Home › Guides › Flags With Suns

☀️ Flag Symbols

Flags With Suns On Them

Q: Which flags have a sun on them?

Flags with a sun include Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Taiwan, North Macedonia, Rwanda, Nepal, Niger, Bangladesh, Malawi, Kiribati and Antigua and Barbuda.

Q: What is the sun on the Argentina flag?

It is the Sun of May, a golden sun with a human face and alternating straight and wavy rays. It commemorates the May Revolution of 1810 and echoes Inti, the Inca sun god. Uruguay's flag carries the same Sun of May.

Q: How many rays does the sun on the Philippine flag have?

Eight. The eight rays of the sun on the Philippine flag represent the first eight provinces that revolted against Spanish rule.

Q: Is the red circle on Japan's flag a sun?

Yes. The red disc on Japan's flag, called the Hinomaru, represents the sun. Japan's own name, Nihon, means 'origin of the sun', which is why Japan is known as the Land of the Rising Sun.

Q: Does Palau's flag have a sun on it?

No. The yellow disc on Palau's flag represents the moon, not the sun. Laos's white disc is also a moon, and India's central wheel is the Ashoka Chakra rather than a sun.

The sun is one of the most popular symbols in the world's flags — a near-universal sign of life, energy and new beginnings. More than a dozen national flags feature one, from a simple red disc to an elaborate sun with a human face. Here they all are, grouped by the kind of sun.

The most iconic sun flag: Japan 🇯🇵 — the Hinomaru, a single red disc, is the sun itself. Japan's own name, Nihon, means "origin of the sun" — which is exactly why Japan is known as the Land of the Rising Sun.

😊 The Sun of May — suns with a face

Two South American neighbours share the most unusual sun of all: one with human features.

Argentina

The golden Sun of May — a face with alternating straight and wavy rays — recalling the sun breaking through cloud at the 1810 May Revolution, and Inti, the Inca sun god.

Uruguay

The same Sun of May in the canton — 16 rays and a face — a shared emblem from Argentina and Uruguay's common history.

🔴 Sun discs & rising suns

The simplest suns of all: a single disc, or a sun climbing over the horizon for a new dawn.

Japan

The Hinomaru — a single red disc for the sun. The most recognisable sun flag on Earth.

Bangladesh

A red disc for the sun rising over Bengal, set slightly off-centre so it looks central when flying.

Niger

A small orange disc for the sun of the Sahara, between bands of land and river.

Antigua & Barbuda

A golden rising sun for the dawn of a new era.

Malawi

A red rising sun on black — the dawn of freedom and hope across Africa.

Kiribati

A golden sun rising over the Pacific, with a frigatebird soaring above.

🌟 Radiant & rayed suns

The most detailed suns, where the number of rays usually carries its own meaning.

Philippines

A golden sun with exactly 8 rays — one for each of the first provinces to revolt against Spain — plus three stars.

Taiwan

The "White Sun" with 12 rays, standing for the twelve months and the hours of the day.

Kazakhstan

A golden sun and its rays arc above a soaring steppe eagle.

Kyrgyzstan

A yellow sun with 40 rays — for the 40 tribes united by the hero Manas — around a yurt's crown.

North Macedonia

The "new sun of liberty", eight broad rays in a starburst — adopted in 1995 to settle a flag dispute with Greece.

Namibia

A golden sun with 12 triangular rays in the upper corner, for life and energy.

Rwanda

A golden sun in the top corner, symbolising enlightenment and a fresh start.

Nepal

A white sun on the lower pennant, paired with a moon above — on the world's only non-rectangular flag.

Not the sun, despite appearances — a plain disc doesn't always mean the sun. Palau and Laos both have a disc that represents the moon, and the wheel at the centre of India's flag is the Ashoka Chakra, not a sun. It's one of the most common flag mix-ups.

Why is the sun such a popular flag symbol?

The sun works on a flag for the same reasons it appears in so many myths: it's universal, instantly recognisable, and rich in meaning. A rising sun suggests a new dawn — perfect for a newly independent nation, which is why so many appear on twentieth-century African and Pacific flags. A radiant sun with counted rays lets a country encode its own story, from the Philippines' eight provinces to Kyrgyzstan's forty tribes. And a sun can carry deep cultural weight, like Japan's Hinomaru or the Inca-rooted Sun of May.

Frequently asked questions

Which flags have a sun on them?

Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Taiwan, North Macedonia, Rwanda, Nepal, Niger, Bangladesh, Malawi, Kiribati and Antigua & Barbuda.

What is the sun on the Argentina flag?

The Sun of May — a golden sun with a face, commemorating the May Revolution of 1810 and echoing Inti, the Inca sun god. Uruguay uses the same sun.

How many rays does the sun on the Philippine flag have?

Eight — one for each of the first provinces that revolted against Spanish rule.

Is the red circle on Japan's flag a sun?

Yes — the Hinomaru. Japan's name, Nihon, means "origin of the sun", hence the Land of the Rising Sun.

Does Palau's flag have a sun on it?

No — Palau's yellow disc is the moon. So is the disc on Laos's flag, and India's central wheel is the Ashoka Chakra.

Related guides

Flag images via flagcdn.com. A plain disc can represent the sun or the moon depending on the country.