Which country's flag features a gold lion holding a sword?

Which country's flag features a gold lion holding a sword? Sri Lanka. Its national flag shows a golden lion holding a kastane sword in its right forepaw against a maroon field.

The lion is the central emblem of the historic Lion Flag associated with the Sinhalese people and Sri Lankan sovereignty. The sword symbolizes the nation’s authority and independence. Four golden bo leaves occupy the corners of the maroon panel; they represent the Buddhist virtues of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.

The lion motif has deep historical roots. A mural at Dambulla depicts King Dutugamunu with a banner bearing a lion carrying a sword, linking the image to Sri Lankan history long before the modern republic. The Lion Flag became the national flag of the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948 and was redesigned in 1972.

The flag also includes green and orange vertical bands beside the lion panel. These, along with the gold border, are intended to acknowledge Sri Lanka’s diverse communities. The sword-bearing lion is therefore more than decoration: it combines historical identity, sovereignty and religious symbolism.