Book entitled “Uva Ithihasaya” by Panditha Naulle Dhammananda Thero ) |
| November 14, 1987 – | Flag of Western Province | |

## Historical flags
### Sinhala Kingdom flags(Main Kingdoms' flags)

| Date | Use | Description |
| 437 BC-1017 AD | Flag of the Anuradhapura Kingdom | Flag of King Dutugamunu (161-137 B.C.) and it's known as Flag of Kingdom Anuradhapura.The flag believed to have been used by Sri Lankan king Dutthagamani(Dutugamunu) and subsequent monarchs. |
| 1055-1232 AD | Flag of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa | |
| 1220-1345 AD | Flag of the Kingdom of Dambadeniya | |
| 1273–1284 AD | Flag of the Kingdom of Dambadeniya;Rule from Yapahuwa as a capital | |
| 1300-1341 AD | Flag of the Kingdom of Dambadeniya;Rule from Kurunegala as a capital | |
| 1341–1408 | Flag of the Kingdom of Gampola | A Red Field With Golden Border and a Peacock fighting a Snake in the center. |
| 1412–1597 | Flag of the Kingdom of Kotte | A plain white field with ornate blue and red leaved white border and a lion with a whip at the centre. |
| 1521–1594 | Flag of the Kingdom of Sitawaka | A White Field with a Red Lion in the centre and 4 bo leaves in each corner. |
| 1469–1815 | Flag of Kingdom of Kandy | The flag adopted was the royal standard and featured a gold and black bordered red field with Bo leaves and lion with a sword. This is similar to the right portion of the modern flag. |

### Sub-Kingdoms Flags

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 1521-1538 | Flag of the Kingdom of Raigama | A Red Field With Golden Border and a Peacock fighting a Snake in the center. |
| | 1215-1255,1323-1450 & 1467-1619 | Flag of the Jaffna Kingdom | the silver crescent moon with a golden sun. The single sacred conch shell, which spiral open to the right, and in the centre above the sacred bull, is a white parasol with golden tassels and white pearls. |

### Portuguese Ceylon flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| 1508–1521 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal | A white field with the Portuguese coat of arms in the center. |
| 1521–1578 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal | A white field with the Portuguese coat of arms in the center. |
| 1578–1640 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal | A white field with the Portuguese coat of arms in the center. |
| 1616–1640 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal (Putative flag) | A white field with the Portuguese Coat of arms in the center. |
| 1640–1658 | Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal | A white field with the Portuguese coat of arms in the center. |

### Dutch Ceylon flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| 1638–1795 | The Prince's Flag | A horizontal triband of orange, white and blue. |
| 1652–1672 | States Flag | A horizontal triband of red, white and blue. |
| 1795–1796 | Flag of the Batavian Republic | A horizontal triband of red, white and blue with the Republic’s emblem in the canton. |

### British Ceylon flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| 1796–1801 | Flag of the Kingdom of Great Britain( Should be considered: -This is not an ancient Sri Lankan flag. Because at that time there was a major Sinhalese kingdom in Sri Lanka. Its king is considered the king of the entire country.) | A superimposition of the flags of England and Scotland (Union Jack). |
| 1801–1972 | Flag of the United Kingdom(Should be considered: -This is not an ancient Sri Lankan flag in 1801-1815 period. Because at that time there was a major Sinhalese kingdom in Sri Lanka. Its king is considered the king of the entire country.) | A superimposition of the flags of England and Scotland with the Saint Patrick's Saltire (representing Ireland) (Union Jack). |
| 1875–1948 | Flag of Ceylon's Colonial Government | A defaced blue ensign with the Arms of the Ceylon Government. |
| 1948–1951 | The first flag of the Dominion of Ceylon | The Royal Standard of the Kandyan Kingdom, the last kingdom of Sri Lanka. |
| 1951–1972 | The second flag of the Dominion of Ceylon | Defaced flag of Kandyan Kingdom, the last kingdom of Sri Lanka. |

### Ensigns

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 1955 – 1969 | Civil Ensign of Sri Lanka | A red ensign with the Flag of Sri Lanka in the canton influenced by the British design. |

### Royal standards

| Date | Use | Description |
| 161 BC – 137 BC | Flag of King Dutugamunu, as depicted in the Dambulla Viharaya cave no.2 | A white swallowtailed field with a Lion holding a kastane sword in its right forepaw and the Sun and the Moon above. The lion's details and coloring are uncertain. |
| 1415 – 1457 | Military Standard of Parakramabahu VI of Kotte | |
| c.1798 – 1815 | Royal Standard of King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha | |

### Viceregal flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| 1953–1972 | Flag of the governor–general of Ceylon | A lion standing atop a St Edward's Crown, over "Ceylon" |
| 1948–1953 | Flag of the governor–general of Ceylon | A lion standing atop a Tudor Crown, over "Ceylon" |
| 1875–1948 | Flag of the governor of Ceylon | A Union Flag defaced with arms of the Ceylon Government. |

### Military flags

| Date | Use |
| 1949–1966 | First Flag of the Ceylon Army |
| 1966–1972 | Second Flag of the Ceylon Army |
| 1950–1972 | Ensign of the Royal Ceylon Navy |
| 1951–1972 | Ensign of the Royal Ceylon Air Force |
| 1971 – 2010 | Ensign of the Sri Lanka Air Force |
| 1971 – 2010 | Unit colour of the Sri Lanka Air Force |