Flag of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Name	Қазақстан Республикасының Мемлекеттiк Туы
Use	National flag and civil ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	4 June 1992
Design	A gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a sky blue field. The hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern "koshkar-muiz" (the horns of the ram) in gold
Designed by	Shaken Niyazbekov
Variant flag of Kazakhstan
Use	State ensign
Proportion	1:2
Variant flag of Kazakhstan
Use	Naval ensign
Proportion	1:2

The current flag of Kazakhstan or Kazakh flag (Kazakh: Қазақстан туы Qazaqstan twı) was adopted on 4 June 1992, replacing the flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The flag was designed by Shaken Niyazbekov. The color choices had preserved the Soviet era flag minus the red.

Description

The national flag of the Republic of Kazakhstan has a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a sky blue background; the hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern "koshkar-muiz" (the horns of the ram) in gold; the blue color is of religious significance to the Turkic peoples of the country, and so symbolizes cultural and ethnic unity; it also represents the endless sky as well as water; the sun, a source of life and energy, exemplifies wealth and plenitude; the sun's rays are shaped like grain, which is the basis of abundance and prosperity; the eagle has appeared on the flags of Kazakh tribes for centuries and represents freedom, power, and the flight to the future. The width of the flag to its length is 1:2.

The gold and blue colors were inherited from the former Soviet flag which were the gold from the hammer and sickle and the blue bar from the bottom of the flag.

Interpretation

The pattern represents the art and cultural traditions of the old khanate and the Kazakh people. The light blue background stands for the various Turkic peoples that make up the present-day population of the country, including the Kazakhs, Tatars, Uyghurs, Uzbeks and others. The light blue color symbolizes peace, freedom, cultural and ethnic unity of Kazakhstani people. The sun represents the source of life and energy. It is also a symbol of wealth and abundance; the sun's rays are like grain which is the basis of abundance and prosperity.

People of different Kazakh tribes had the golden eagle on their flags for centuries. The eagle symbolizes the power of the state. For the modern nation of Kazakhstan the eagle is a symbol of independence, freedom and flight to future.

Historical flags

• 

  Alleged flag of the Kazakh Khanate

• 

  Flag of the Alash Autonomy

• Qazaq ssr 37-40.svg

  Flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic from 1937—1940

• Qazaq SSR 40-53.svg

  Flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic from 1940—1953

• 

  Flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic from 1953—1991 and Flag of the Republic of Kazakhstan 1991-1992

See also

• Emblem of Kazakhstan
• Flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
• List of Kazakh flags

External links

• Kazakhstan at Flags of the World
• Kazakhstan - Vexillographia
• Flag of the Kazakh ASSR