Lesotho’s flag features a black traditional Basotho hat, making Lesotho the single canonical answer.
The current flag was adopted on 4 October 2006, the 40th anniversary of Lesotho’s independence. It is a horizontal blue, white, and green tricolor, with a black mokorotlo centered on the white band. The mokorotlo is a traditional Sotho hat and a national symbol of Lesotho and the Basotho people.
The colors have commonly been associated with sky or rain, peace, and prosperity. The central white band therefore gives the hat a clear visual setting while reinforcing the flag’s message of peace. The black color of the hat was chosen to represent Lesotho as a black nation.
Lesotho’s earlier flags can cause confusion. The 1966–1987 flag displayed a white mokorotlo, while the 1987–2006 design used a Basotho shield, spear, and knobkerrie after a military coup. The present emblem is specifically the mokorotlo, not a generic mountain or shield. Its conical form is also often linked to Mount Qiloane, a prominent symbol in Basotho tradition.