The national flag of Uruguay (Pabellón Nacional) has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. The canton is white, charged with the Sun of May, from which 16 rays extend, alternating between triangular and wavy. The flag was first adopted by law on December 16, 1828 and had 17 stripes until July 11, 1830, when a new law reduced the number of stripes to nine. The flag was designed by Joaquín Suárez.

Symbolism and design
The nine horizontal stripes on the flag represents the nine original departments of Uruguay.

National banners
Unusual among nations, Uruguay has three official "National Banners" (Banderas Patrias): the Pabellón, as described above, the flag of Artigas, and the flag of the Treinta y Tres (Decree 18, February 1952). While the Pabellón Nacional is the main national flag, the other two flags are also officially recognized for historical reasons, and all three are flown together on government buildings.

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