The national flag of Bhutan was adopted in 1972. It was then that King Jigme Singye Wangchuk came to the throne, who carried out some important reforms for the country.
Description and proportions of the flag of Bhutan
The flag of Bhutan is a classic rectangular cloth, like most flags of all sovereign and independent world powers. Its length and width are in a ratio of 3: 2. The Bhutan flag has a field of two colors. It is divided diagonally from bottom to top and from left to right. The part of the cloth adjacent to the shaft is painted dark yellow, and the opposite part is orange.
On the border of the two fields in the center of the flag of Bhutan, an image of a dragon, called by the Bhutanese druk, is inscribed. The dragon's head is turned from the shaft towards the free edge. Druk is depicted in white with black outlines of details painted on it.
The dragon on the Bhutanese flag is the symbol of the name of the state. Translated from the local dialect, Bhutan means the Land of the Dragon, and the precious crystals that the druk holds in his paws remind of the priceless treasures hidden in the bowels of this state. The yellow part of the flag of Bhutan is a tribute to the ruling monarchy, and the red-orange part of it reminds that the bulk of the country's population is Buddhist.
History of the flag of Bhutan
The flag of Bhutan was first adopted in the 19th century and has changed somewhat since then, but the overall concept has remained the same. The oldest version of the cloth, used as a symbol of the state until 1956, differed from the modern only in a darker shade of an orange field. The deep red was not the only difference. The druk on the first flag of Bhutan was turned with its head towards the pole, and the panel itself was less elongated and approached in shape to an equilateral rectangle.
In 1956, the flag of Bhutan underwent further changes, and within 13 years the dragon was turned from the pole to the free edge, and the colors of the flag became even darker. The shape of the panel was still close to a square.
The political changes of 1972 made the country more open. The monarch decided on the possibility of tourists and journalists visiting Bhutan, and the new flag received modern proportions and colors. Finally, the panel was approved as a state symbol at the beginning of June 1972. Today, the flag of Bhutan is used for all land-based objects in the country, and the attitude of the people of the country towards their national symbol is very respectful.
