Flag of Kyrgyzstan

What the flag looks like

A red field with a yellow sun of 40 straight rays in the center; inside the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, depicting the crown (tunduk) of a yurt.

What it means

The 40 rays represent the 40 tribes united by the epic hero Manas, and the tunduk symbolises home, family and the unity of the people; red is said to recall Manas's banner.

How to remember it

Kyrgyzstan is a yellow sun with 40 rays on red, its center crossed like the roof lattice of a yurt; North Macedonia's sun has just eight broad rays.

Fun facts

• In 2023 the rays were redrawn as straight lines instead of wavy flames, partly because the old design was said to look like a sunflower.
• The Epic of Manas, the source of the flag's 40 rays, is one of the longest epic poems in the world.

Kyrgyzstan at a glance

Capital

Bishkek

Region

Central Asia

Population

7.2 million

Area

199,951 km²

Languages

Kyrgyz, Russian

Currency

Kyrgyzstani som (с)

Flag adopted

2023

Flags often confused with Kyrgyzstan

• North Macedonia: Kyrgyzstan and North Macedonia both show a yellow sun on red. North Macedonia's eight broad rays stretch to the edges and corners; Kyrgyzstan's sun has many short rays and a red yurt-crown pattern inside.