The Republic of Indonesia

The National Flag of Indonesia

Sang Sakah Merah Putih

(The red and white flag)

Indonesia gained its independence from the Netherlands on 17th August, 1945. On the same day, the new nations flag was hoisted. A simple bicolour flag of red and white, it was inspired by the flag of the Majapahit Empire in the 13th Century, which was centred round the island of Java.

The Indonesian flag is very similar to the flag of Singapore and Poland, and identical to the flag of Monaco. Apart from its ratio.

One story about the flags history is that the Dutch continued to use their flag during their rule of Indonesia. The red white and blue tricolour. The Indonesian independence movement proceeded to rip off the blue stripe from the flag, and fly what was left as their colours. The reason to rip off the blue was two-fold. First, to strip away the "blue-blooded aristocracy." also, because the colours that where left where the same as those used by the Majapahit Empire. 

The colours on the flag are taken to represent blood, and the human body (red), and the spirit and soul (white). By combining them together, you have a human being. Also, these colours have become important in daily life in Indonesia, with red coming from cane sugar, and white from rice!