Its colors are white and blue, having the sun, which occupies the canton, gold color. The flag has the following proportions: the length and the width are in relation of 3 to 2 and the space that contains the sun consists of a picture in the superior part, next to the flagpole, that arrives until the sixth strip, of color blue. The first strip and the last strip are white.
The drawing of the sun consists of a radiant circle, with face, bordered by sixteen rays (eight straight and eight interspersed flamigeros), with a diameter of 11/15. This sun, known as Sol de Mayo, is a representation of the Inca sun god, Inti. Its name refers to the May Revolution, which occurred in the week of May 18, 1810, which marked the beginning of the process of independence of Spain from the current countries that at that time were the Viceroyalty of the Rio de La Plata.
The colors of the Uruguayan national flag are taken from the colors of the flag of the United Provinces. Manuel Belgrano had proposed blue near turqoise as a color of the stripes because it was one of the colors of the House of Bourbon. But, since it was difficult at this time to find turquoise cloths, it was decided to temporarily use the color blue or light-blue.
The arrangement of the elements is inspired by the flag of the United States of America. The nine horizontal strips that are distributed on the field represent the first nine departments of the country. On the United States flag, the 13 red and white stripes alternately distributed represented the Thirteen British colonies that proclaimed their independence in 1776.
According to the vexilología, the Uruguayan flag fits to one of the basic forms, with a canton in the upper left part next to the flagpole. In Anglo-Saxon countries this element usually hosts the state's coat of arms or political or religious symbols. In flags of other countries it links the State with its former metropolis, as in Taiwan, Liberia, Malaysia, Kashmir, Togo and the Commonwealth countries. In the case of Uruguay the Sun of May would symbolize the link with the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.
