The flag of Uruguay has nine horizontal stripes. They alternate between white and blue across the flag, with the upper hoist-side corner containing the Sun of May.
The nine stripes represent Uruguay’s nine original departments. This symbolism was established when the country created its national flag after independence. The first design, approved in 1828, actually contained 19 alternating stripes, but that arrangement was difficult to distinguish from a distance. A 1830 law reduced the number to nine, with four blue stripes and five white ones.
The flag’s canton features the Sun of May, a golden sun with a face and 16 rays. The emblem refers to the May Revolution of 1810, an important event in the independence movements of the Río de la Plata region. The sun also connects Uruguay’s symbolism with Indigenous and Incan traditions through the figure of Inti.
A common mistake is to count only the blue stripes. There are four blue stripes, but nine stripes in total when the five white stripes are included. That total is the accepted answer to the question.