| Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China | |
| Nickname: | Lotus Flag |
| Use: | 110110 |
| Proportion: | 2:3 |
| Adoption: | Approved on 31 March 1993 by National People's Congress, first used on |
| Designer: | Zhang Lei & Xiao Hong |
| Design: | Peacock green field with a lotus flower above the stylised Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five golden five-pointed stars, where the large star is in the center flanked by four smaller stars, two on each side of the large star. |
The Regional Flag of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is light green with a lotus flower above the stylised Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and water in white, beneath a circular arc of five golden five-pointed stars: one large star in the center of the arc with two smaller stars on each side of the large star, each with a point angled directly outward from the center of the common circle on which they lie.
The lotus was chosen as the floral emblem of Macau. The Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge is a bridge linking the Macau Peninsula and the island of Taipa. The bridge is one of the most recognisable landmarks for the territory. The water beneath the lotus and the bridge symbolise Macau's position as a port and its role played in the territory. The five five-pointed stars echo the design of the flag of the People's Republic of China, symbolising the relationship Macau has with its sovereign state.
According to the Basic Law of Macau, the Macau Regional Flag is a green flag with five stars, lotus flower, bridge and sea water. This law also adopted "Apart from displaying the Flag of the People's Republic of China, the Macao Special Administrative Region may also use a regional flag".[1]
In 1993, several proposed designs were put forward.[2]
Colors scheme | ! style="background:#067662; width:100px; color:white;" | Green | White | Yellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95-0-17-54 | 0-0-0-0 | 0-13-88-0 | ||
| HEX |
|
|
| |
| RGB | 6-118-98 | 255-255-255 | 255-223-30 |
Prior to the handover of Macau to the People's Republic of China by the Portuguese Republic in 1999, Macau officially used only the Portuguese flag, in contrast to Hong Kong, which, under British rule, used a defaced Blue Ensign as its flag, alongside the Union Jack. In 1967, there were proposals to give each overseas province its own flag, consisting of the Portuguese flag with the local coat of arms, but none was ever adopted.[3]
There was a flag for the Government of Macau, with the colony's coat of arms on a light blue field.[4]
There was a flag for the Portuguese-ruled Municipal Council of Macau, with a Portuguese-style coat of arms and two angels as heraldic supporters, which was used at the 1999 handover ceremony as well as the 1990, 1994 and 1998 Asian Games.
| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1557–1578 | Flag of Portugal (1521–1578) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | The Portuguese flag was used in colonial-era Macau, as there was no territorial flag. | |
| 1578–1640 | Flag of Portugal (1495–1578) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | ||
| 1640–1667 | Flag of Portugal (1640–1667) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | ||
| 1667–1707 | Flag of Portugal (1667–1707) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | ||
| 1707–1816 | Flag of Portugal (1707–1750) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | ||
| 1816–1830 | Flag of Portugal (1816–1830) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | ||
| 1830–1910 | Flag of Portugal (1830–1910) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | ||
| 1911–1999 | Flag of Portugal since 1911 used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau. | ||
| 1975–1999 | Flag of the Municipality of Macau, one of two local municipal governments. | A light blue field charged with the coat of arms of the Municipality of Macau. This was the flag used at sporting events and at the 1999 handover to China. | |
| 1975–1999 | Flag of the Municipality of Macau, one of two local municipal governments. | White Variant. | |
| 1975–1999 | Flag of the Municipality of Ilhas, one of two local municipal governments. | An orange field charged with the coat of arms of the Municipality of Ilhas. | |
| 1975–1999 | Flag of Portuguese colonial Government of Macau. | A light blue field charged with the official coat of arms of the Portuguese colony of Macau. During the Portuguese administration this flag also represented the territory of Macau in the international forums, although it was not the official flag of the Portuguese colony. | |
| Unofficial | Variant flag of Portuguese colonial Government of Macau. | Unofficial variant without a mural crown representing the Kingdom of the Algarve castles in the coat of arms and replacing "Government of Macau" with simply "Macau". This flag was found at the University of Macau in a photo of International University sports meeting and it was used in the parade. Although this flag was never used officially, some sports media used it instead of the Portuguese flag to represent the colony. | |