Flag of Uruguay

What the flag looks like

Nine horizontal stripes, five white alternating with four light blue, starting and ending with white, and a white square in the upper hoist holding a golden Sun of May with a face.

What it means

The nine stripes stand for the nine departments the country had in 1830, and the Sun of May symbolises independence and the May Revolution of 1810.

How to remember it

Uruguay tucks Argentina's Sun of May into a white top-left corner over nine stripes, like a sunny Greece.

Fun facts

• Uruguay hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
• The nine stripes match Uruguay's nine original departments; the country now has 19.

Uruguay at a glance

Capital

Montevideo

Region

South America

Population

3.4 million

Area

181,034 km²

Languages

Spanish

Currency

Uruguayan peso ($)

Flag adopted

1830

Flags often confused with Uruguay

• Argentina: Argentina and Uruguay both use light blue, white and a gold Sun of May. Argentina has three stripes with the sun centered; Uruguay has nine stripes with the sun in the upper-left corner.
• Greece: Greece and Uruguay both have nine blue and white stripes with a corner square. Greece's corner is blue with a white cross; Uruguay's is white with a golden sun, and its blue is lighter.