🇹🇱 The colours of Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste’s flag uses red, yellow, black, and white. Red stands for the struggle for independence, yellow for the country’s wealth and traces of colonialism, black for past oppression and obscurantism, and the white star for peace and hope. These meanings are set out in the Constitution.

Where no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.

• Red and yellow have official Pantone references: PMS 485 and PMS 123.
• The white star must point to the upper left corner of the flag.
• Flags are considered sacred objects in Timorese culture.
• The flag’s colours and meanings are set out in the Constitution.
• No official shade is set for black or white.

The colours of the flag of Timor-Leste

The flag of Timor-Leste is made up of a red field, a yellow triangle, a black triangle, and a white five-pointed star. Red is said to represent the struggle for liberation and the blood of the people. Yellow stands for the country’s wealth and the marks left by colonialism. Black symbolises obscurantism—meaning ignorance or darkness—that must be overcome, as well as the long period of colonial oppression. The white star in the black triangle is described as 'the light that guides' and stands for peace and hope. These meanings are officially stated in the Constitution.

How the colours were chosen of Timor-Leste

Before independence, Timor-Leste used the Portuguese flag, which became a sacred object among local rulers and communities, especially the Mambai. In the 1960s and 1970s, resistance groups used flags with red, black, yellow, and a white star, leading to the current design. The present flag was first adopted in 1975, based on the Fretilin party flag, and re-adopted in 2002 after independence from Indonesia. The meanings of the colours have shifted slightly over time, with the Constitution now giving them specific symbolism.

Official shades and rules of Timor-Leste

The Constitution describes the flag’s layout and symbolic meanings but does not fix the exact shades. The UN Transitional Administration suggested PMS 485 for red and PMS 123 for yellow, which are commonly used. The flag’s proportions have varied, but a 1:2 ratio is now shown in law. The white star must point to the upper left corner. There are official sizes for public use, but other sizes are allowed if proportions are kept.