Timor-Leste Flag: Colours, Meaning and History

The flag of Timor-Leste is red with a yellow triangle and a smaller black triangle at the hoist, and a white five-pointed star in the black triangle. Under Section 15 of the Constitution, yellow stands for the traces of colonialism, black for the obscurantism that needs to be overcome, red for the struggle for national liberation, and white for peace; the star is “the light that guides”.

What the Constitution says

The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, in force since 20 May 2002, names three national symbols: the flag, the emblem and the national anthem (Section 14). Section 15 describes the flag:

The National Flag is rectangular and is formed by two isosceles triangles, the bases of which are overlapping. One triangle is black and its height is equal to one-third of the length overlapped to the yellow triangle, whose height is equal to half the length of the Flag. In the centre of the black triangle there is a white star of five ends, meaning the light that guides. The white star has one of its ends turned towards the left side end of the flag. The remaining part of the flag is red.

What the colours mean

Colour	Meaning (Constitution, Section 15)
Yellow	The traces of colonialism
Black	The obscurantism that needs to be overcome
Red	The struggle for national liberation
White (star)	Peace; the star itself is “the light that guides”

A common mistake in online guides is to say that red stands for suffering or that yellow stands for the independence struggle. The official text gives the meanings above.

History of the flag

The design was first raised on 28 November 1975, when FRETILIN proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of East Timor after Portuguese rule ended. Flag historians credit the design to Natalino Leitão, one of the FRETILIN members who prepared the flag on the eve of the proclamation. Nine days later Indonesia invaded and occupied the territory for 24 years (see our history of the Indonesian occupation).

The same design became the national flag when independence was restored on 20 May 2002, at the ratio of 1:2 (twice as long as it is tall). Some commentators at the time noted its close association with FRETILIN, but it was written into the Constitution as the flag of the whole nation.

Where you will see it

The flag flies on government buildings across Dili, and is everywhere on the two biggest national days: 28 November (Proclamation of Independence Day) and 20 May (Restoration of Independence Day). See public holidays in Timor-Leste for dates. The story of the independence struggle is told in Dili at the Timorese Resistance Archive & Museum and the Centro Nacional Chega! (see things to do in Dili).

For the country’s name, languages, population and other basics, see our Timor-Leste facts page and the history timeline.

Frequently asked questions

What do the colours of the Timor-Leste flag mean?

Under Section 15 of the Constitution, yellow stands for the traces of colonialism, black for the obscurantism that needs to be overcome, red for the struggle for national liberation and white for peace.

What does the star on the Timor-Leste flag mean?

The white five-pointed star in the black triangle is “the light that guides”. Its white colour stands for peace.

When was the flag of Timor-Leste adopted?

The flag was first raised on 28 November 1975, at the proclamation of independence. It became the official national flag on 20 May 2002, when independence was restored and the Constitution came into force.

Who designed the Timor-Leste flag?

Flag historians credit the design to Natalino Leitão, a FRETILIN member who helped prepare the flag for the 1975 proclamation. The Constitution itself does not name a designer.

What is the Timor-Leste flag emoji?

The flag emoji is 🇹🇱, listed by Unicode as “flag: Timor-Leste”. It is made of the regional indicator letters T and L, the country’s two-letter code, so on some systems it shows as the letters “TL” instead of a flag.

Portuguese Timor: History from 1515 to 1975