Flag of Canada
Native & traditional name: National Flag of Canada (Maple Leaf / l'Unifolié)
| Entity | Canada (CA) |
|---|---|
| Type | Sovereign national flag (national, civil) |
| Proportion | 1:2 (1:2) |
| Primary colors | red, white |
| Main symbol | leaf |
| Arrangement | vertical triband (red · white · red) |
| Official adoption | 1965-02-15 |
| Region | Northern America |
Plain-language visual description
The national flag of Canada consists of a vertical red-white-red triband in a 1:2 ratio, with a central white square pale bearing a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf.
Construction and geometry
Proportion & symmetry: The Flag of Canada uses a statutory 1:2 height-to-width ratio on a rectangular field with vertical mirror symmetry. Canadian pale: red 1/4, white square 1/2, red 1/4 (1:2:1 ratio).
- Aspect ratio is 1:2 (width is twice the height).
- Divided vertically into red, white, and red in a 1:2:1 width ratio, making the central white field a perfect square (1x1 unit on a 2x1 grid).
- The 11-pointed maple leaf is centered within the white square with its stem resting near the bottom edge.
Official colors and specification system
Rather than manufacturing false RGB precision where a statute specifies dyed cloth, Pantone, Munsell, or CIE coordinates, the table below records the governing color system alongside a calibrated display hex approximation.
| Color | Official shade name | Specification system | Statutory / standard code | Display hex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| red | FIP Red | pantone | Pantone 032 C | #D80621 |
| white | White | statute-named | Named in statute | #FFFFFF |
Meaning and symbolism
Documented symbolism
King George V proclaimed red and white as Canada's official national colors in the proclamation of the Royal Arms of Canada on 21 November 1921.
The stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf was adopted by parliamentary resolution as an indigenous botanical emblem symbolizing Canadian unity across all cultures, provinces, and territories.
Common interpretations
The central white pale is often said to represent the vast snowy north, while the flanking red bands represent the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, mirroring the national motto 'A Mari Usque Ad Mare' ('From Sea to Sea').
History and design evolution
Prior to 1965, Canada flew the Canadian Red Ensign featuring the British Union Jack in the canton and the Canadian shield of arms in the fly. As national identity evolved after World War II, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson launched the Great Flag Debate in 1964 to create a distinctive, inclusive national flag that did not favor English or French heraldic symbols.
A special multi-party parliamentary committee reviewed thousands of designs before selecting a proposal by George Stanley, Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College of Canada, based on the college's red-and-white banner. Graphic designer Jacques Saint-Cyr refined the maple leaf from a realistic 13-point botanical illustration to an aerodynamic 11-point emblem that remained instantly recognizable in wind-tunnel tests and high outdoor winds.
Queen Elizabeth II signed the Royal Proclamation on 28 January 1965, and the new flag was officially raised on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on 15 February 1965, a date now commemorated annually as National Flag of Canada Day. The Canadian pale layout—a vertical triband where the central band is equal to half the total width—became a recognized vexillological standard.
Key historical milestones
- 1921National Colors Proclaimed: King George V proclaims red and white the official colors of Canada.
- 1964Great Flag Debate: Parliament forms a committee to select a new national flag.
- 1965Royal Proclamation & Raising: Queen Elizabeth II proclaims the flag; it is raised on Parliament Hill on 15 February 1965.
Frequently confused with
The Flag of Canada is commonly confused with or compared alongside the following flags due to shared colors, stripe geometry, or central emblems:
Visually and structurally similar flags
Ranked deterministically across layout family (35%), color overlap and stripe order (25%), symbols (20%), aspect ratio (10%), and stripe/symmetry geometry (10%):
Sources and image-rights provenance
SVG artwork provenance: Constructed from statutory specifications (public-domain-statute, verified 2026-10-14, SHA-256 66d341758ed5…).