Flag of Canada

The flag of Canada is very famous.

It has a red leaf in the middle. The leaf has eleven points. It sits on a white square. The sides of the flag are red.

Long ago, people used a different flag. A leader wanted a new sign for the land. They chose the red maple leaf. Now, people celebrate this flag every year. It is a special symbol for Canada.

The flag of Canada is a famous symbol. Many people call it the Maple Leaf. It has a red leaf in the center. This leaf has eleven points. The leaf sits on a white square. The sides of the flag are red.

Scientists tested the design in a wind tunnel. They wanted a shape that looks clear in high winds.

Before this flag, Canada used other signs. One was the Canadian Red Ensign.

Another was the Union Flag from Great Britain. In 1964, a leader named Lester B. Pearson wanted a new flag. He wanted a design that was clearly Canadian. This led to a big debate in the government.

A committee was formed to pick a new design. They chose a design by George Stanley. It was based on a flag from a military college. The new flag officially appeared on February 15, 1965.

Canada now celebrates this date every year. It is known as National Flag of Canada Day.

The national flag of Canada is a famous symbol. Many people call it the Maple Leaf. It has a red leaf in the center. This leaf has eleven points. The leaf sits on a white square. The sides of the flag are red.

The flag is very balanced. It is horizontally symmetric. This means both sides look the same. The width of the flag is twice its height. The white center is called a Canadian pale. This is a wide band in the middle. The red parts on the sides are half that size.

Designing the flag was a very careful job. The eleven points on the leaf are special. They were not chosen just for looks. Scientists used a wind tunnel to test the design. They wanted a shape that would not look blurry. This was important for when the flag flies in high winds. The red and white colors are also very important. King George V made these the official colors in 1921. The red came from the Saint George's Cross. The white came from the French royal emblem.

Canada used different flags long before 1965. In the 1500s, explorers carried the French royal banner. Later, the Union Flag was used in Canada. Many people also used the Canadian Red Ensign.

This flag had been used since the 1860s. The maple leaf was a symbol for Canada even earlier. It appeared on coins from 1876 to 1901. It was also on the penny after 1901. The maple leaf was even in a song called "The Maple Leaf Forever."

In 1964, Canada had a big debate about its flag. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson wanted a new design. He wanted a flag that was unmistakably Canadian. He did not want symbols from other countries. This led to the Great Flag Debate.

A committee was formed to find the best design. They looked at many different choices. One choice was called the Pearson Pennant. It had blue borders and three maple leaves. This design did not win the final vote.

The committee finally chose a design by George Stanley. His design was based on a military college flag. The new flag officially appeared on February 15, 1965.

Canada now celebrates this day every year. It is called National Flag of Canada Day. Today, the maple leaf is everywhere in Canada. You can see it on government buildings. You can even see it on the government's wordmark. It is the most recognizable symbol for the country.

The national flag of Canada is a powerful symbol known widely as the Maple Leaf. It consists of a red field with a white square at its center. This white section is called a Canadian pale. In heraldry, a Canadian pale is a central band that takes up half the width of the flag. The red maple leaf in the center has exactly 11 points. The flag is horizontally symmetric, meaning the front and back look identical. Its width is exactly twice its height.

Designing the leaf required scientific precision. The 11-point shape was not chosen by chance. Designers used wind tunnel tests to study different versions. They wanted a design that would not look blurry when flying in high winds. The colors of the flag also have deep historical roots. In 1921, King George V proclaimed red and white as Canada's official colors. The red comes from the Saint George's Cross. The white comes from the French royal emblem used by King Charles VII.

Before the current flag, Canada used several different symbols. In the 1500s, explorers like Jacques Cartier carried the French royal banner. Later, the Union Flag was used as the de facto British national flag. Many Canadians also used the Canadian Red Ensign starting in the 1860s. This flag was officially approved in 1945 for specific occasions. The maple leaf itself has been a Canadian emblem since the 19th century. It appeared on the coats of arms for Ontario and Quebec in 1868. It also appeared on Canadian coins from 1876 until 1901.

By the mid-20th century, the need for a unique flag became urgent. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson wanted a flag that was unmistakably Canadian. He was motivated by the Suez Crisis of 1956. During that event, the Egyptian government objected to the Canadian flag. This was because the Red Ensign contained the Union Flag. The Union Flag is a symbol of the United Kingdom. Pearson wanted to avoid using symbols from other nations. This desire sparked the Great Flag Debate of 1964.

The Great Flag Debate was a period of intense political discussion. One proposed design was the "Pearson Pennant." This design featured blue borders and three red maple leaves. However, this design faced heavy criticism from the media. In September 1964, a new all-party committee was formed to find a solution. The committee included members from several different political groups. They considered many ideas, including designs with three maple leaves. They also heard from people who wanted symbols of Canada's founding nations.

The committee eventually selected a design by historian George Stanley. His design was based on the flag used by the Royal Military College of Canada. This design was simpler and more distinct. The new flag was officially proclaimed by the Canadian monarch. It first appeared on February 15, 1965. Canada now celebrates this anniversary every year as National Flag of Canada Day.

Today, the maple leaf is the most recognizable symbol of the country. It appears on many different government items. You can find the motif on flags for military forces and government bodies. The maple leaf is even part of the government's official wordmark. While there is no law on how to treat the flag, there are strict protocols. These rules guide how it is displayed and its order of precedence. This means it holds a higher rank than most other flags.