The Secret History Behind Lesotho's Flag
Lesotho's flag has a traditional straw hat, and it is the country's fourth since independence.
The first flag, raised on October 4, 1966, the day of independence, had green, red and blue vertical stripes with a white mokorotlo, the traditional Basotho hat, on the blue. It was replaced in January 1987 after a military coup by a flag of three diagonal bands with traditional weapons.
The current flag was adopted on October 4, 2006, the 40th anniversary of independence. It has horizontal blue, white and green bands with a black mokorotlo, echoing the original. The colors follow the national motto: white for peace, blue for rain and green for prosperity.
The date printed on every Lesotho design in our catalog, October 4, 1966, is Independence Day.
A hat that came back to the flag.
Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.