Nepal has the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular: two joined triangular pennants form its distinctive shape.
The modern flag was constitutionally adopted in 1962, although its basic double-pennant design developed from older royal and religious banners. The upper triangle carries a stylized moon, while the lower triangle contains a sun. These symbols represent permanence and the hope that Nepal will endure as long as the sun and moon remain.
The crimson red is associated with Nepal’s national flower, the rhododendron, and also suggests bravery. The blue border represents peace and harmony. The flag’s unusual geometry is not merely decorative: Nepal’s constitution specifies its construction through a precise mathematical method rather than treating it as a standard rectangle.
People sometimes confuse Nepal’s flag with a pair of unrelated triangular flags or with Bhutan’s dragon flag. Nepal’s two stacked pennants, blue edging, and moon-and-sun emblems make it unmistakable. Square flags such as Switzerland’s and Vatican City’s are still rectangular in the broad geometric sense.