Flag of Lesotho

The current national flag of Lesotho, adopted on the 40th anniversary of Lesotho's independence on October 4, 2006, features a horizontal blue, white, and green tricolour with a black mokorotlo (a Basotho hat) in the centre. The design is intended to reflect a nation that is both peaceful internally and with its neighbors, replacing the old flag design that featured a military emblem of a shield, spear and knobkerrie.
 
The symbolism of the colors is:
Colour	Meaning
Blue 	represents the sky or rain.
Green 	represents prosperity.
White 	represents peace. Lesotho has had the ideology of peace since the ages of King Moshoeshoe I.
==Former flags==
The first flag of Lesotho was introduced on October 4, 1966, the day of Lesotho's full independence from the United Kingdom. It featured a prominent white mokorotlo. The blue stood for sky and rain, the white for peace, the green for land, and the red for faith.
A new flag, designed by Sergeant Retšelisitsoe Matete,"New National Flag Passed by Parliament", Summary of Events in Lesotho, 3rd Quarter 2006, trc.org.ls. was adopted on January 20, 1987, following a military coup which ousted the Basotho National Party after 20 years in power. A light brown traditional Basotho shield along with an assegai (lance) and knobkierrie (club) replaced the Basotho hat as the primary emblem. The colour scheme and pattern changed as well, with a triangular white field standing for peace. The bottom diagonal contained a blue strip for rain and a green triangle for prosperity.
==2006 flag==
In 2006, a new flag was chosen from four proposed designs; all of these designs included a brown Basotho hat instead of the shield. This was subsequently changed to a black Basotho hat in order to represent Lesotho as a black nation. The bill changing the flag was approved by the National Assembly on September 18, 2006, with 84 members of parliament voting in favour of it, 18 against it, and two abstaining. It was subsequently approved by the Senate as well.
==Gallery==
===Historical flags===
File:Lesoto flag 1884.gif|Unofficial colonial flag of Basutoland, c. 1884
File:Unofficial Basutoland Ensign.svg|Unofficial colonial flag of Basutoland from 1951–1966
File:Flag of Lesotho (1966).svg|Flag from 1966–1987
File:Flag of Lesotho (1987-2006).svg|Flag from 1987–2006
===Royal Standards===
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho (1966-1987).svg|Royal Standard of Lesotho between 1966–1987.
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho (1987-2006).svg|Royal Standard of Lesotho between 1987–2006.
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho.svg|Royal Standard of Lesotho from October 4, 2006.
==References==
==External links==
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Lesoto
Category:Flags of Africa
Flag
Lesotho