Flag Day in Uruguay

The present flag was adopted at the General Constituent and Legislative Assembly of December 18, 1828 and modified by the same General Constituent Assembly two years later, in 1830. It consists of nine horizontal stripes of equal size, four blue and five white alternating. In addition, it has a white square in the sector of the upper left canton with a Sun of May that has sixteen rays: eight straight and eight flaming alternating.

The stripes represent the nine original departments that made up Uruguay at the time of its independence: Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandú, San José, and Soriano.

Every June 19, the birth of José Gervasio Artigas is celebrated in Uruguay along with Flag Day. On that day, first year school children usually promise the flag and first year high school children swear the oath.