what does this symbol mean?

Asian flags

The national flags of Asia and the Middle East: what each one shows, what its colours and emblem stand for in the country’s own laws, and how to tell it from the flags that look like it.

Test yourself: Asian flags quiz

East Asia 5 symbols

South Asia 7 symbols

Middle East 15 symbols

Caucasus and Central Asia 9 symbols

Southeast Asia 11 symbols

About asian flags

The national flags of Asia and the Middle East, each drawn in the proportions and colours its own law sets, with what its colours and emblem stand for in that country’s law, and who gives the meaning where the law gives none. Japan’s flag law gives its red disc no meaning at all; South Korea’s gives every part of its flag one.

Flags that look alike

A red disc on white, exactly centred, is Japan’s flag. Bangladesh’s red disc is on bottle green and sits slightly towards the pole.

China’s flag has five yellow stars, all in the top corner by the pole; Vietnam’s has a single gold star in the middle of the red.

Turkey’s white crescent and star sit directly on the red, towards the pole. Tunisia’s are red, inside a white disc in the centre of the flag.

Black, white and green stripes with a red triangle at the pole is Palestine’s flag. Jordan’s constitution sets the same stripes and red triangle and puts a white seven-pointed star in the triangle; Sudan’s stripes run red, white and black from the top, with a green triangle at the pole.

Sources

  1. Türk Bayrağı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2893, 1983), Turkish Flag Law No. 2893 of 22 September 1983, as published with its annexed table, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), Art. 2, 4, 10; annexed table
  2. Türk Bayrağı, Kure Ansiklopedi entry “Türk Bayrağı”, Kure Ansiklopedi, Sections on measurements, Ottoman history, origins and legends
  3. Türk Bayrağı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2893, current text), Turkish Flag Law No. 2893, consolidated text, Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi, Art. 2 and 4
  4. Constitution of the Republic of Tunisia, 2022, Constitution of Tunisia of 2022, Article 8 (English translation), Constitute Project, Article Eight
  5. National Flag Law of the People’s Republic of China (text as amended 17 October 2020), National Flag Law, adopted 28 June 1990, amended 27 August 2009 and 17 October 2020, Communist Party Members Network (12371.cn), Heading; Articles 2, 15 and 20
  6. National flag of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国旗), State Council page on the national flag, with the flag law’s rules for its use, Central People’s Government of the PRC (gov.cn), Daily flying; ceremonies; half-mast; use
  7. Getting to know the National Flag, National Emblem, National Anthem, Regional Flag and Regional Emblem, Brief descriptions of the National Flag; Specifications for the National Flag, Education Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, 1. Brief descriptions of the National Flag
  8. 以物鉴史启新程丨旗帜 (Objects that tell history: the flag), Xinhua, 2 July 2022, from CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency (news.cn), Paragraphs on the five-star red flag
  9. Red Flag Over China, The World of Chinese, September 2018, The World of Chinese, Main text and footnote
  10. Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (2013), Article 13, Constitute Project, Article 13
  11. Act on National Flag and Anthem (国旗及び国歌に関する法律), Act No. 127 of 1999 (平成十一年法律第百二十七号), promulgated 13 August 1999, e-Gov Law Search, Digital Agency, Government of Japan, Article 1; Supplementary Provisions 1–3; Schedule 1
  12. 「国旗・国歌」について (On the national flag and anthem), Cabinet Office page on the Act, with the Prime Minister’s statement of 9 August 1999, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, Schedule 1; 内閣総理大臣の談話（平成１１年８月９日）
  13. Hinomaru: The Symbolism and History of Japan’s National Flag, Nippon.com, 12 July 2026, Nippon.com (Nippon Communications Foundation), Tracing the Origins; War Associations; Red, But What Red?
  14. National Flag (Banglapedia), Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, entry by AKM Farooq, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Main text
  15. The National Flag – Taegeukgi, National Symbols of the Republic of Korea: Origin; Symbolism of the flag; Construction of the Flag of Korea, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Republic of Korea, Origin; Symbolism of the flag
  16. Act on the Flag of the Republic of Korea, Act No. 8272, 26 January 2007, as amended by Act No. 12342, 28 January 2014 (official English translation), Korea Legislation Research Institute (Statutes of the Republic of Korea), Articles 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11
  17. Concerns grow over ‘misuse’ of national flag, The Korea Times, Rachel Lee, 1 March 2017, The Korea Times, First paragraph
  18. Palestinas flagg og våpen (Store norske leksikon), Lars Roede and Filip Andreas Fedøy, “Palestinas flagg og våpen”, Store norske leksikon, Store norske leksikon, Article text: Flagget
  19. Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 1952, Constitution of Jordan of 1952 (rev. 2016), Article 4 (English translation), Constitute Project, Article 4
  20. Sudans flagg og våpen (Store norske leksikon), Lars Roede, “Sudans flagg og våpen”, Store norske leksikon, Store norske leksikon, Article text

Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 13, 2026. How we research