Flag of Maldives
The Maldives are a coral atoll in the Indian Ocean comprising over 1,000 islands; the local name for the group is The Thousand Islands. As with the flags of other states in the region, the color red features prominently; in fact, the original flag of the islands had only a plain red field. The islands, which had been a British protectorate since 1887, became independent in 1965, and the present design was adopted in the same year. The colors represent the sacrifice of the heroes of the independence struggle (red), and progress and prosperity (green). The central panel contains a white crescent, recognized as a symbol of the Islamic religion.
The ratio of the flag is 2:3.
