Banner o Indonesie

210px|thumb|Ular-ular Perang
The naitional banner o Indonesie, which is kent as Sang Saka Merah-Putih ("The Sacred Red-and-White") or Bendera Merah-Putih ("The Red-an-White Banner") or simply Merah-Putih ("The Red-an-White") in Indonesian, is based on the banner o the 13t century Majapahit Empire in East Java. The banner itsel wis introduced an hoistit in public at the Indonesian Unthrildom Day ceremony, on 17 August 1945. The design o the banner haes remained the same iver syne.

The design o the banner is semple wi twa equal horizontal baunds, red (top) an white (bottom) wi an oweraw ratio o 2:3. The banner is seemilar tae the banner o Poland an banner o Singapore. The banner is identical tae the banner o Hesse (a German state) an banner o Monaco, excludin the ratio. Red represents courage, while white represents purity o intent.

The Naval Jack o Indonesie is reserved for sole uise bi Indonesian Navy. It flies frae ivery active Indonesian war ship mast. The design o the jack is describit as nine alternatin stripes o reid an white. It is nicknamed Ular-ular Perang (War Pennant or litterally "War Snakes"), probably due tae the stripes design. The naval jack dates tae the age Majapahit Empire. The Majapahit Empire, which wis renouned for its great maritime strength, uised tae flee seemilar jacks on its vessels.

 History 

Its colors are derived frae the banner o the 13t century Majapahit Empire. Later, thir colors wur revived bi students an then naitionalists in the early 20t century as an expression o naitionalism against the Dutch. The reid-white banner wis flewn for the first time in Java in 1928. Unner Dutch rule, the banner wis prohibitit. It wis adoptit as the naitional banner on 17 August 1945, when unthrildom wis declared an haes been in uise syne then.

 Alternative history 
Thare is an aa anither story aboot the banner o Indonesie, which is significantly relatit tae the banner o the Netherlands. Unner Dutch colonialism, ivery admeenistration uised the Netherlands (Red-white-blue) banner. The banner o Indonesie wis prohibitit. Tae seembolise the intention o forcin oot the Dutch, the Indonesian naitionalists an umthirldom movement tore apart the Dutch banner. Thay tore aff the bottom third o the banner, an separatit the reid an white colors frae the blue colour. The main reason wis acause blue in the Dutch banner wis unnerstood as staunding  for the "blue bloodit" aristocracy. Conversely, the reid colour representit the bluid shed in the War o Unthrildom, while the white coud be unnerstood tae seembolise the purity o the Indonesians.

 Name 
The offeecial name o the banner is Sang Merah-Putih (The Reid-an-White) accordin tae Airticle 35 o the 1945 Constitution. The banner is commonly cawed Bendera Merah-Putih (Red-an-White Banner). Occasionally, it is an aa cawed Sang Dwiwarna (The bicolor).
Sang Saka Merah-Putih (The Lofty Reid-an-White) refers tae the historical banner cawed Bendera Pusaka (heirloom banner) an its replica. The Bendera Pusaka is the banner that wis flewn in front of Sukarno's hoose a few moments efter he proclaimed Indonesie's unthrildom on 17 August 1945. The oreeginal Bendera Pusaka wis sewn bi Mrs. Fatmawati Soekarno, an wis hoistit ivery year in front o the presidential palace durin the unthrildom day ceremony. It wis hoistit for the last time on 17 August 1968. Syne then it haes been preserved an replaced bi a replica acause the oreeginal banner wis deemed tae be too fragile.

 Seembolism 
The red staunds for courage, while the white staunds for purity.
The red represents human's body or pheesical life, while white represents human's soul or spiritual life. Thegither they staund for a complete human being.

Tradeetionally, maist Indonesians hae uised reid an white as thair ceremonial colors, mixin the colour o sugar (the reid colour comes frae palm sugar or gula aren) an rice (white in colour). Inarguably, till the day, baith o thir are the major components o daily Indonesian cuisine or cookin. Apparently, the Javanese's Majapahit Empire an aa uised this concept an designed thair banner as reid an white. Mairower, the reid an white colors are an aa uised for the banner o Indonesie's distant cousin, Madagascar.

 See an aa 

 Leet o banners
 Banners o Monaco, Hesse, anCanton o Solothurn: different proportions
 Banners o Poland an Thuringie: same colors, different order
 Banner o Singapore: different seembol

 References 

Indonesie
Category:Naitional seembols o Indonesie