East Timor

Today, we'll look at the flag of one of newest nations in the world: East Timor. Look at this pretty piece:

I remember that the first time I saw the East Timor flag was on a stamp of my country, Brazil, commemorating the first anniversary of the independence of this friend nation, about a decade ago:

At the time, I was slightly more interested in stamps than in flags, but I became immediately curious with the shapes of that flag. I needed more months to found an updated flag section, I can't remember if on an atlas or in the internet.

The "boomerang" shape thrilled me, and I still find it very original. Not coincidentally, it's very similar to a proposal to a new Australian flag. The inclined star is also very unique.

Now, a little about the meaning and history of this flag. The flag adopted in 2002 is the same used in 1975, during a brief period of independence. The black represents the "the obscurantism that needs to be overcome", according to official sources, while the yellow triangle represents the traces of colonialism. The red is for the fight for independence, and the white star (on the color of peace) represents the "light that guides". The symbolism, all in all, represents a young nation trying to overcome its problems and build a better future.

 

Your comments are welcome.