East Timor Flag

Description

The East Timor flag is available from Flags Online in full-size and desk formats, printed on both sides and made to last outdoors.

About the East Timor Flag

The East Timor flag is built from overlapping triangles on a red field, a simple geometry that carries a great deal of history for one of the world’s youngest nations. A black triangle sits at the hoist, overlaid by a slightly larger yellow triangle, with a white star placed at the centre of the black shape.

Colours and Symbolism

Red dominates the flag and stands for the struggle for national liberation. The yellow triangle represents the traces of colonialism in the country’s history, while the black triangle symbolises the ignorance and oppression the nation had to overcome. The white star at the centre stands for peace and serves as a guiding light for the future. Together the design reads as a narrative of struggle giving way to hope, rather than a simple decorative arrangement.

History of the East Timor Flag

This design was first raised in November 1975, when the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, known as Fretilin, declared independence from Portugal. That independence lasted only days before Indonesia invaded and occupied the territory, and the flag was suppressed for over two decades. Following a UN-supervised referendum in 1999 and a transitional period under UN administration, East Timor, officially Timor-Leste, restored full independence in May 2002, and the same flag design first used in 1975 was readopted as the national flag. Its continuity across such a long gap is unusual among modern national flags.

Flying and Displaying the Flag

Timor-Leste observes both its 1975 declaration and its 2002 restoration of independence as national holidays, and the flag is flown widely on each. Government buildings fly it year-round, and it appears prominently during Restoration Day celebrations in May. When hanging or printing the flag, the black and yellow triangles must point from the hoist toward the fly, with the white star kept within the black triangle rather than drifting into the yellow band. Given the flag’s link to the country’s founding declaration, Timorese communities treat correct display of the East Timor flag as a matter of some national pride, and copies sold outside the country are generally expected to match the official proportions closely rather than approximate them.

East Timor Flag Sizes and Pricing

• 180 x 120cm — R860
• 22 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R800
• 10 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R650
• 90 x 60cm — R400

Material and Construction

Made from 100% polyester bunting material and digitally printed on both sides. Hemmed all around with two rows of stitching and finished with a polyester webbing heading. Rope and toggle for hoisting included.

Supplied in packs of 10. Printed on both sides onto polyester and supplied with a black plastic stick and removable base — take the base off and it doubles as a hand waving flag.

Ordering and Delivery

Every East Timor flag is printed to order and dispatched from our Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Johannesburg branches, with courier delivery nationwide. Bulk and school orders are welcome — contact us for volume pricing on quantities of 10 or more.

Additional information